Basic nanotubes are good for many things, like forming into
microelectronic components or electrically conductive fibers and composites; for more sensitive uses like drug delivery and solar panels, they need to be as pristine as possible.
They are thin, light - weight, flexible and can be produced cost - and energy - efficiently: printed
microelectronic components made of synthetics.
Top - down approaches, on the other hand, start with a much larger chunk of material and sculpt it into silicon chips, circuit boards and other
microelectronic components with nanoscale features, by cutting or etching it.
Their lower energy density, i.e. the amount of energy that they can store in a given volume or surface area, has meant that they were not able to power sensors or
microelectronic components.
And all this must happen on 1.5 square centimeters of polymer that's transparent, flexible, nonirritating, fluid - friendly, and free of all the toxic materials normally used in glowing
microelectronic components.
Thanks to the dramatic decrease in the size of
microelectronic components, researchers can now create suitably tiny space probes equipped with cameras, a power supply and navigational and communication capabilities.
Not exact matches
As a potential contact electrode and interconnection material, wafer - scale graphene could be an essential
component in
microelectronic circuits, but most graphene fabrication methods are not compatible with silicon microelectronics, thus blocking graphene's leap from potential wonder material to actual profit - maker.