Wearable display technology
A research team from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has made important progress in wearable display technology by developing full-colour fibre light-emitting diodes (Fi-LEDs) using perovskite quantum wires.
These Fi-LEDs, characterised by their flexibility and compatibility with textiles, offer uniform light emission and are poised to make a real difference to wearable lighting applications.
The team, led by Professor Fan Zhiyong, used a porous alumina membrane (PAM) template on aluminium fibres to grow uniform arrays of PeQWs. This was achieved through a roll-to-roll solution coating process, allowing for scalable production. The ultrasmall pore size (~5 nm) of the PAM template led to quantum confinement effects in the PeQWs, resulting in improved optical properties compared to traditional thin-film structures.
The team also developed a unique two-step evaporation method to coat surrounding transporting layers and semi-transparent electrodes, enabling the fabrication of full-colour Fi-LEDs. By coating the devices with polydimethylsiloxane, the researchers achieved Fi-LEDs with excellent bendability, stretchability, and waterproof features. The malleability of the aluminium fibre substrate allows the Fi-LEDs to be shaped into various 2D and 3D structures.
The research, published in Science Advances, with Beitao Ren as the first author, highlights the potential of these Fi-LEDs for creating vibrant, flexible displays. Future research will focus on enhancing the efficiency and stability of Fi-LEDs and exploring new perovskite compositions to expand the range of emission colours. This development marks a promising step towards advanced wearable displays, opening new possibilities in the field of flexible electronics.