Hacker News new | past | comments | ask | show | jobs | submit login

Impressive to replicate silicon semiconductor process. But wouldn't it be more feasible to develop as good enough process node, flexible, thin film semiconductor devices? Have been observing developments of plastic based transistors, inks, processes like nanoimprint lithography, Cleanroom in a STEM microscope and Chad Mirkin's Tera Print system. Can a small scale nanfab emerge using tech such as Nano-Ops http://nano-ops.net/nanoscale-printing/ ?

I imagine flexible, thin film, large panel based semiconductor SoC. It will not be just a mere microcontroller or IoT node, but a full fleged computing form factor. Think your wall as big plastic computer.




So there is reel to reel OLED screen technology out there (basically a printing press for OLED screens).

http://www.flexolighting.eu/ (These guys have some pictures of the process).

It's probably also possible to print transistors directly. Here's a paper from 2017 that outlays that process.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-01391-2


This has lots of advantages. It removes the need for smaller and smaller chips, it spreads the heat out (a major limitation in electronics packaging today), and it adds a lot of new possibilities.

It's a giant pcb and ic combined, both custom to each other and the application.


I'd rather see that done with a 3d-printing process that way rather than making giant flat things you end up making far more compact bulk 3D things




Guidelines | FAQ | Lists | API | Security | Legal | Apply to YC | Contact

Search: