In an effort to alleviate the environmental burden of electronic devices, a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has collaborated with the Madison-based U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) to develop a semiconductor chip made almost entirely of wood.
The substrate, or support layer, of the computer chip is replaced with strong and transparent cellulose nanofibril (CNF), a flexible, biodegradable material. An epoxy coating on the surface prevents the wood from expanding, shrinking, or attracting moisture from the air.
"Now the chips are so safe you can put them in the forest and fungus will degrade it. They have become as safe as fertilizer,” said Zhenquiang "Jack" Ma, UW-Madison electrical and computer engineering professor.
The group's work demonstrates a more environmentally friendly process that showed performance similar to existing chips, including a low thermal expansion coefficient.
The majority of today's wireless devices use gallium arsenide-based microwave chips due to their superior high-frequency operation and power-handling capabilities. Gallium arsenide, however, can be environmentally toxic, particularly in the massive quantities of discarded wireless electronics.
While the biodegradability of the materials will have a positive impact on the environment, the researchers also believe that the technology's flexibility will lead to widespread adoption of the electronic chips.
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