Flexible digital image sensor
AssigneeThe Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama
InventorsJinhui Song, Chengming Jiang
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Abstract
Systems and methods are disclosed that describe flexible photo-sensing pixels and interconnects that have comparable pixel densities and functionality as the human retina. The pixels comprise vertically aligned, nanowire cluster piles that serve as the three-dimensionally compressible photoreceptor pixels, and flexible, transparent interconnected electrodes. Shape-adaptive high-resolution optic-electrical imaging system are described that can serve as a human retina and a retinal prosthesis for restoring vision.
Claims20
An optical device comprising:
- a plurality of substrates of semiconducting material, collectively, forming a sensor array, wherein each of the substrates of plurality of semiconducting material is operatively connected to and sandwiched between two flexible electrodes.
A method of fabricating an optical device comprising a plurality of substrates of semiconducting material, collectively, forming a sensor array, wherein each of the substrates of plurality of semiconducting material is operatively connected to and sandwiched by between two flexible electrodes, the method comprising:
- depositing, via sputtering, a semiconductor material to form a cluster pile of the semiconducting material;
- and
- depositing, via spin coating, to form the electrodes.
A biomimetic nanowire optical device configured to be implanted in an eyeball, said device comprising:
- an array of Zinc-Oxide based nanowire piles sandwiched between a top electrode and a bottom electrode, wherein at least one of the top electrode or the bottom electrode comprises a stripe multi-graphene electrode;
- and
- a layer of poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) that encapsulates the ZnO nanowire piles,
- wherein the biomimetic nanowire optical device can be conformably shaped to the dimensions of the eyeball without substantial loss of optical properties.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.