University of Waterloo

Purpose

This project aims to develop new materials to enable low-cost, flexible and visibly transparent detection of near-infrared (NIR) light. Current detectors are high performance but are costly to fabricate and limited in form factor. Novel materials such as organic semiconductors or 2D materials have shown promise for NIR detection. In particular, there is a vast array of 2D materials with unique properties which enable fast and sensitive detectors. However, devices based on 2D materials tend to be limited in efficiency as a result of their weak absorption of light, and manufacturing high quality films of 2D materials from solution is challenging. Combining 2D materials with semiconducting polymers could lead to flexible, inexpensive devices. The 2D Materials and Electrochemical Devices lab at the University of Waterloo will collaborate with NRC and Brilliant Matters, a Quebec based company that specialises in organic electronic materials, in order to investigate the potential for these hybrid materials and deliver additively manufactured flexible, transparent NIR photodetectors. This will enable a transformative leap in applications, moving away from the cost and design limitations of expensive, rigid and opaque sensors.