World’s thinnest LEDs are just three atoms thick
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027753
The Verge : The trick behind making graphene proved to be the way to create what might be the world’s thinnest possible LEDs. Xiaodong Xu of the University of Washington and his colleagues used transparent office tape to create thin layers of tungsten diselenide, which they used to build the LEDs. At just 3 atoms thick, the new LEDs are 1/10 to 1/20 the thickness of conventional ones. Because of their size and flexibility, Xu believes they could have a range of uses beyond that of current LEDs, including using optical signals in some microchips to reduce heat and increase efficiency. The researchers hope to develop a more efficient method for producing the materials than using office tape and are beginning to look at applications for their LEDs.
