Researchers from Surrey and Cambridge universities and the National Research Institute in Rome have demonstrated the use of a pioneering circuit design that uses an the source-gated transistor (SGT), to create compact circuit blocks.

The researchers show that they are able to achieve the same functionality from two SGTs as would normally be the case from today’s devices that use roughly 12 TFTs – improving performance, reducing waste and making the new process far more cost effective.

The research team believe that the new fabrication process could result in a generation of ultra-lightweight, flexible electronics for wearables and sensors..

“Our design offers a much simpler build process than regular thin-film transistors. Source-gated transistor circuits may also be cheaper to manufacture on a large scale because their simplicity means there is less waste in the form of rejected components,” says Surrey’s Dr Radu Sporea.

“This elegant design of large area electronics could result in future phones, fitness tracker or smart sensors that are energy efficient, thinner and far more flexible than the ones we are able to produce today.”