Better Displays With New Nanowire Film

Roland Piquepaille writes "A Harvard University team has successfully applied a film of nanowires on glass and plastic. This might lead to better and flexible displays or wearable computers, says the American Chemical Society, in "Nanowire film brings cheaper, faster electronics a step closer." "By using a 'bottom-up' approach pioneered by our group, which involves assembly of pre-formed nanoscale building blocks into functional devices, we can apply a film of nanowires to glass or plastics long after growth, and do so at room temperature," says Charles M. Lieber, professor of chemistry at Harvard. The researchers think that the first applications will be improved smart cards or LCD displays. But they also have a vision for the next decade. "One could imagine, for instance, contact lenses with displays and miniature computers on them, so that you can experience a virtual tour of a new city as you walk around." This overview contains more details and references. It also includes a picture of a high-density crossbar nanostructure, whose geometry can serve as the basis for many applications, like bio-sensor arrays or high-density data storage."

Re:On contacts?

[wtrmute]

Perhaps one can blur the image purposefully to make it seem farther away. One problem with wearable computers today is that they force their wearer to focus on something close with one eye while the other cannot focus on the same distance. This leads to a pretty headache after a while...

Fiction

[Alrescha]

"One could imagine, for instance, contact lenses with displays and miniature computers on them, so that you can experience a virtual tour of a new city as you walk around."

Someone did imagine this sort of technology. I particularly like "Fast Times at Fairmont High" by Vernor Vinge for it's description of wearable computers/contacts use for visual 'enhancement'.

A.

Optoelectronics in general

[cerulean]

Techniques to make thinner wires will probably be useful for improving the efficiency a whole range of optoelectronic devices:

For LEDs, some light that might escape the device is reflected or absorbed by the tiny wires carrying the current into the junction. Thinner wires would mean an improvement (though perhaps small at this point) in the amount of light you get out of the device.

With light going in the other direction, photovoltaics (solar panels) and various detectors are all about getting as much light into a junction as possible, so thinner wires would help make better devices here too.

This is not anything new

[Anonymous Coward]

EPSON already released something far better...
http://neasia.nikkeibp.com/wcs/leaf?CID=onair/asab t/news/275239 [nikkeibp.com]

Re:I take it...

[Anonymous Coward]

Psst...
Neil Stephenson