Materials, Device, and System Integration of Amorphous Oxide Semiconductor TFTs

Amorphous oxide semiconductor (AOS) thin-film transistors (TFTs) have great potential for use in the next-generation of electronics. AOS TFTs can be used to fabricate circuits and sensors on various substrates, due to unique properties, including high mobility, excellent uniformity, and it requiring a low-temperature process. Currently, indium gallium zinc oxide (IGZO) is the predominant AOS used in the display industry as a TFT semiconductor. Although the IGZO technology is very mature, the development of AOS continues. Additional AOSs are being investigated to reduce cost and improve stability. Considering availability and the potential of materials, indium silicon oxide (ISO) was selected for this project. ISO uses silicon to suppress the instability originating from the oxygen vacancy. The silicon-oxygen bond has a higher dissociation energy, which improves retention of oxygen atoms in the film, and thus, increases the transistor’s stability. This detailed study follows a bottom-up approach. It starts with the fabrication and characterisation of materials. Basic material properties of the ISO film are discussed within, including amorphicity, bandgap, stoichiometry, and Hall-effect parameters. Based on the characterisation results, different deposition recipes for the TFT were developed and tested. The interface quality and etching selectivity were investigated. Uniformity and stability data were extracted from a TFT array using the developed photo-lithography process, which was used to verify and quantitate the capability of the process in system integration and circuit design. A Monte-Carlo simulation environment was established based on the extracted data. The two urgent challenges in all-TFT analogue circuit design, the lack of proper active load and the large parasitic capacitance, were investigated. In-depth analysis on these two issues and applicable solutions were presented. Investigation on system integration of TFT circuits and sensors were conducted, since the device demonstrated the required performance and uniformity. An all-TFT differential-input amplifier was designed and verified, as the first mixed signal all-TFT circuit.China Scholarship Council Cambridge Trus

Automated Home Oxygen Delivery for Patients with COPD and Respiratory Failure: A New Approach

Long-term oxygen therapy (LTOT) has become standard care for the treatment of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other severe hypoxemic lung diseases. The use of new portable O-2 concentrators (POC) in LTOT is being expanded. However, the issue of oxygen titration is not always properly addressed, since POCs rely on proper use by patients. The robustness of algorithms and the limited reliability of current oximetry sensors are hindering the effectiveness of new approaches to closed-loop POCs based on the feedback of blood oxygen saturation. In this study, a novel intelligent portable oxygen concentrator (iPOC) is described. The presented iPOC is capable of adjusting the O-2 flow automatically by real-time classifying the intensity of a patient's physical activity (PA). It was designed with a group of patients with COPD and stable chronic respiratory failure. The technical pilot test showed a weighted accuracy of 91.1% in updating the O-2 flow automatically according to medical prescriptions, and a general improvement in oxygenation compared to conventional POCs. In addition, the usability achieved was high, which indicated a significant degree of user satisfaction. This iPOC may have important benefits, including improved oxygenation, increased compliance with therapy recommendations, and the promotion of PA

Micro/nanofluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices for biomedical applications

Micro/Nanofluidic and lab-on-a-chip devices have been increasingly used in biomedical research [1]. Because of their adaptability, feasibility, and cost-efficiency, these devices can revolutionize the future of preclinical technologies. Furthermore, they allow insights into the performance and toxic effects of responsive drug delivery nanocarriers to be obtained, which consequently allow the shortcomings of two/three-dimensional static cultures and animal testing to be overcome and help to reduce drug development costs and time [2–4]. With the constant advancements in biomedical technology, the development of enhanced microfluidic devices has accelerated, and numerous models have been reported. Given the multidisciplinary of this Special Issue (SI), papers on different subjects were published making a total of 14 contributions, 10 original research papers, and 4 review papers. The review paper of Ko et al. [1] provides a comprehensive overview of the significant advancements in engineered organ-on-a-chip research in a general way while in the review presented by Kanabekova and colleagues [2], a thorough analysis of microphysiological platforms used for modeling liver diseases can be found. To get a summary of the numerical models of microfluidic organ-on-a-chip devices developed in recent years, the review presented by Carvalho et al. [5] can be read. On the other hand, Maia et al. [6] report a systematic review of the diagnosis methods developed for COVID-19, providing an overview of the advancements made since the start of the pandemic. In the following, a brief summary of the research papers published in this SI will be presented, with organs-on-a-chip, microfluidic devices for detection, and device optimization having been identified as the main topics.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

