Silk-Based Flexible Ereaders And Displays Promised

Taiwanese researchers have figured out a way to use silk as a component in bendable electronics, potentially finding a role in future ereaders, LED displays and RFD tags. Hwang Jenn-Chang of National Tsing Hua University, along with two post-grads, are already in talks with manufacturers about commercialising the system, which turns liquid silk into membranes that function as insulators for flexible thin-film transistors.

Although silk is among the more expensive fabrics, in comparison to flexible electronics components it's far more affordable. The research team expect the silk cost to be around $0.03 per device, and since it's a natural fiber the ecological impact is reduced as well. No word on which manufacturers are looking to use the new fabric technology, nor when we could expect to see rollable displays and other gadgets based on it.

[via Slashdot]