Nanopixel Display Could Lead to Artificial Retinas

Jul-16-14 By adapting a material used to store data on DVDs, scientists have created a new digital display that could one day be embedded into contact lenses.

The display was created a bit by accident, when researchers at Oxford University were exploring new uses for phase-change materials. The team, led by Professor Harish Bhaskaran, realized that the materials could possibly be used to produce a color display. Building on that premise, the team sandwiched a layer of germanium antimony tellurium (GST) just a few nanometers thick between two layers of a thin, transparent conductor, and then placed the stack on a mirrored surface. After determining that they were able to draw a monochromatic image on the surface of the stack using an atomic force microscope, the team went on to construct a single pixel that could be turn off and on electronically—an important step toward producing a working display.

The GST stack could be deposited as a thin film on thin and flexible surfaces, opening the door to applications in smart glasses and flexible device screens as well as synthetic retinas for the human eye.

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[WIRED.COM]
[ENGADGET.COM]

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