PVDF as a Biocompatible Substrate for Microfluidic Fuel Cells

A reliable, flexible, and biocompatible power source for implantable and wearable devices has always been one of the biggest challenges for medical device design engineers. Microfluidic fuel cells (MFCs) are one of the candidates to generate a constant and reliable energy. However, the aspects of this approach, such as use of expensive materials, limitation of achievable power density and biocompatibility, have not yet been fully addressed. These challenges have restricted the application of MFCs to lab-on-chip systems that are deemed to be promising for implantable medical devices. Recently, porous materials such as natural papers and synthetic polymers (in the form of either nanofibers or porous membranes), when used as the MFC substrate, have shown that they can address the above-mentioned challenges. More importantly, these porous materials induce an inherent capillary flow in the fuel, eliminating the need of a pump. This may lead to an increased fuel efficiency and miniaturization of MFCs. However, the search for a porous biomaterial that displays high mechanical strength but remains flexible without degrading in a biological environment is not straightforward. In this research, Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF), a non-biodegradable, biocompatible, flexible, and inexpensive material, was investigated for the first time as a channel substrate in a dynamic state MFC. To achieve the desired porosity, flexibility, and material strength of the substrate, PVDF nanofibers were fabricated using the electrospinning technique. Furthermore, hydrophilic PVDF nanofibers were successfully achieved by oxygen plasma surface treatment. The desired PVDF-based MFC was conceptualized using Axiomatic Design Theory (ADT) and FCBPSS (F: function, C: context, B: behavior, P: principle, SS: structure-state) methods. To investigate the electrochemical output of the designed PVDF-based MFC, a hydrophilic porous PVDF membrane was used as the substrate to induce a capillary action in the fuel (hydrogen peroxide). The PVDF-based MFC studied here successfully produced a power density of 0.158 mW/cm^2 at 0.08 V that is ~60% higher compared to the previous dynamic state paper-based biofuel cell reported in the literature. Moreover, the power density of MFC studied here is comparable to previous studies of static state single compartment MFCs using the same fuel type and concentration. Therefore, the results from this work demonstrate, for the first time, that the porous PVDF is a suitable material for the channel substrate in a dynamic state MFC. The potential application of this cell, in medicine, is utilizing the hydrophilic porous PVDF in electrochemical, implantable, and wearable medical devices. This approach can also be applied to any self-powered point-of-care diagnostic system

