TMD Semiconductor Assemblies for Flexible Electronics
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing flexible electronic circuits face limitations in electrical performance due to the use of substrates that cannot withstand high processing temperatures, leading to the reliance on semiconductor materials with lower performance, which are brittle and restricted in substrate compatibility.
Innovation Solution
The use of transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials, which form two-dimensional layers weakly bonded via van der Waal's forces, allowing for improved resilience and flexibility while maintaining high electrical performance, enabling the formation of transistor device layers on flexible substrates with enhanced mobility and tunable properties.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional three-dimensional semiconductor materials are used on flexible substrates, then flexibility is achieved, but electrical performance deteriorates due to low processing temperature limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material parameter from conventional three-dimensional semiconductors to two-dimensional TMD materials, which have fundamentally different processing temperature requirements and electrical properties. This parameter change enables compatibility with flexible substrates while maintaining high electrical performance through higher processing temperatures that improve carrier mobility and reduce defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite structure by integrating TMD materials with flexible substrates, combining the mechanical flexibility of the substrate with the high-performance electrical properties of the TMD semiconductor layer. This composite approach allows both flexibility and high electrical performance to coexist.
2Reliability
If semiconductor materials with high processing temperatures are used, then electrical performance is improved, but substrate compatibility deteriorates because flexible substrates cannot withstand high temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the processing temperature parameter by using TMD materials that can be processed at temperatures compatible with flexible substrates, while still achieving high electrical performance through optimized deposition and processing techniques specific to two-dimensional materials.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces TMD materials as an intermediary layer between the flexible substrate and the electrical circuit, allowing the substrate to remain flexible while the TMD layer provides the high-performance electrical pathways needed for reliable operation.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional semiconductor materials are used, then manufacturing process is simple, but device performance deteriorates due to brittleness and limited tunability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material dimensionality parameter from three-dimensional to two-dimensional TMD materials, which fundamentally improves device performance through enhanced carrier mobility and mechanical flexibility while maintaining compatibility with existing manufacturing techniques for depositing thin films.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from conventional three-dimensional semiconductor materials to two-dimensional TMD materials, utilizing the reduced dimensionality to achieve superior electrical performance, mechanical flexibility, and defect reduction while preserving manufacturing simplicity through established thin-film deposition methods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
TMD materials provide improved electrical performance and flexibility by allowing for the use of a wide range of substrates and enabling the creation of high-performance electronic devices with increased carrier mobility and reduced defects, surpassing conventional three-dimensional materials.
Implementation Method 1
transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) materials, which form two-dimensional layers weakly bonded via van der Waal's forces
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of semiconductor assemblies, and related integrated circuit devices and techniques, are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a semiconductor assembly may include a flexible substrate, a first barrier formed of a first transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) material, a transistor channel formed of a second TMD material, and a second barrier formed of a third TMD material. The first barrier may be disposed between the transistor channel and the flexible substrate, the transistor channel may be disposed between the second barrier and the first barrier, and a bandgap of the transistor channel may be less than a bandgap of the first barrier and less than a bandgap of the second barrier. Other embodiments may be disclosed and/or claimed.