Light is emitted from excited argon gas atoms flowing through the glass tube of a plasma reactor. The plasma is a reactive environment used to produce silicon nanocrystals that can be applied to inexpensive, next-generation electronics.
University of Minnesota engineers discover novel technology for producing "electronic ink". MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (07/30/2013) —Electronic touch pads that cost just a few dollars and solar cells that cost the same as roof shingles are one step closer to reality today. Researchers in the University of Minnesota's College of Science and Engineering and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo., have overcome technical hurdles in the quest for inexpensive, durable electronics and solar cells made with non-toxic chemicals. "Imagine a world where every child in a developing country could learn reading and math from a touch pad that costs less than $10 or home solar cells that finally cost less than fossil fuels," said Uwe Kortshagen, a University of Minnesota mechanical engineering professor and one of the co-authors of the paper. The research team discovered a novel technology to produce a specialized type of ink from non-toxic nanometer-sized crystals of silicon, often called "electronic ink." This "electronic ink" could produce inexpensive electronic devices with techniques that essentially print it onto inexpensive sheets of plastic. "This process for producing electronics is almost like screen printing a number on a softball jersey," said Lance Wheeler, a University of Minnesota mechanical engineering Ph.D. student and lead author of the research.
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