Pico-grid: Multiple Multitype Energy Harvesting System

This thesis focuses on the development of a low power energy harvesting system specifically targeted for wireless sensor nodes (WSN) and wireless body area network (WBAN) applications. The idea for the system is derived from the operation of a micro-grid and therefore is termed as a pico-grid and it is capable of simultaneously delivering power from multiple and multitype energy harvesters to the load at the same time, through the proposed parallel load sharing mechanism achieved by a voltage droop control method. Solar panels and thermoelectric generator (TEG) are demonstrated as the main energy harvesters for the system. Since the magnitude of the output power of the harvesters is time-varying, the droop gain in the droop feedback circuitry should be designed to be dynamic and self-adjusted according to this variation. This ensures that the maximum power is capable to be delivered to the load at all times. To achieve this, the droop gain is integrated with a light dependent resistor (LDR) and thermistor whose resistance varies with the magnitude of the source of energy for the solar panel and TEG, respectively. The experimental results demonstrate a successful variation droop mechanism and all connected sources are able to share equal load demands between them, with a maximum load sharing error of 5 %. The same mechanism is also demonstrated to work for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) functionality. This concept can potentially be extended to any other types of energy harvester. The integration of energy storage elements becomes a necessity in the pico-grid, in order to support the intermittent and sporadic nature of the output power for the harvesters. A rechargeable battery and supercapacitor are integrated in the system, and each is accurately designed to be charged when the loading in the system is low and discharged when the loading in the system is high. The dc bus voltage which indicates the magnitude of the loading in the system is utilised as the signal for the desired mode of operation. The constructed system demonstrates a successful operation of charging and discharging at specific levels of loading in the system. The system is then integrated and the first wearable prototype of the pico-grid is built and tested. A successful operation of the prototype is demonstrated and the load demand is shared equally between the source converters and energy storage. Furthermore, the pico-grid is shown to possess an inherent plug-and-play capability for the source and load converters. Few recommendations are presented in order to further improve the feasibility and reliability of the prototype for real world applications. Next, due to the opportunity of working with a new semiconductor compound and accessibility to the fabrication facilities, a ZnON thin film diode is fabricated and intended to be implemented as a flexible rectifier circuit. The fabrication process can be done at low temperature, hence opening up the possibility of depositing the device on a flexible substrate. From the temperature dependent I-V measurements, a novel method of extracting important parameters such as ideality factor, barrier height, and series resistance of the diode based on a curve fitting method is proposed. It is determined that the ideality factor of the fabricated diode is high (> 2 at RT), due to the existence of other transport mechanism apart from thermionic emission that dominates the conduction process at lower temperature. It is concluded that the high series resistance of the fabricated diode (3.8 kΩ at RT) would mainly hinder the performance of the diode in a rectifier circuit.Yayasan Khazanah & Cambridge Trus

Advance in Energy Harvesters/Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Sensors

This reprint is a collection of the Special Issue "Advance in Energy Harvesters/Nanogenerators and Self-Powered Sensors" published in Nanomaterials, which includes one editorial, six novel research articles and four review articles, showcasing the very recent advances in energy-harvesting and self-powered sensing technologies. With its broad coverage of innovations in transducing/sensing mechanisms, material and structural designs, system integration and applications, as well as the timely reviews of the progress in energy harvesting and self-powered sensing technologies, this reprint could give readers an excellent overview of the challenges, opportunities, advancements and development trends of this rapidly evolving field

