Scientists at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University have created thin semiconductor fibers that can be woven into fabric. Scientists have also started making smart wearable electronics products with this fiber. A study on this topic has been published in the journal Nature.
Scientists at Nanyang Technological University have already created hair-thin fibers 100 meters long through mechanical engineering. Now the work of weaving cloth with this fiber is going on. A smart hat has also been developed to test the quality and performance of the fiber, which can help a visually impaired person cross the road safely by receiving signals through a mobile phone.
Scientists claim that this new invention will contribute to the development of multidimensional semiconductor fibers. Not only that, it will also develop communication technology along with the exchange of information through electricity and light. Scientist Wei Lei said, ‘We have created high-quality semiconductor fibers. Fabrication of semiconductor fibers is a complex process. Our fiber technology will overcome long-standing challenges to produce defect-free fibers.’
Scientists used a silicon semiconductor core with silica glass tubes and a germanium core with an aluminosilicate glass tube to connect common semiconductor materials and synthetic materials to create defect-free fibers. Semiconductor fibers have shown excellent performance in early laboratory tests. Photosensitive experiments have shown that different fibers can detect a range of visible light from ultraviolet to infrared. Not only that, the fibers can transmit signals up to 350 kHz bandwidth. Semiconductor fibers are 30 times stronger than ordinary fibers. And so a fabric woven with semiconductor fibers is washed 10 times in a washing machine without being damaged.
Gao Huajian, a scientist on semiconductor fiber manufacturing, said, ‘Silicon and germanium are two widely used materials in semiconductor manufacturing. These materials are considered highly fragile. We developed the new fiber with that challenge in mind. Various types of clothes are being made with these fibers.’