When we think about silicon photonics, we often picture a uniform, monolithic wafer of material. But those images may soon be replaced by a web-like network of silicon islands surrounded by fine silicon wires. By pulling on the corners of silicon chips to unwind the coiled silicon wires fabricated next to them, researchers at Stanford University (Stanford, CA) can create flexible silicon arrays 50 times larger than the original silicon chips (see figure). These expandable arrays of prewired silicon chips conserve the amount of high-grade silicon used in a particular device, and can be applied to such large-area applications as light-emitting-diode (LED) displays, lower-cost solar cells, silicon-based distributed-sensor arrays, and curved focal-plane-detector arrays.
展开▼
