Nanofabulous Seminar: Semiconductor Nanomembranes for Organ-on-Chips, Wearables & Implantable Applications
Inorganic semiconductors are the key building block for most industrial integrated circuits, from computing processors to laser modules and power converters. Engineering these materials into freestanding nanomembrane architecture enables flexibility and stretchability, opening new avenues for biosensing and biomedical applications that demand mechanical compliance with soft tissues.
This talk highlights our recent efforts to engineer nanomembrane semiconductors, including silicon and silicon carbide, for three classes of biomedical systems: organ-on-chip (for disease modeling and drug screening), wearable (for on-skin monitoring/diagnosis), and implantable devices (for invasive interventions), Figure 1. In the first example, we harness the multiphysics coupling of liquid surface tension and gas compression in nanoscale silicon cantilevers to create biomechanical well plate (BWP) arrays for autonomous, longitudinal monitoring of organoid and engineered heart tissue contractions. In the second, we integrate silicon cantilever chips with wireless, flexible circuitry to realize a miniaturized auscultation patch (AusculPatch) – recently patented technology for home-based health monitoring. This platform captures vital body sounds including respiration, pulse waves, heart sounds, and vocal cord vibrations, supporting the diagnosis of conditions such as valvular disease and sleep apnea. In the third, we advance transfer printing techniques for wide bandgap semiconductor membranes (e.g., SiC), enabling long-term implantable electronics such as robust biobarriers, stimulation electrodes, and strain sensors.
Together, these technologies establish a toolkit of semiconductor-based platforms that accelerate the transition away from animal models, enable telehealth solutions, and support chronic disease management.
Prof Hoang-Phuong Phan
School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering
UNSW Sydney, Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia
11:00am, 28/04/2026
Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication
151 Wellington Road, Clayton, 3168
Zoom link: click here
Meeting ID: 864 5917 5242 and passcode: 168689
