Skip to Content

Fast, Bendable Computers

Military antennas are the closest application.
March 1, 2007

A Already, flexible-but-slow polymer electronics have made their way into technologies like roll-up digital displays. If superfast silicon electronics could also be made flex­ible, we might be able to do things like weave computing devices into clothing, or mold antennas around an airplane’s fuselage, making for more precise radar. Now researchers at the University of ­Wisconsin-­Madison have made ultrathin silicon transistors that are 50 times as fast as their predecessors.

Transistors made of superthin silicon and applied to a flexible plastic substrate are fast enough to send and receive Wi-Fi signals.

Previously, researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-­Champaign showed that ­nanometer-­thin films of single-crystal silicon transistors could be made flexi­ble. But Wisconsin researchers ­Zhenqiang Ma, professor of electrical and computer engineering, and Max Lagally, professor of materials science and physics, improved the transistors’ performance by putting strain on the silicon’s crystalline structure, increasing electron mobility. And by altering fabrication methods to reduce electrical resistance, Ma achieved a transistor speed of 7.8 gigahertz–fast enough for, say, a flexible sensor that could send and receive Wi-Fi signals. Ma says he expects to reach speeds of 20 gigahertz; military antennas are a likely first application.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.