March 21, 2024 | Ziyang Liu,1 Yaoshen Zhao,1 and Zhigang Yin1,*
The introduction of low-power soft transistors is discussed, highlighting their potential to revolutionize electronics. Traditional transistors, primarily made from inorganic semiconductors like silicon and metal oxides, have reached fundamental limits in speed and power consumption. Soft transistors, constructed from organic materials, offer flexibility, adaptability, and low-power operation, making them ideal for applications in flexible sensors, wearable e-skins, biomedical electronics, and neuromorphic computing.
The article outlines three main approaches to achieving low-power operation in soft transistors: using high-dielectric-constant (high-κ) insulators, solid-state polyelectrolytes, and liquid or gel electrolytes. Each approach has unique advantages and challenges, such as high charge storage capacity, high dielectric capacitance, and volumetric ion injection, respectively.
In flexible wearable electronics, soft transistors provide stress stability, rapid response, and energy efficiency, making them suitable for human safety standards and diverse applications like human movement monitoring and prosthetic integration. In biomedical electronics, these transistors' biocompatible and conformable properties make them suitable for advanced applications like soft biotechnological interfaces and brain-machine interfaces.
Neuromorphic electronics benefit from the hysteresis properties of soft transistors, which can emulate biological synapses with low power consumption, enabling efficient information processing and storage.
The conclusion emphasizes the promising future of low-power soft transistors in emerging electronics, while acknowledging challenges in achieving reliable, low-power operation and large-scale production. Future research should focus on material synthesis, device construction, and advanced manufacturing techniques to overcome these limitations and realize the full potential of soft transistors in various applications.The introduction of low-power soft transistors is discussed, highlighting their potential to revolutionize electronics. Traditional transistors, primarily made from inorganic semiconductors like silicon and metal oxides, have reached fundamental limits in speed and power consumption. Soft transistors, constructed from organic materials, offer flexibility, adaptability, and low-power operation, making them ideal for applications in flexible sensors, wearable e-skins, biomedical electronics, and neuromorphic computing.
The article outlines three main approaches to achieving low-power operation in soft transistors: using high-dielectric-constant (high-κ) insulators, solid-state polyelectrolytes, and liquid or gel electrolytes. Each approach has unique advantages and challenges, such as high charge storage capacity, high dielectric capacitance, and volumetric ion injection, respectively.
In flexible wearable electronics, soft transistors provide stress stability, rapid response, and energy efficiency, making them suitable for human safety standards and diverse applications like human movement monitoring and prosthetic integration. In biomedical electronics, these transistors' biocompatible and conformable properties make them suitable for advanced applications like soft biotechnological interfaces and brain-machine interfaces.
Neuromorphic electronics benefit from the hysteresis properties of soft transistors, which can emulate biological synapses with low power consumption, enabling efficient information processing and storage.
The conclusion emphasizes the promising future of low-power soft transistors in emerging electronics, while acknowledging challenges in achieving reliable, low-power operation and large-scale production. Future research should focus on material synthesis, device construction, and advanced manufacturing techniques to overcome these limitations and realize the full potential of soft transistors in various applications.