Fully gravure printed complementary carbon nanotube TFTs for a clock signal generator using an epoxy-imine based cross-linker as an n-dopant and encapsulant.

Printed p-type single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) based circuits exhibit high power dissipation owing to their thick printed dielectric layers (>2 μm) and long channels (>100 μm). In order to reduce the static power dissipation of printed SWCNT-base circuits while maintaining the same printing conditions and channel lengths, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) based circuits are more ideal. These circuits, however, have not been successfully implemented in a scalable printing platform due to unstable threshold voltages of n-doped SWCNT based thin film transistors (TFTs). In this work, a thermally curable epoxy-imine-based n-doping ink is presented for achieving uniform doping and sealing of SWCNT layers by gravure printing. After printing the n-doping ink, the ink is cured to initiate a cross-linking reaction to seal the n-doped SWCNT-TFTs so that the threshold voltage of the n-doped SWCNT-TFTs is stabilized. Flexible CMOS ring oscillators using such n-doped SWCNT-TFTs combined with the intrinsically p-type SWCNT-TFTs can generate a 0.2 Hz clock signal with significantly lower power consumption compared to similarly printed p-type only TFT based ring oscillators. Moving forward, this CMOS flexible ring oscillator can be practically used to develop fully printed inexpensive wireless sensor tags

Web-Based Visualization of Scientific Research Findings: National-Scale Distribution of Air Pollution in South Korea

Background: As scientific findings of air pollution and subsequent health effects have been accumulating, public interest has also been growing. Accordingly, web visualization is suggested as an effective tool to facilitate public understanding in scientific evidence and to promote communication between the public and academia. We aimed to introduce an example of easy and effective web-based visualization of research findings, relying on predicted concentrations of particulate matter ≤ 10 µg/m3 (PM10) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) obtained from our previous study in South Korea and Tableau software. Our visualization focuses on nationwide spatial patterns and temporal trends over 14 years, which would not have been accessible without our research results. Methods: Using predicted annual average concentrations of PM10 and NO2 across approximately 250 districts and maps of administrative divisions in South Korea during 2001–2014, we demonstrate data preprocessing and design procedures in the Tableau dashboard, comprising maps, time-series plots, and bar charts. Results: Our visualization allows one to identify high concentration areas, a long-term temporal trend, and the contrast between two pollutants. The application of easy tools for user-interactive options in Tableau suggests possible easy access to the scientific knowledge of non-experts. Conclusion: Our example contributes to future studies that develop the visualization of research findings in further intuitive designs

Fully Printed, High Performance Carbon Nanotube Thin-Film Transistors on Flexible Substrates

Fully printed transistors are a key component of ubiquitous flexible electronics. In this work, the advantages of an inverse gravure printing technique and the solution processing of semiconductor-enriched single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) are combined to fabricate fully printed thin-film transistors on mechanically flexible substrates. The fully printed transistors are configured in a top-gate device geometry and utilize silver metal electrodes and an inorganic/organic high-κ (∼17) gate dielectric. The devices exhibit excellent performance for a fully printed process, with mobility and on/off current ratio of up to ∼9 cm²/(V s) and 10⁵, respectively. Extreme bendability is observed, without measurable change in the electrical performance down to a small radius of curvature of 1 mm. Given the high performance of the transistors, our high-throughput printing process serves as an enabling nanomanufacturing scheme for a wide range of large-area electronic applications based on carbon nanotube networks