Smartphones will become “transparent”, more efficient and faster: why this is so

The fully synthetic material is both transparent and highly conductive. This could have huge implications for improving the efficiency of electronics.

The next generation of transparent semiconductor material could make electronics work even more efficiently. It was developed by the University of Minnesota, writes interestingengineering.com.

The fully synthetic material is both transparent and highly conductive. This could have huge implications for improving the efficiency of electronics, especially those that require transparency, such as lasers. The material is completely artificial, allowing electrons to move faster while remaining transparent to visible and ultraviolet light.

Ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors maintain high performance at elevated temperatures, making them essential for building more durable and reliable electronic devices. The researchers focused on developing a new class of materials with an increased “bandgap” that improves both transparency and conductivity. This enables faster and more efficient devices, potentially leading to breakthroughs in computers, smartphones and even quantum computing.

The new material is a conductive oxide with a specialized thin-layer structure that enhances transparency while maintaining conductivity. This is important because most materials that conduct electricity well are opaque, while transparent materials typically do not conduct electricity efficiently.

Achieving both properties in a single material is rare and could lead to innovative applications in devices that require both optical transparency and electronic performance. As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and applications demand increasingly efficient materials, this groundbreaking development represents a promising solution.

The study demonstrates an unprecedented combination of transparency and conductivity in the deep ultraviolet spectrum. It also paves the way for innovations in powerful optoelectronic devices designed to operate in challenging environments. The research also leads to progress in the development of more efficient materials for modern electronic applications and opens up new possibilities for future technologies.