Wednesday, 26th July 2006 (4558 views)

University of Toronto researchers have used gold electrodes to create a new kind of semiconductor that performs far better than conventional chips.

Detailed in last month's edition of the journal Nature, the scientists' research led to the creation of so-called "wet" semiconductors that outperformed traditional grown-crystal varieties.

The team, led by Edward S Rogers of the department of electrical and computer engineering, found that the paint-on photodetectors were so sensitive that they are currently being used in night-vision equipment.

A semiconductor solution was spread out on a glass slide patterned with gold electrodes using a process known as spin-coating. After a methanol bath, the result was a layer of light-sensitive nanoparticles 800 nanometres thick.

MIT professor John D Joannopoulos lauded the discovery, saying: "The ability to realise low-cost, paintable, high-performance designer semiconductors for use as short-wavelength infrared detectors and emitters is of enormous value for a wide range of communications, imaging and monitoring applications."

 

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