Flexible Polyethylene Terephthalate Substrate Research Articles

Active and Passive Infrared Emittance Tuning Using Optically Transparent Unpatterned ITO Thin Films

Tailoring of thermal emittance has applications in smart radiators, camouflage, infrared (IR) scene generation, stealth, and thermal management. Various studies have explored avenues to achieve both passive and active emittance tuning using methods such as meta-surfaces, phase change materials, composites, nanostructure arrays and multi-layer stacks. Most of these methods often involve complex fabrication processes like multilayer depositions and micro/nano patterning, limiting their scalability for large-scale applications. This study presents a straightforward and scalable approach for passive and active emittance tuning using Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) films deposited on a high emissivity flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. By changing the deposition time, the thickness of the ITO film is controlled which changes the observed emissivity of the ITO/PET composite structure over a wide range (0.2-0.94) while maintaining optical transparency. Using this approach for passive emittance tuning, we demonstrate an IR scene generation application. As the ITO film is conducting, by applying voltage to the ITO/PET sheet, its temperature is changed using which active emittance tuning is also achieved. Compared to existing methods of emittance tuning, the presented approach is simpler, gives flexible films with optical transparency, and has the potential for large-scale integration, enabling cost-effective and scalable manufacturing of emittance-tuned surfaces.

Structure and Properties of Thin Films Prepared on Flexible Substrates from SnCl4-Derived Solutions

Thin transparent films of SnO2 were obtained from aqueous–alcohol solutions of SnCl4 on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate by spray pyrolysis at 100 °C. The influence of the addition of aqueous ammonia to the film-forming solution on the different properties has been studied. Properties studied include surface morphology, phase composition and transparency of the formed films and the crystallization processes and band gap of the film material. It was found that the addition of aqueous ammonia causes the formation of skeletal crystals (NH4)2[SnCl6] with a perovskite structure in the film structure. The resulting films are promising for use in the technology of manufacturing flexible solar cells.

Low-temperature growth of CuS thin film on flexible substrates for photodetection

Abstract The covellite phase of copper sulfide thin film (CuS), owing to its excellent electronic, optical, and chemical properties, has attracted enormous attention in cutting-edge research. This research work emphasizes a comprehensive study of structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties of CuS thin film deposited by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate at different deposition temperatures, i. e. 25 °C, 40 °C, 55 °C, and 70 °C for fabrication of flexible photodetector. XRD and Raman studies depict presence of hexagonal covellite phase (CuS), where as the RMS roughness of CuS thin film increases with a rise in deposition temperature. The optical bandgap of CuS thin film gets reduced with a rise in deposition temperature. The optimized CuS thin film, deposited at 70 °C, has exhibited a homogeneous surface with RMS roughness of 13.72 nm, mobility of 25.09 cm2/Vs, and bandgap of 1.86 eV. The mobility of CuS thin film is found to be increased with the rise in deposition temperature. The flexible CuS photodetector, deposited at 70 °C, has shown better photoresponse characteristics, exhibiting the highest responsivity of 0.18 mA/W, detectivity of 1.39×108 Jones, and sensitivity of 173.25 % upon light illumination. The photocurrent established possesses an outstanding dependence on various intensities of illuminated light. Furthermore, the bending test of flexible CuS photodetectors reveals the absence of any sign of deterioration up to a bending angle of 30°. The CuS thin film-based photodetector device exhibits the optimized photodetector device with reproducibility and steady photoresponse after bending. This suggests that the Al/CuS-PET/Al photodetector device could be used in various wearable optoelectronic device applications.