Novel electronic stretchable materials for future medical devices

L’electrònica convencional basada en el silici te grans dificultats a l’hora de ser implementada en dispositius electrònics que estiguin en contacte amb les corbes i las plasticitat dels teixits del cos humà. Futures aplicacions mèdiques como la pell electrònica, sistemes de alliberació de fàrmac transdèrmic o nous bio-sensors requereixen de sistemes electrònics capaços de ser doblegats, retorçats o enrotllats en superfícies corbes. Tot i els prometedors resultats mostrats por la investigació en electrònica flexible, no hi ha aplicacions comercials directes dins de l’àrea mèdica. La dependència de components només presents en l’electrònica convencional limita el complet desenvolupament d’aquests dispositius posant de manifest la necessitat de trobar nous materials en aquest camp. Amb l’objectiu de potenciar nous sistemes electrònics flexibles, en aquest treball es proposen noves estratègies per proveir de flexibilitat als materials utilitzats en electrònica sense perdre de vista la directa aplicabilitat. Primerament, s’ha estudiat l’aplicació de polímers conductors mitjançant impressió inkjet. Aquesta tecnologia permet l’obtenció de films polimèrics molt fins sobre sistemes flexibles més complexos. Anant un pas més enllà, s’han desenvolupat noves metodologies per poder depositar polímers conductors sobre substrats elastomèrics mantenint el bon rendiment elèctric. Aquesta part culmina amb l’estudi d’un nou polielectròlit per la síntesis del polipirrol basat en l’àcid hialurònic modificat amb grups dopamina. Aquest polielectròlit aporta noves propietats que milloren l’adaptabilitat del polipirrol obtenint nanosuspensions estables que poden ser depositades directament sobre substrats elastomèrics. Centrant-nos en los materials metàl·lics de la electrònica, s’ha desenvolupat un mètode per la deposició selectiva de plata conductora sobre substrats elastomèrics. Les pistes fabricades amb aquest procediment han demostrat un comportament de galga extensomètrica sota deformació mecànica. Finalment la aplicabilitat de las estratègies desenvolupades ha estat avaluada per veure como es poden aplicar en dispositius mèdics actuals y futurs tals como sensors fisiològics, galgas extensomètriques portables para seguiment o nous stents de tràquea electrònics.La implementación de la electrónica convencional basada en el silicio en dispositivos electrónicos que entren en contacto con la plasticidad y las curvas de los tejidos del cuerpo humano presenta serias dificultades. Futuras aplicaciones médicas como la piel electrónica, sistemas de liberación de fármaco transdérmico o nuevos bio-sensores requieren sistemas electrónicos capaces de ser doblados, retorcidos o enrollados en superficies curvas. A pesar de los prometedores resultados mostrados por la investigación en electrónica flexible, muy pocas tecnologías se han visto adaptadas en una aplicación comercial dentro del área médica. Problemas como la dependencia de componentes solo presentes en la electrónica convencional limita el completo desarrollo de estos dispositivos poniendo de manifiesto la necesidad de encontrar nuevos materiales en este campo. Con el objetivo de potenciar nuevos sistemas electrónicos flexibles, este trabajo propone nuevas estrategias para aportar flexibilidad a los materiales empleado para la electrónica sin perder de vista su aplicabilidad. Primeramente, se ha estudiado la aplicación de polímeros conductores usando impresión inkjet. Esta tecnología permite la obtención de films poliméricos muy delgados sobre sistemas flexibles más complejos. Dando un paso más allá, se han desarrollado nuevas metodologías para poder depositar polímeros conductores sobre substratos elastómericos manteniendo un buen rendimiento eléctrico. Esta parte culmina con el estudio de un nuevo polielectrolito para la síntesis del polipirrol basado en el ácido hyaluronico modificado con dopamina. Este polielectrolito aporta nuevas propiedades que mejoran la adaptabilidad del polipirrol obteniendo nanosuspensiones estables que pueden ser depositadas directamente sobre substratos elastómeros. Estudiando también los materiales metálicos en la electrónica, se ha desarrollado un método para la deposición selectiva de plata conductora sobre substratos elastómeros. Las pistas fabricadas con este procedimiento han mostrado un interesante comportamiento de galga extensométrica cuando son sometidas a una deformación. Finalmente, la aplicabilidad de las estrategias desarrolladas ha sido evaluada para ver cómo se puede aplicar en dispositivos médicos actuales y futuros tales como sensores fisiológicos, galgas extenso métricas portables para seguimiento o nuevos stents traqueales electrónicos.Conventional electronics based in rigid and planar silicon wafers presents several difficulties to be implemented in systems where a direct contact with the soft and curved geometries of the tissues of the human body is required. The future medical devices such as electronic skin, transdermal drug delivery systems or novel wearable biosensors requires electronic materials with the ability to be twisted, folded and conformably wrapped onto arbitrarily curved surfaces. Despite the promising results on stretchable electronic research, the applications have not yet been translated into commercial medical devices. The dependence of components still only present in conventional silicon electronics limits the full development of the stretchable strategies, revealing the need for new materials in this field. Aiming to potentiate new electronic stretchable systems, this works proposes novel strategies to provide stretchability to electronic materials always having in mind the final application. Firstly, the study of conducting polymers to be deposited using ink jet printing have been performed. This kind of implementation allows the formation of conductive thin films on more complex flexible systems. Going further, it has been developed novel methodologies using plasma treatments to fabricate conducting polymeric coating on stretchable substrate with good electrical performance. The culmination of this part consisted in the synthesis of polypyrrole with a novel polyelectrolyte based on a hyaluronic acid modified with dopamine groups that allows stable nanosuspension able to directly form a film onto stretchable substrates. Focusing on metallic materials, conductive silver deposition on selective stretchable substrate have been developed. The electrical performance under mechanical deformation revealed strange gauge sensor behaviour of the silver paths with promising applicability in the medical device. Finally, the applicability of the approaches developed in this work have been studied to evaluate its suitability on actual and future applications in the field of medical devices such as physiological sensors, wearable strain gauge sensors or tracheal stent able to monitor deformations