New advance may change modern electronics

WASHINGTON - Researchers at Oregon State University have made a new discovery that could form the basis of a new approach to electronics.

They have solved a quest in fundamental material science that has eluded scientists since the 1960s.

The discovery outlines the creation for the first time of a high-performance “metal-insulator-metal” diode.

“This is a fundamental change in the way you could produce electronic products, at high speed on a huge scale at very low cost, even less than with conventional methods. It’s a basic way to eliminate the current speed limitations of electrons that have to move through materials,” said Douglas Keszler, a distinguished professor of chemistry at OSU.

A patent has been applied on the new technology, university officials said.

New companies, industries and high-tech jobs may ultimately emerge from this advance, they said.

“When they first started to develop more sophisticated materials for the display industry, they knew this type of MIM diode was what they needed, but they couldn’t make it work. Diodes made previously with other approaches always had poor yield and performance,” said Keszler.

This technique could also help “energy harvesting” technologies such as the nighttime capture of re-radiated solar energy, a way to produce energy from the Earth as it cools during the night.

The findings were reported online in the journal Advanced Materials. (ANI)