New Super Thin Imaging Platform



New Super Thin Imaging Platform
An atomically thin material developed at Rice University may lead to the thinnest-ever imaging platform.
Technology Briefing

Transcript


An atomically thin material developed at Rice University may lead to the thinnest-ever imaging platform.

Synthetic two-dimensional materials based on metal chalcogenide compounds could be the basis for superthin devices, according to the researchers. One such material, molybdenum disulfide, is being widely studied for its light-detecting properties, but copper indium selenide (CIS) also shows extraordinary promise.

The researchers synthesized CIS, a single-layer matrix of copper, indium, and selenium atoms. They also built a prototype - a three-pixel, charge-coupled device (CCD) - to prove the material's ability to capture an image.

The details appear in the American Chemical Society journal Nano Letters.

The optoelectronic memory material could be an important component in two-dimensional electronics that capture images. Traditional CCDs are thick and rigid, and it would not make sense to combine them with 2D elements. CIS-based CCDs would be ultrathin, transparent, and flexible, and are the missing piece for things like 2D imaging devices.

The device traps electrons formed when light hits the material and holds them until released for storage. CIS pixels are highly sensitive to light because the trapped electrons dissipate so slowly. According to the researchers, "There are many two-dimensional materials that can sense light, but none are as efficient as this material. This material is 10 times more efficient than the best we've seen before."

Because the material is transparent, a CIS-based scanner might use light from one side to illuminate the image on the other for capture. For medical applications, CIS could be combined with other 2D electronics in tiny bio-imaging devices that monitor real-time conditions.

Because it's flexible, CIS could also be curved to match the focal surface of an imaging lens system. This would allow for the real-time correction of aberrations, and significantly simplify the entire optical system.

Comments

No comments have been submitted to date.

Submit A Comment


Comments are reviewed prior to posting. You must include your full name to have your comments posted. We will not post your email address.

Your Name


Your Company
Your E-mail


Your Country
Your Comments