Applied Nanotech, German university apply carbon nanotubes to flexible electronics

ANI and the Universitaet Stuttgart said they have worked together to increase the fabrication yield of CNT TFTs using ANI’s printing-like method of CNT deposition, which exceed an on/off ratio of five orders of magnitude and achieve the electron mobility necessary for their utilization for low temperature plastic-based substrates.

By Ann Steffora Mutschler, Senior Editor -- Electronic News, 6/27/2008

To increase the fabrication yield of carbon nanotube (CNT) thin film transistors (TFTs) for use in displays, electronic circuits, sensors, memory chips, and other applications that are transitioning from rigid substrates, such as silicon and glass, to flexible substrates, the Chair of Display Technology at Universitaet Stuttgart in Stuttgart, Germany and Nano-Proprietary Inc's subsidiary Applied Nanotech Inc (ANI) reported that they are working together to apply CNTs to the flexible electronics industry.

For more on carbon nanotubes, see: Nantero, SVTC installing CMOS-friendly carbon nanotube process Carbon nanotubes behave like asbestos, study shows Adieu electronics: The end is near (perhaps nearer than you think) Stanford tries nanotubes for on-chip interconnect Graphene could replace silicon in semiconductors, university says Carbon nanotubes boost flexible thin-film transistors

ANI and the Universitaet Stuttgart said they have worked together to increase the fabrication yield of CNT TFTs using ANI’s printing-like method of CNT deposition, which exceed an on/off ratio of five orders of magnitude and achieve the electron mobility necessary for their utilization for low temperature plastic-based substrates.

In May, the Chair of Display Technology of Universitaet Stuttgart presented the world’s first full color active matrix LCD where ITO as transparent conductive film (TCF) was completely replaced by random CNTs networks. The display has a qVGA resolution (320xRGBx240) at 4" diagonal.

The CNT networks are deposited by spray coating from suspension, which replaces a costly vacuum process, the two parties noted, which demonstrates the applicability of CNTs as TCF in a state-of-the-art amorphous silicon active matrix process, as well as giving a great perspective for future flexible displays, since CNT networks are much more reliable in flexible applications than the amorphous ITO.

The complete display, including AM-backplane, color filters, and a dedicated addressing system was developed designed and fabricated at the Universitaet of Stuttgart.