Chinese Scientists from the Max-Planck-Institut für Chemische Physik fester Stoffe in Dresden and the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics of the Chinese Academy of Science have found an inorganic semiconductor. This new material is perfect for flexible and wearable technologies, as it has good ductility and flexibility at room temperatures. This new material is perfect for wearable and flexible electronics.
Pliable silver sulfur is what the Chinese scientists, as this could find uses in flexible electronics. While most metals are ductile - able to be drawn into thin wires. Semiconductors on the other hand are normally brittle and have a lower conductivity.
Ductility is common in metals and metal-based alloys and it is rarely observed in inorganic conductors, room temperature ductile inorganic semiconductors were not known until now.
Most semiconductors materials are brittle and can’t be bent, pulled or compressed.
The newly discovered semiconductor (called a-Ag2S) is ductile like metal and easily changes shape with high plastic deformation strains even at room temperature, instead of breaking under out contortion. This material is expected to be applied in flexible electronic equipment such as wearable devices. The researchers believe the material could prove useful in multiple areas. One example, Grin says, might be flexible thermoelectric devices that fit around skin and use body heat to create electricity.
When it comes to flexible electronics, this newly discovered property could be crucial when it comes to expanding the range of flexible electronics, such as wearable devices.
For the application of flexible and wearable electronics, the research team also produced a thin film made of a-Ag2S and found that it had great deformability and good electrical properties.