Flexible PET/Carbon/NiFe‐LDH Electrode for Oxygen Evolution Reaction in Water‐Splitting

AbstractThe development of low‐cost, readily scalable catalytic systems for green hydrogen production is crucial for diverse research and industrial applications. This work demonstrates the facile coupling of carbon/NiFe‐layered double hydroxide (LDH) onto flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates deposited by blade coating and spray coating techniques. These low‐temperature solution processes enable high‐throughput electrode fabrication. The resulting carbon electrode exhibits sheet resistance of 25 Ω sq−1, comparable to other state‐of‐the‐art works, and displays excellent adhesion to the substrate and catalyst layer, thereby ensuring system stability. Remarkably, the developed electrode exhibits high catalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER), achieving an overpotential of 215.9 and 267.4 mV at 10 mA cm−2 in rigid and flexible substrates respectively, and maintaining its performance even at 10 mA cm−2 for 24 h. This work highlights the potential of this methodology for producing readily transportable, flexible electrocatalytic systems with exceptional performance and minimal surface treatment of the substrate. Additionally, the use of low‐cost, readily recyclable PET plastic aligns with the principles of circular economy, promoting the integration of this platform into both research and industrial environments.

Structural, Morphological, and Optoelectronic Properties of RF Sputtered AZO Thin Films on Glass and Polymer Substrates: A Comparative Study

This paper investigates the thickness-dependent structural, morphological, and optoelectronic properties of Al-doped ZnO (AZO) thin films deposited on glass and flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates via confocal magnetron sputtering. The film’s thickness ranged from 50 to 130 nm. X-ray diffraction results show that all AZO films on glass have better structural properties than those on PET. Furthermore, the (002) peak intensity and crystallite size on both substrates improved progressively with thickness. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy images revealed that the film morphology and surface roughness are dependent on substrate and thickness. According to the UV–vis-NIR measurement results, the air-referenced transmittance spectra of films on PET were slightly lower than those on glass; however, compared to films on glass, the substrate-referenced transmittance of PET films was higher. Moreover, for both substrates, it is found that the bandgap of fabricated thin films decreases with thickness. Photoluminescence spectra show that for glass and PET substrates, the total luminescence of AZO decreases with increasing film thickness and that green and red emissions are absent from AZO films deposited on PET substrates. AZO films deposited on glass substrates exhibit superior electrical and optoelectronic characteristics.

Flexible Single-Crystal Perovskite Photodetectors via Polymer-Controlled Transfer.

The large-sized perovskite single-crystal sheet (SCS) serves as the ideal research platform for perovskite photodetectors due to its outstanding carrier photophysics, pronounced geometric aspect ratio, and ultrahigh material utilization rate. However, its performance in flexible device applications is relatively lackluster due to the rigid and brittle nature of the three-dimensional cubic lattices. In this work, the indium tin oxide (ITO)-based multimillimeter-sized MAPbBr3 SCS is transformed into MAPbI3 SCS via ion exchange strategy. Significantly, we proposed and implemented a polymer-controlled transfer strategy─utilizing the dichloromethane (DCM) solution of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)─to nondestructively transfer the whole perovskite SCS off the ITO substrates and subsequently adhere it onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate of interdigital electrode, thereby fabricating a lateral-structured photodetector with a PMMA-SCS-Au-PET multilayer configuration. The tight self-encapsulation between the top PMMA membrane and the bottom PET substrate imparts excellent waterproof stability and concurrently excellent mechanical flexibility to these devices; additionally, the MAPbI3 device exhibits comprehensively superior performance to the MAPbBr3 one. This work represents a proactive attempt and exploration of the high-performance advancement of large-sized SCS photodetectors, undoubtedly introducing novel momentum and solutions to this domain.

Fast Responsive and Highly Sensitive Ethanol Gas Sensors Designed by Agar‐Laponite Hybrid Hydrogels

AbstractLaponite, a synthetic nanosilicate clay and agar, a natural polysaccharide, both imbibe large amount of water and form into hydrogels. Various physical and chemical stimuli elicit the hydrogel response, which has been applied in designing diverse sensors and biomedical systems. In this work, we exploit the change in hydrogel's ionic conductivity due to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) (e. g. ethanol) interaction with the surfaces of Laponite‐Agar hybrid hydrogel films. Gas sensing studies are carried out on silicon (Si) and flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates by monitoring the resistance changes. Pristine Laponite hydrogel has shown increase in resistance as it interacted with the ethanol, whereas pure agar and Laponite‐Agar have shown decrease in resistance. Moreover, Laponite‐Agar gel films have exhibited high sensitivity, fast response (4 s) and recovery time (15 s) with lowest detection limit of 6 ppm. Selectivity test carried shows high ethanol sensing response and exhibited very good reproducibility. Observed responses and sensing mechanism are discussed based on changes in ionic conduction resulted due to interacting ethanol with the gel surface network structure. Present study paves the way for understanding and designing low cost, soft and flexible hydrogel gas sensors.

