Dissolution Chemistry and Biocompatibility of Silicon- and Germanium-Based Semiconductors for Transient Electronics

• DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b02526
• Publication Date: 2015-04-13T19:39:49Z
• Authors: Seung-Kyun Kang; Gayoung Park; Kyungmin Kim; Suk-Won Hwang; Huanyu Cheng; Jiho Shin; Sangjin Chung; Minjin Kim; Lan Yin; Jeong Chul Lee; Kyung-Mi Lee; John A. Rogers
• Keywords: Silicon; Light; Cell Survival; Germanium; Biocompatible Materials; Equipment Design; 02 engineering and technology; 7. Clean energy; 01 natural sciences; 0104 chemical sciences; Equipment Failure Analysis; Electric Power Supplies; Semiconductors; 13. Climate action; Materials Testing; Solar Energy; Electronics; Crystallization; 0210 nano-technology

Semiconducting materials are central to the development of high-performance electronics that are capable of dissolving completely when immersed in aqueous solutions, groundwater, or biofluids, for applications in temporary biomedical implants, environmentally degradable sensors, and other systems. The results reported here include comprehensive studies of the dissolution by hydrolysis of polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, silicon-germanium, and germanium in aqueous solutions of various pH values and temperatures. In vitro cellular toxicity evaluations demonstrate the biocompatibility of the materials and end products of dissolution, thereby supporting their potential for use in biodegradable electronics. A fully dissolvable thin-film solar cell illustrates the ability to integrate these semiconductors into functional systems.