Collaboration among CNSI, Max Planck Institut fur Festkorperforschung and Nanomix, Inc.
Transparent and flexible transistors have
been fabricated using random networks
of nano-scale materials such as carbon
nanotubes, the word's smallest electronic
wires. The performance of the
devices exceeds that of all other transistor
devices, and the work opens up the avenue
for applications in the area of what is called flexible
or macro-electronics. Using such transistors, the
first integration of a nanoelectronic device with a biological system, a cell membrane containing the
bacterium Halobacterium salinarum has been demonstrated.
Both components remained intact during
integration, and the characteristics of the transistor
could be used to gain information on some important
aspects of the biological system, such as the charge
distribution of the bacterium. The work represents
the flrst step towards "cellectronics" the integration
of cells with active electronic devices.
"Electronic devices built of nanoscale wires will have major impact in emerging technologies such as flexible/transparent macroelectronics, bio-inspired detection and cellectronics."