Improved performance of MgxZn1-xO flexible UV photodetectors by piezo-phototronic effect through alloying treatment

MgxZn1-xO films (x = 0.22, 0.39, and 0.52) with a single hexagonal wurtzite structure were grown on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering technique. The piezo-phototronic properties of flexible ultraviolet (UV) photodetectors with MgxZn1-xO films were investigated by examining the relationship between their photoelectric characteristics and strain, and the impact of Mg alloying on their piezo-phototronic effect. As the tensile strain of the detectors increased from ε = 0 to ε = 0.2, the responsivity of Mg0.22Zn0.78O, Mg0.39Zn0.61O, and Mg0.52Zn0.48O flexible UV photodetectors increased by ∼ 260 %, ∼308 %, and ∼ 441 %, respectively, showing an enhanced piezo-phototronic effect with increasing Mg content. It could be attributed to the fact that the alloying process increased the piezoelectric coefficient of the MgxZn1-xO materials, thereby increasing the piezopotential. This work provides a technical approach for the preparation and performance optimization of novel flexible optoelectronic functional devices.

Screen-printed, biocompatible and ultrasensitive sensor for real-time reactive oxygen species detection in human sweat

Excessive or burst generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can induce oxidative stress, precipitating a range of critical illnesses, including cancers, Parkinson's disease and Ischemia-reperfusion injury. Conventional biological assays for ROS, involving discrete steps of capturing, labelling, and spectrometric detection, are complex and time-intensive. Moreover, their accuracy is substantially compromised by the short lifespan (microseconds to milliseconds) of ROS. Consequently, there is a pressing need for a rapid and efficient method that enables real-time detection. In this study, we have developed a printable, flexible ROS sensor based on a robust nanoenzyme composite by direct deposition of the paste onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. This device demonstrated the fast and real-time responses to the hydrogen peroxide (mimetic agent) in the laboratory and to total ROS in sweat of an individual, exhibiting an outstanding current response to hydrogen peroxide across a broad concentration range of 0.01–10 mM, with a limit of detection (LOD) of 1.85 μM. The device's sensitivity to hydrogen peroxide (136.59 μA mM−1 cm−2), was found to be 1.5 to 10 times higher than that of sensors previously reported. Moreover, the IFRS device successfully identified instantaneous ROS levels in the sweat of adult males in vitro, with amperometric response increased 8 times after half an hour strenuous exercise, thereby exhibiting excellent selectivity, remarkable stability, and confirmed high biosafety. Overall, the IFRS provides a viable and practical solution for simple, expedited, and real-time ROS detection in the near future.

Flexible Organic Electrochemical Transistor Based on Conjugated Conducting Polymers

