High-performance thin-film transistors using semiconductor nanowires and nanoribbons

Thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the fundamental building blocks for the rapidly growing field of macroelectronics. The use of plastic substrates is also increasing in importance owing to their light weight, flexibility, shock resistance and low cost. Current polycrystalline-Si TFT technology is difficult to implement on plastics because of the high process temperatures required. Amorphous-Si and organic semiconductor TFTs, which can be processed at lower temperatures, but are limited by poor carrier mobility. As a result, applications that require even modest computation, control or communication functions on plastics cannot be addressed by existing TFT technology. Alternative semiconductor materials that could form TFTs with performance comparable to or better than polycrystalline or single-crystal Si, and which can be processed at low temperatures over large-area plastic substrates, should not only improve the existing technologies, but also enable new applications in flexible, wearable and disposable electronics. Here we report the fabrication of TFTs using oriented Si nanowire thin films or CdS nanoribbons as semiconducting channels. We show that high-performance TFTs can be produced on various substrates, including plastics, using a low-temperature assembly process. Our approach is general to a broad range of materials including high-mobility materials (such as InAs or InP).     

Uncertainties in assessing the effect of climate change on agriculture using model simulation and uncertainty processing methods

Model simulation is an important way to study the effects of climate change on agriculture.Such assessment is subject to a range of uncertainties because of either incomplete knowledge or model technical uncertainties,impeding effective decision-making to climate change.On the basis of uncertainties in the impact assessment at different levels,this article systematically summarizes the sources and propagation of uncertainty in the assessment of the effect of climate change on agriculture in terms of the climate projection,the assessment process,and the crop models linking to climate models.Meanwhile,techniques and methods focusing on different levels and sources of uncertainty and uncertainty propagation are introduced,and shortcomings and insufficiencies in uncertainty processing are pointed out.Finally,in terms of how to accurately assess the effect of climate change on agriculture,improvements to further decrease potential uncertainty are suggested.