Toward the Development of Printable Nanowire Electronics and Sensors

In recent years, there has been tremendous progress in the research and development of printable electronics on mechanically flexible substrates based on inorganic active components, which provide high performances and stable device operations at low cost. In this regard, various approaches have been developed for the direct transfer or printing of micro- and nanoscale, inorganic semiconductors on substrates. In this review article, we focus on the recent advancements in the large-scale integration of single crystalline, inorganic-nanowire (NW) arrays for electronic and sensor applications, specifically involving the contact printing of NWs at defined locations. We discuss the advantages, limitations, and the state-of-the-art of this technology, and present an integration platform for future printable, heterogeneous-sensor circuitry based on NW parallel arrays. © 2009 WILEY-VCH Vorlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.