— The use of organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) based on conjugated polymers has gained significant recognition owing to their impressive performance, flexibility, ease of fabrication, and suitability for specific applications where solid-state transistors may not be efficiently employed. Key advantages of OECT technology, such as simple device architecture, robustness in ambient or aqueous environments, straightforward additive manufacturing processes, low operational voltage, and compatibility with flexible, rough, stretchable, and large-area substrates, underscore its significance in various applications. These applications span the sensing of glucose [1], bacteria [2], dopamine [3], DNA [4], lactate [5], cell activities [6], and electrophysiological signals [7]. Notably, the absence of the necessity for a reference electrode, a crucial feature for wearable and textile sensors compared to three electrode-based electrochemical sensors, stands out. In this context, we have fabricated a side-gated OECT on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate through a scalable screen-printing process where the source, drain, and gate terminals are screen-printed using silver (Ag) conductive ink. The semiconducting channel material employed is polyethylene dioxythiophene: polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS), which is spin-coated. Additionally, poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) has been spin-coated to serve as the dielectric. The OECT operates by volumetric gating of the channel through a gel electrolyte containing poly sodium 4-styrene sulfonate (PSSna), enabling polarization of the gate and channel to induce charge accumulation or depletion, driven by the application of a gate-source voltage. The OECT device structure demonstrated switching from the "ON" to "OFF” state with the application of a positive gate voltage, indicating its functionality as a p-type depletion mode transistor. Additionally, the OECT displayed a transconductance (gm) of 6.25×10-4 A/V, mobility (µ) of 1.242×1010 cm2 /Vs, and a threshold voltage (Vth) of -0.39 V, with the on/off ratio being relatively low at 7.22. The repeatability was confirmed through the fabrication of three devices that exhibited nearly identical behavior. Furthermore, in pursuit of faster response time, lower operating voltage, and miniaturization, additional work involves downscaling the active area length to 100µm from the reported 4mm active area length. The fabrication method not only holds the capability for large-scale production with a high yield in a cost-effective manner but also opens up possibilities for applications requiring swift design changes and digitally enabled direct-write techniques. Future work emphasizes functionalizing the electrolyte used in OECT to detect biomolecules such as glucose, pH, and ion species. Thus, this research underscores the potential usability of fabricated OECTs in various high-performance chemical and biological sensing applications. REFERENCES Tang, H.; Yan, F.; Lin, P.; Xu, J.; Chan, H.L.W. Highly Sensitive Glucose Biosensors Based on OrganicElectrochemical Transistors Using Platinum Gate Electrodes Modified with Enzyme and Nanomaterials.Adv. Funct. Mater. 2011, 21, 2264–2272. [CrossRef]He, R.-X.; Zhang, M.; Tan, F.; Leung, P.H.M.; Zhao, X.-Z.; Chan, H.L.W.; Yang, M.; Yan, F. Detection of bacteria with organic electrochemical transistors. J. Mater. Chem. 2012, 22, 22072–22076. [CrossRef]Gualandi, I.; Tonelli, D.; Mariani, F.; Scavetta, E.; Marzocchi, M.; Fraboni, B. Selective detection of dopamine with an all PEDOT:PSS Organic Electrochemical Transistor. Sci. Rep. 2016, 6, 35419. [CrossRef]Tao, W.; Lin, P.; Hu, J.; Ke, S.; Song, J.; Zeng, X. A sensitive DNA sensor based on an organic electrochemical transistor using a peptide nucleic acid-modified nanoporous gold gate electrode. RSC Adv. 2017, 7, 52118–52124. [CrossRef]Braendlein, M.; Pappa, A.-M.; Ferro, M.; Lopresti, A.; Acquaviva, C.; Mamessier, E.; Malliaras, G.G. Owens, R.M. Lactate Detection in Tumor Cell Cultures Using Organic Transistor Circuits. Adv. Mater. 2017, 1605744.Lin, P.; Yan, F.; Yu, J.; Chan, H.L.W.; Yang, M. The Application of Organic Electrochemical Transistors in Cell-Based Biosensors. Adv. Mater. 2010, 22, 3655–3660Liang, Y.; Ernst, M.; Brings, F.; Kireev, D.; Maybeck, V.; Offenhäusser, A.; Mayer, D. High Performance Flexible Organic Electrochemical Transistors for Monitoring Cardiac Action Potential. Adv. Healthc. Mater. 2018, 1800304. [CrossRef] Figure 1

Epitaxial Integration of Transferable High-κ Dielectric and 2D Semiconductor.

