A new design for silicon-based chips makes it possible to mechanically stretch them out to cover large areas. These expanded chips, which could be thousands of times the size of the original, could be used to make cheaper solar panels, sensor networks, and flat-screen TVs.
The chips, built by researchers at Stanford University, consist of free-floating islands of silicon surrounded by coils of silicon wire. Each island can be processed to include transistors, sensors, or materials for tiny solar cells. When the corners of the chip are pulled on, the coils around the silicon islands unwind. As they do, the islands, which start out nearly touching each other, spread apart. The end result is a netlike array of silicon devices.
Passage in the Senate of the Lieberman Warner Climate Security Act will continue to drive innovation in the new energy fields. This will create NEW manufacturing jobs to build a better, more efficient Solar Panel.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 at 9:23 am and is filed under Cap and Trade, Eco-Business Strategies, Politics/Government . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
