Transient Electronics as Sustainable Systems: From Fundamentals to Applications

Abstract

unique attribute of transient electronics is that they are designed to operate over a typically short and predefined duration of time and disintegrate fully or partially when no longer needed.This concept can be applied to a number of different systems, including implantable biomedical devices, [1,2] environmental sensors, [3,4] and hardware security, [5,6] to name a few examples. Transient implantable biomedical devices could be designed to degrade within the body after a predefined period of reliable operation; this will eliminate the need for secondary surgery needed to extract the device. Transient environmental sensors made of environmentally friendly (green) and degradable polymers could be utilized to collect various types of data such as humidity and pressure, then be absorbed into the environment, minimizing bulk waste that is harmful to wildlife, such as birds and fish. And last, transient hardware-secured devices could undergo disintegration, making sensitive information irretrievable upon degradation.Research in transient electronics started with the integration of conventional electronic components on a degradable substrate and was followed by the integration of partially transient electronic components and a few fully degradable components. [7][8][9] The most recent form of transient electronics, however, is fully transient. [10][11][12][13][14] To date, researchers have successfully synthesized and designed material systems and transiency mechanisms that allow electronic devices with functionality and performance level of the conventional counterparts, and yet capable of undergoing disintegration once needed.This short review will report on the materials used in transient electronics, mechanisms that facilitate transiency, manufacturing techniques of this class of electronics, and transient electronic devices developed so far and their potential applications. Transient MaterialsStructural components of electronics, in general, consist of a substrate that acts as the mechanical support and electronic components that are responsible for the functionality of the system. In the case of transient electronics, all the constituents must be capable of dissolution or disintegration to facilitate

Flexible Transparent High‐Efficiency Photoelectric Perovskite Resistive Switching Memory

“…Flexible electronics have considerable potential in applications that involve wireless sensors, bendable mobile phones, transient, and wearable electronic devices. [1][2][3][4][5] As one of the most important components in such devices, flexible nonvolatile memory (NVM) has gained substantial attention because of its ability to maintain stored information even in its off state.…”

“…Flexible electronics have considerable potential in applications that involve wireless sensors, bendable mobile phones, transient, and wearable electronic devices. [ 1–5 ] As one of the most important components in such devices, flexible nonvolatile memory (NVM) has gained substantial attention because of its ability to maintain stored information even in its off state. To date, resistive random‐access memory (RRAM) device with metal‐insulator‐metal structure is considered to be the best candidate for the next generation NVM devices because of the advantages such as small cell size, low power consumption, and process compatibility with complementary metal‐oxide semiconductors.…”

Sustainable Macromolecular Materials in Flexible Electronics

“…For a sustainable future, sustainable materials and simple production techniques must be used in the electronics industry. [16][17][18] At this point, it is a logical approach to evaluate this new concept from the perspective of green and sustainable fabrication processes; however, the search for end product criteria such as "abundancy in nature," "renewability," and "biodegradability" seems more critical in a holistic analysis. As important as green processes would be in the production of flexible electronics, it is also crucial whether this material is obtained from an inexhaustible source and whether it will enter an industrial process, which means a greater carbon footprint for recycling at the end of its life.…”

High-speed, scanned laser structuring of multi-layered eco/bioresorbable materials for advanced electronic systems

“…High-speed scalable manufacturing of such classes of electronics is a requirement for their widespread deployment in medical (e.g., millions of registered cardiac pacemakers 6 and brain monitors 7 worldwide) or IoT (over 20 billion worldwide 8 , including 2 billion radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags specifically 9 ) devices. Published examples rely on multi-step processes that combine photolithography-based methods in microfabrication 10 – 17 with transfer printing, designed to avoid chemical or thermal degradation of the eco/bioresorbable constituent materials. These schemes work well for demonstrations but might present challenges in cost-effective, mass production 18 .…”