Creating smart sensors to embed in our everyday objects and environments for the Internet of Things (IoT) would vastly improve daily life-but requires trillions of such small devices. Simon Fraser University professor Vincenzo Pecunia believes that emerging alternative semiconductors that are printable, low-cost and eco-friendly could lead the way to a cheaper and more sustainable IoT.
Leading a multinational team of top experts in various areas of printable electronics, Pecunia has identified key priorities and promising avenues for printable electronics to enable self-powered, eco-friendly smart sensors. His forward-looking insights are outlined in his paper published on Dec. 28 in Nature Electronics .
-Equipping everyday objects and environments with intelligence via smart sensors would allow us to make more informed decisions as we go about in our daily lives,- says Pecunia. -Conventional semiconductor technologies require complex, energy-intensity, and expensive processing, but printable semiconductors can deliver electronics with a much lower carbon footprint and cost, since they can be processed by printing or coating, which require much lower energy and materials consumption.-
Pecunia says making printable electronics that can work using energy harvested from the environment-from ambient light or ubiquitous radiofrequency signals, for example-could be the answer.
-Our analysis reveals that a key priority is to realize printable electronics with as small a material set as possible to streamline their fabrication process, thus ensuring the straightforward scale-up and low cost of the technology,- says Pecunia. The article outlines a vision of printed electronics that could also be powered by ubiquitous mobile signals through innovative low-power approaches-essentially allowing smart sensors to charge out of thin air.
-Based on recent breakthroughs, we anticipate that printable semiconductors could play a key role in realizing the full sustainability potential of the Internet of Things by delivering self-powered sensors for smart homes, smart buildings and smart cities, as well as for manufacturing and industry.-
Pecunia has already achieved numerous breakthroughs towards self-powered printable smart sensors, demonstrating printed electronics with record-low power dissipation
His research group at SFU-s School of Sustainable Energy Engineering focuses on the development of innovative approaches to eco-friendly, printable solar cells and electronics for use in next-generation smart devices.
Pecunia notes that the semiconductor technologies being developed by his group could potentially allow the seamless integration of electronics, sensors, and energy harvesters at the touch of a -print- button at single production sites-thereby reducing the carbon footprint, supply chain issues and energetic costs associated with long-distance transport in conventional electronics manufacturing.
-Due to their unique manufacturability, printable semiconductors also represent a unique opportunity for Canada,- he says. -Not only to become a global player in next-generation, eco-friendly electronics, but also to overcome its reliance on electronics from faraway countries and the associated supply chain and geo-political issues.
-Our hope is that these semiconductors will deliver eco-friendly technologies for a future of clean energy generation and sustainable living, which are key to achieving Canada’s net-zero goal.-
