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Polyvinylidene difluoride trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) has received widespread application in flexible electronics and biomedical devices but is limited in its sensing modalities to piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity. The addition of optically or magnetically active nanoparticles could provide additional sensing modalities in the same element, which could drive miniaturization of such sensors. Europium barium titanate (EBTO) is one such optically active nanoparticle that could add functionality to such a nanocomposite. In this work, multifunctional nanocomposites of PVDF-TrFE and EBTO are successfully synthesized and characterized for their material and electronic properties. The nanocomposite in this work is the first known multifunctional nanocomposite with PVDF-TrFE and a fluorescent nanoparticle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polymer passivation has been leveraged to improve photodetection in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenide field-effect transistors. The relative passivation effects of common polymers, however, are not well understood. In this work, the interface of monolayer MoS2 and three common polymers, parylene N (Pa-N), polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), and polyvinylidene difluoride trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE), is assessed with multiple spectroscopic methods. Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrate that Pa-N and PMMA provide an n doping effect, which increases photoconductivity and photogenerated charge in terahertz domain and time-resolved spectroscopy. Terahertz time-resolved spectroscopy shows significantly longer carrier lifetime for MoS2 coated with PVDF-TrFE compared to other polymers. These results suggest that PVDF-TrFE provides a unique benefit for photodetection applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyvinylidene fluoride- trifluoroethylene (PVDF–TrFE) has been utilized widely for pressure sensing, healthcare monitoring, and energy harvesting. In order to integrate piezoelectric elements into flexible thin film electronics, researchers have studied depositing PVDF–TrFE via printing methods. Screen printing, in particular, has been utilized by several groups but printing methodology and characterization procedures have varied significantly between works. In this work, a simple, low-cost, flexible method is described. The resulting films are characterized for their piezoelectric character and temperature tolerance. The printed films have a piezoelectric coefficient comparable to previous work (26.24 pC/N) and demonstrate no meaningful degradation in piezoelectric character up to 110C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of electrosensory systems have led to insights into a number of general issues in biology. However, investigations of these systems have been limited by the inability to precisely control spatial patterns of electrosensory input. In this paper, an electrode array and a system to selectively stimulate spatially restricted regions of an electroreceptor array are presented. The array has 96 channels consisting of chrome/gold electrodes patterned on a flexible parylene‐C substrate and encapsulated with another parylene‐C layer. The conformability of the electrode array allows for optimal current driving and surface interface conditions. Recordings of neural activity at the first central processing stage in weakly electric mormyrid fish support the potential of this system for high spatial resolution stimulation and mapping of electrosensory systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MicroLEDs provide unrivaled luminance and operating lifetime, which has led to significant activity using devices for display and non-display applications. The small size and high power density of microLEDs, however, causes increased adverse heating effects which can limit performance. A new generation of electrically insulating high thermal conductivity materials, such as alumina, has been proposed to mitigate these thermal effects when used as a substrate as an alternative to glass. This strategy then could be used as a method of passive heatsinking to improve the overall performance of the microLED. In this work, a newly available material, an 80 micron thick alumina ceramic substrate, is shown to yield a 30 % improvement on average in the maximum current drive over a glass substrate.