The synthesis of high-dielectric-constant (high-κ) dielectric materials and their integration with channel materials have been the key challenges in the state-of-the-art transistor architecture, as they can provide strong gate control and low operating voltage. For next-generation electronics, high-mobility two-dimensional (2D) layered semiconductors with dangling-bond-free surfaces and an atomic-thick thickness are being explored as channel materials to achieve shorter channel lengths and less interfacial scattering. Nowadays, the integration of high-κ dielectrics with high-mobility 2D semiconductors mainly relies on atomic layer deposition or transfer stacking, which may cause several undesirable problems, such as channel damage and interface traps. Here, we demonstrate the integration of high-mobility 2D semiconducting Bi2O2Se with transferable high-κ SrTiO3 as a 2D field-effect transistor by direct epitaxial growth. Remarkably, such 2D heterostructures can be efficiently transferred from the water-soluble Sr3Al2O6 sacrificial layer onto arbitrary substrates. The as-fabricated 2D Bi2O2Se/SrTiO3 transistors exhibit an on/off ratio over 104 and a subthreshold swing down to 90 mV/dec. Furthermore, the 2D Bi2O2Se/SrTiO3 heterostructures can be easily transferred onto flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates, and the as-fabricated transistors exhibit good potential in flexible electronics. Our study opens up a new avenue for the integration of high-κ dielectrics with high-mobility 2D semiconductors and paves the way for the exploration of multifunctional electronic devices.

A compact tri-notched flexible UWB antenna based on an inkjet-printable and plasma-activated silver nano ink

The rapid development of ultrawideband (UWB) communication systems has resulted in increasing performance requirements for the antenna system. In addition to a wide bandwidth, fast propagation rates and compact dimensions, flexibility, wearability or portability are also desirable for UWB antennas, as are excellent notch characteristics. Although progress has been made in the development of flexible/wearable antennas desired notch properties are still rather limited. Moreover, most presently available flexible UWB antennas are fabricated using environmentally not attractive subtractive etching-based processes. The usage of facile additive sustainably inkjet printing processes also utilizing low temperature plasma-activated conductive inks is rarely reported. In addition, the currently used tri-notched flexible UWB antenna designs have a relatively large footprint, which poses difficulties when integrated into miniaturized and compact communication devices. In this work, a silver nano ink is used to fabricate the antenna via inkjet printing and an efficient plasma sintering procedure. For the targeted UWB applications miniaturized tri-notched flexible antenna is realized on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate with a compact size of 17.6 mm × 16 mm × 0.12 mm. The antenna operates in the UWB frequency band (2.9–10.61 GHz), and can shield interferences from WiMAX (3.3–3.6 GHz), WLAN (5.150–5.825 GHz) and X-uplink (7.9–8.4 GHz) bands, as well as exhibits a certain of bendability. Three nested "C" slots of different sizes were adopted to achieve notch features. The simulation and test results demonstrate that the proposed antenna can generate signal radiation in the desired UWB frequency band while retaining the desired notch properties and having acceptable SAR values on-body, making it a viable candidate for usage in flexible or wearable communication transmission devices. The research provides a facile and highly efficient method for fabricating flexible/wearable UWB antennas, that is, the effective combination of inkjet printing processing, flexible substrates, low temperature-activated conductive ink and antenna structure design.

Flexible Organic Electrochemical Transistor Based on Conjugated Conducting Polymers

In this work, we have fabricated a side-gated organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) where the source, drain, and gate terminals are screen-printed on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate through a scalable screen-printing process. The semiconducting channel material is made of polyethylene dioxythiophene: polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS), applied via spray coating. The OECT operates by volumetric gating of the channel through a gel electrolyte containing poly sodium 4-styrene sulfonate, transitioning highly conductive PEDOT+ to PEDOT0 through de-doping, biased by a positive gate voltage. Additionally, the OECT displayed a transconductance (gm) of 62.5 µA/V, mobility (µ) of 6.6×106 cm2 / Vs, and a threshold voltage (Vth) of -0.39 V, with the ON/OFF ratio being relatively low at 33.2. The repeatability was confirmed through the fabrication of three devices that exhibited nearly identical behavior. Future work emphasizes functionalizing the electrolyte to detect biomolecules such as glucose, pH, and ion species.

