AFRL-Funded Scientists Demonstrate Record Performance Speeds for Bendable Electronics Published May 6, 2008 By Capt. Albert Meza Air Force Office of Scientific Research ARLINGTON, Va. -- AFRL sponsored the development of electronics that are not only fast but also bendable, a characteristic that enables their attachment to unevenly shaped objects such as airplane bodies or engines. The research team behind the success of this endeavor, led by University of Wisconsin-Madison scientist Dr. Zhenqiang (Jack) Ma, first developed superflexible silicon chips capable of withstanding impact and severe vibration. The team's subsequent addition of pressure to these durable chips generated performance speeds up to 50 times faster than similar efforts have previously achieved. The scientists are also working on a variation of this bendable electronics technology in the form of flexible photodetectors, or optoelectronics. Optoelectronic devices are important to applications wherein high-speed photography is a priority, and a newfound capability to arrange these devices in a hemispherical or spherical shape will enable surveillance of respective regions of interest with no need for a moving lens. This research produced a number of innovative methods for manipulating the flexible nanomembranes associated with the technology as well. These novel techniques will permit relevant electrical properties to be tailored at will. The research results are both timely and relevant for the Air Force (AF) and Department of Defense, as well as for the semiconductor material and device component industries. The AF can leverage the outcomes for its numerous new flexible electronics and optoelectronics applications, which include compact antennae that attach to airplane bodies and missiles, flexible sensors that detect mechanical changes, and 360 degrees air surveillance. Overall, the capacity to synthesize and manipulate extremely thin films of solid-state materials facilitates wholly new approaches for improving the performance of defense and commercial systems while reducing their corresponding size, weight, and power requirements.