GLOBAL IMAGING BRIEF
Why it matters
Analysis: This advancement in silicon flexibility could enable new form factors for wearable THz sensors and imaging devices, expanding the utility of silicon beyond traditional rigid semiconductor applications.
Microscopic Springs Transform Fragile Silicon into Flexible Terahertz Metamaterial
Researchers at the Osaka Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (ORIST), in collaboration with the University of Osaka and Tohoku University, have developed a flexible and stretchable silicon material whose response to terahertz waves can be mechanically tuned. By etching microscopic spiral springs into silicon, the team made the fragile material bendable and stretchable while maintaining its optical properties.
Original source
This brief is an original summary based on the cited public source.