Reconfigurable screen-printed terahertz frequency selective surface based on metallic checkerboard pattern

We employed the screen-printing method to fabricate terahertz (THz) frequency selective surfaces (FSSs) featuring an inductive metallic checkerboard (i-MCB) pattern based on conductive silver ink onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate, chosen for its excellent THz transmission properties below 1 THz [Jin et al 2006 J. Korean Phys. Soc. 49 513–17]. Analytical studies, along with simulations and experiments, were conducted to investigate the filtering characteristics of the printed FSSs, confirming their functionality as a band-pass filter. Subsequently, we demonstrated the reconfigurability of a two-layer system by vertically stacking two layers. This was achieved by systematically shifting the position of the second layer in the x or y-direction relative to the first layer. Experimental verification revealed a significant variation in normalized transmission, ranging from 94% to 6% at 0.15 THz for type-I:i-MCBs and 90% to 5% at 0.20 THz for type-II:i-MCBs, respectively. This study presents a simple scheme for a reconfigurable screen-printed i-MCB-FSS operating in the THz range. Consequently, our findings demonstrate that screen printing method can effectively be employed for the large-scale production of THz FSSs.

Highly sensitive screen-printed soil moisture sensor array as green solutions for sustainable precision agriculture

Monitoring soil moisture in real-time is an important parameter that helps farmers decide to enhance agriculture productivity and reduce resource wastage for better production and plant growth. In this work, we presented an easy-to-use and highly sensitive screen-printed flexible soil moisture sensor array to monitor soil moisture remotely for precision agriculture. The proposed sensor is based on a unique interdigitated electrode (IDE)-based capacitive structure with conductive carbon ink printed on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate using the screen printing technique. Before soil moisture monitoring, the sensor is tested for humidity monitoring in an environmental chamber. A response of ∼144–1760 pF for 20–100%RH with 10%RH variation is observed for a single sensor, while an array configuration ranges from ∼127–1802 pF. The sensor response is observed for a temperature range from 20 to 50 ‘C. The sensor's sensitivity for relative humidity sensing is 19.123%pF/RH, and the response and recovery time are ∼3.3 s and ∼4.2 s. Further, the sensor is tested for soil moisture sensing, as moisture content is gradually added to the completely dry soil. A highly sensitive response for soil moisture content (MC) with a ∼40.7%pF/MC sensitivity is obtained. The sensor data is transmitted wirelessly using a Bluetooth module. The sensor is supported by a wooden stick, which illustrates the capabilities of biodegradability, the sensor is cost-effective and provides a real-time measurement for soil moisture. The sensors have the potential to provide maintenance-free monitoring, facilitating precise control of irrigation practices in precision agriculture. With their affordability and ability to operate on a large scale, the sensor offers promising opportunities for enhancing irrigation systems.

Copper-Enriched Nanostructured Conductive Thermoelectric Copper(I) Iodide Films Obtained by Chemical Solution Deposition on Flexible Substrates

The objects of our research are flexible thin-film thermoelectric materials with nanostructured CuI layers 0.5–1.0 μm thick, fabricated by the chemical solution method Successive Ionic Layer Adsorption and Reaction (SILAR) on flexible polyethylene terephthalate and polyimide substrates. These cubic γ-CuI films differ from films obtained by other chemical solution methods, such as spin-coating, sputtering, and inject printing, in their low resistivity due to acceptor impurities of sulfur and oxygen introduced into CuI from aqueous precursor solutions during SILAR deposition. Energy barriers at the boundaries of 18–22 nm CuI nanograins and a large number of charge carriers inside the nanograins determine the transport properties in the temperature interval 295–340 K characterized by transitions from semiconductor to metallic behavior with increasing temperature, which are typical of nanostructured degenerate semiconductors. Due to the resistivity of about 0.8 mΩ· m at 310 K and the Seebeck coefficient 101 μV/K, the thermoelectric power factor of the CuI film 1.0 μm thick on the polyimide substrate is 12.3 μW/(m · K2), which corresponds to modern thin-film p-type thermoelectric materials. It confirms the suitability of CuI films obtained by the SILAR method for the fabrication of promising inexpensive non-toxic flexible thermoelectric materials.

