Aalto and Nagoya University accomplish world’s first in thin-film technology(2)

Aalto and Nagoya University achieve world’s first in thin-film technology 

The new method involves growing the nanotubes in atmospheric pressure gas and collecting them with a filter. The resulting thin film is then transferred from the filter onto plastic, which provides a very clean film of uniform quality in just a few seconds. 

This process is being developed as a technology for high-speed roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing. The research was financed by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO), Japan and Aalto University's Multidisciplinary Institute of Digitalisation and Energy (MIDE) research programme.

Aalto and Nagoya University achieve world’s first in thin-film technology

Aalto and Nagoya University achieve world’s first in thin-film technology 

Prof Yutaka Ohno from Nagoya University in Japan and Prof Esko I. Kauppinen from Aalto University of Finland and their research team have developed a fast and simple method of producing high-performance thin-film transistors on plastic substrate. 

The inventors believe that the technology for producing semiconducting carbon nanotube plastic substrates will make it possible to manufacture flexible electronic products, such as electronic paper, at a low cost. They used the new technology to produce the world’s first sequential logic circuits based on carbon nanotubes. Light and flexible devices such as flexible mobile phones and e-paper require flexible electronic components that can be manufactured inexpensively and quickly on a plastic substrate.

The new method involves growing the nanotubes in atmospheric pressure gas and collecting them with a filter. The resulting thin film is then transferred from the filter onto plastic, which provides a very clean film of uniform quality in just a few seconds. This process is being developed as a technology for high-speed roll-to-roll (R2R) manufacturing.

The research was financed by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation (NEDO), Japan and Aalto University's Multidisciplinary Institute of Digitalisation and Energy (MIDE) research programme.