Flexible electronics and mechanically bendable devices using Group III-N semiconductor materials are showing great promise, but challenges remain in terms of manufacturing costs, stability, flexibility, and performance. To address these issues, researchers are exploring the use of single-crystalline flexible templates as a new semiconductor platform. This approach replaces brittle and expensive wafers with a hybrid structure that combines a single-crystalline III-N thin film with a flexible metal tape substrate. This setup allows for scalable roll-to-roll deposition. In this post, we explore a novel direct epitaxial growth technique that transforms crystallinity to produce highly oriented GaN thin films on flexible polycrystalline copper tape. The process involves using a 2D graphene seed layer, followed by AlN layer deposition via DC reactive magnetron sputtering, and then GaN layer growth through metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The result is a flexible, high-performance single-crystalline GaN film, opening new possibilities for versatile device technology. -Science Journal cover design by scapiens

https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/tc/d0tc04634e#!divAbstract