Switching alternating current (AC) using a fully screen‐printed current‐driven transistor

Abstract

The authors report on a large area, fully screen-printed transistors, using nanostructured silicon as the active material. The transistors are produced by simple screen printing processes under ambient conditions without the need for postprocessing steps. The devices can be operated as two-way switches both with a direct or alternating current (AC). The authors demonstrated the operation of the devices printed on flexible substrates (office paper 80 g/m 2) using silver as the conductive electrodes and highly doped p-type nanostructured silicon as the active layer. A method of switching sinusoidal AC using a single printed transistor is demonstrated at a frequency of 50 Hz at ambient condition. The silicon used as active materials, present domains, and blocks at a microscopic level, with an electric behaviour similar to one of the varistor-like components used as surge suppressors. So, unlike conventional transistors which rely on electric field modulation or charge injection, these AC switches operate by activation transport of charge carriers in the active silicon layer. Switching AC is achieved by applying a signal to the base which results in a change of the current's direction from between the collector and base to between the base and emitter.

Two-way conductivity converters in the technology of tire cord rubberization

“…In the circuit of an electric drive with a reversible converter, the recovery process is accompanied by the conversion of the accumulated kinetic energy of the fabric rolls of cord into electrical energy, which can be used to feed other inverters in the cord line or returned to the mains supply. [2,9] Thus, we need to design the electric lines with the possibility of recovery into the braking drives general power supply, having functions of protection and mutual agreement with each other and with the mains supply.…”