New research, published in the journal Advanced Materials, has highlighted the potential of silk in the production of transistors. These findings could have significant implications for the development of highly sensitive and ultra-durable sensors, opening up new possibilities for hybrid devices.
Conventionally, transistors are made from inorganic materials such as minerals and metals. However, by incorporating organic materials, transistors can acquire new properties. With this in mind, researchers from the University of Taffe conducted experiments using silk in transistors. The unique properties of silk, including its ability to embed various molecules, control applications, and biocompatibility, were noted by the authors of the study.
The researchers were able to create silk films with thicknesses ranging from 3 to 300 nanometers on chips, utilizing them as insulators in transistors. The nano-sized thickness of the silk films allowed them to respond to water molecules in the air, thus altering their electrical behavior and that of the transistor. This breakthrough means that hybrid transistors have the potential to serve as compact, highly sensitive sensors capable of detecting changes in humidity.
Applying production techniques used in the commercial production of semiconductors, researchers envision the creation of billions of these devices. Possible applications of these hybrid transistors include analyzing respiratory molecules to detect cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, monitoring sleep apnea, and measuring oxygen and sugar levels in the blood.
In the long term, hybrid transistors could pave the way for the development of brain-like circuits capable of learning, responding to the environment, and recording memories, similar to neural networks. Experts foresee the potential to create functional devices composed of numerous interconnected transistors for more complex integrated systems.