Background: Engineers from UC San Diego have developed efficient Si-nanowire solar cell that can produce enough renewable energy to power circuit elements without requiring external energy input. The solar-powered sub-system is integrated onto the Silicon-On-insulator-silicon (SOI) substrate platform and embedded on flexible materials enabling the power source to conform to the uneven surfaces and contours of the human body. Technology Description: This invention uses a new approach that allows the monolithic integration of electronics made of silicon into a flexible material. Fabricated on an SOI substrate (layered Silicon-On-insulator-silicon substrate in place of conventional silicon substrates) and leverages the mature silicon technologies to combine power sensor and Si circuitry onto a single chip with ultra-scaled dimensions that exhibit high performance. The key feature of this technology is the reliable transference process – all the circuits and electrical components on an SOI substrate can be transferred to a flexible polyimide layer. Applications: Solar cell
Solar cell that can produce enough renewable energy to power circuit elements without requiring external energy input.