New atomic lift-off technique to promote industrial-scale production of electronic thin films
Researchers from MIT, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Louisville, University of Illinois Urbana−Champaign, Yonsei University and Seoul National University have developed a technique for peeling ultra-thin crystalline electronic membranes away from their substrates to facilitate the high-throughput production of scalable, ultrathin, freestanding perovskite systems. The team used thin film membranes developed in their experiments to create a record-breaking infrared-detecting sensor that could be used in night vision eyewear or autonomous vehicles.
Study author Chang-Beom Eom, a professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is an expert in crystalline perovskite oxides, containing oxygen and, typically, transition metals in a distinct atomic arrangement. These materials are particularly stable and strong when produced as thin films and can be precisely engineered at the atomic level. They also offer a wide range of tunable functions, including superconductivity, oxygen catalysis, magnetoresistance, and insulating behaviors. If incorporated into next-generation devices, these films could lead to a whole range of new gadgets, including improved fuel cells, field-effect transistors, spintronic-based memory devices and a wide range of detectors.