MoS2 based flexible photodetector for broadband visible light photodetection

In recent years, flexible photodetectors (PD) have emerged as a significant innovation with potential applications in healthcare, security, and environmental monitoring. Two-dimensional (2D) layers of metal dichalcogenides MoS2 have gathered significant attention due to their ultrathin thickness and promising applications in the fields of flexible PD. 2H phase of MoS2 micro-flowers were synthesized by facile hydrothermal route. Raman spectra was employed to analyze the quality of grown MoS2 and confirmed with E12g and A1g Raman phonon modes. The micro-flower morphological was verified through FESEM. Subsequently, PD device was fabricated through bar coating method over a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and Indium Tin oxide (ITO) was employed as an electrode. Photodetection property of the device was tested under dark and illumination. MoS2-microflower PD exhibit good photoresponsivity and detectivity of 1.5 µA/W and 105 Jones at 5 V respectively. Moreover, detector demonstrated remarkable flexibility and exceptional air stability.

The influence of Pt islands on the failure of Pt thin film on a flexible PET substrate

Flexible electronic devices must adapt to compliant polymeric substrates, thus maintaining the mechanical integrity of the multilayer systems is crucial. This study investigates the mechanical failure caused by active islands, focusing on how Pt islands influence the failure mechanism of a thin Pt film on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate under uniaxial tensile loading. Tensile testing of the Pt film/PET bilayer revealed a failure progression in the Pt blanket film, characterized by crack initiation, elongation and merging, eventually delamination, and buckling, with the increase in tensile strain. Pt islands induced early crack initiation at comparatively low strains due to increased stress near their vertical edges. The impact of island shape and gap on the crack formation in a Pt film was subsequently investigated. The gap between islands, oriented perpendicular to the loading direction, has minimal impact on crack number and density; the presence of Pt islands reduced the stress in the Pt film within the gap, thereby lowering the susceptibility of cracking in these areas. Variations in island shape and gap along loading direction alter the stress profile in the film between islands but did not significantly impact crack density. Crack density is believed to be primarily associated with pre-existing defects, with the formation of cracks serving as a stress relief mechanism that prevents further crack initiation. Our study sheds light on the impact of active islands on blanket film failure and offers practical recommendations to mitigate crack formation, which may contribute to the optimisation of flexible electronics design.

Bending strain–induced changes in perpendicular magnetic properties of Pt/Co/Pt films on flexible substrates

We studied the irreversible changes in the perpendicular magnetic properties of Pt(2.2 nm)/Co(0.8 nm)/Pt(2.2 nm) films deposited on a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate with bending deformation. The changes in the magnetic properties of the Pt/Co/Pt film with deformation were analyzed using magneto-optical Kerr-effect microscopy. The film was bent in one direction using cylindrical rods or semicylindrical grooves of different radii and then restored to the initial flat state. No significant changes in the magnetic properties due to bending strain were observed below a critical bending curvature. However, for bending curvatures above +0.25 mm−1 or below −0.14 mm−1, the magnetic domain shape changed from circular to elongated ellipses, perpendicular to the bending direction, and the coercivity of the film increased by 10%–30%. Furthermore, the domain wall motion exhibited a distinct anisotropic behavior, with ∼12-fold difference in the velocity of domain wall motion in different directions. Conclusively, the magnetic properties of the Pt/Co/Pt film fabricated on a flexible substrate exhibited irreversible changes beyond a critical deformation of +2.44% or −1.37%.

Flexible humidity sensor based on PEDOT:PSS/Mxene nanocomposite

Flexible humidity sensor is essential in emerging applications including health care monitoring, soft robots, human-machine interfaces and noncontact measurements for important indicators. This study presents the development of a highly efficient flexible humidity sensor utilizing a nanocomposite of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly (styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and Mxene as the sensing material coated onto a flexible polyethylene terephthalate substrate. The nanocomposite was thoroughly characterized using UV/Vis spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscope and Fourier-transmission infrared spectroscopy to assess its quality, morphology, and chemical functional groups. The results show a good linkage of p-type PEDOT:PSS and p-type Mxene sensing nanocomposite. The PEDOT:PSS/Mxene humidity sensor exhibits high sensitivity of 3.27%ΔR/%ΔRH at room temperature. The PEDOT:PSS/MXene nanocomposite offers an enhanced humidity performance by synergies of direct charge transfer and swelling mechanism as well as hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interaction.