| Jul 30, 2025 |
Breakthrough in wafer-scale low-cost electronics with novel tellurium nanowires
Researchers developed scalable, low-cost p-type transistors using 1D tellurium nanowires, advancing flexible, high-performance electronics.
(Nanowerk News) Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) have announced a significant advancement in the field of electronics, developing high-performance, p-type transistors using a cost-effective and scalable solution-based method. This breakthrough, utilizing one-dimensional (1D) tellurium (Te) nanowires, addresses a major hurdle in creating advanced, flexible, and large-area electronic devices.
The findings have been published in Advanced Materials ("High-Performance p-Type 1D Van der Waals Electronics Prepared Through Solution Processing").
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Traditional manufacturing of high-performance electronics can be complex and expensive. While "solution processing"—a method involving liquid-based materials—offers a promising path for large-scale, low-cost production, it has struggled to produce high-performing p-type transistors, which are essential components for modern electronic circuits.
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The KAUST team’s innovation lies in using tellurium nanowires and a technique called van der Waals (vdW) assembly. These nanowires, resembling tiny threads, allow for excellent electrical performance even when connected together, creating efficient pathways for electricity.
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Key findings from their research include:
- Exceptional Performance: Individual tellurium nanowire transistors achieved very high electrical "mobility," averaging around 370 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹, with some reaching up to ~420 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹. This is a measure of how fast electrons can move through the material, indicating excellent device speed.
- Seamless Connections: Even when multiple nanowires were connected to form junctions, their performance remained comparable to single nanowires. This is crucial for building complex circuits without losing efficiency.
- Scalable and Uniform: The researchers successfully fabricated large-area thin-film transistor (TFT) arrays on 4-inch wafers using a spray-coating method, which is highly compatible with industrial, high-volume manufacturing.
- These large-area transistors demonstrated an average mobility of ~94.9 cm²V⁻¹s⁻¹, a high on/off ratio (around 10⁴), and operate at a low voltage of 1 V, showcasing remarkable uniformity and reproducibility.
- Leading the Field: The performance of these large-area p-type films is among the best reported in this category, marking a significant step forward for solution-processed electronics.
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"This work represents a major leap towards realizing fully solution-processed, high-performance electronics," said Professor Husam N. Alshareef, the lead corresponding authors. "By harnessing the unique properties of tellurium nanowires, we’ve overcome a critical bottleneck in developing next-generation electronic devices that are both powerful and affordable."
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"Our ability to maintain high performance in large-area films, combined with a low operating voltage, opens up new possibilities for flexible displays, wearable devices, and other applications that demand cost-effective and scalable manufacturing", said graduate student Tianchao who led the experimental work.
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This work included a team of international collaborators at KAUST, University of Manchester, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, the National University of Singapore. The research paves the way for a new era of electronics that could be manufactured more efficiently and at a lower cost, bringing advanced technology to a wider range of applications.
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