A joint team from Sungkyunkwan University and the Institute of Basic Sciences in South Korea has recently made a breakthrough in the field of flexible electronics: they have developed a self-healing semiconductor material, which can not only stretch and reassemble electronic components, but also self repair like biological tissue after damage. This technology can open up new ideas for the next generation of wearable and implantable medical devices. Due to factors such as mechanical fatigue, external impact, and environmental erosion, existing flexible electronic components often gradually lose their function once damaged and need to be replaced as a whole. The South Korean team has developed flexible transistors and circuits with excellent insulation and biocompatibility using self-healing polymer substrates. The test results show that these transistors can maintain stable electrical performance for a long time after being implanted into living animals. All core components of the transistor, such as electrodes, semiconductor layers, and insulation films, are constructed with self-healing polymer materials, which can restore their mechanical and electrical properties even if damaged, achieving long-term stable operation, "said Sun Dongxi, a professor in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, in an interview with our reporter. This technology also extends self-healing characteristics from a single component to modular circuit systems for the first time. The research team has designed standardized self-healing transistors, tactile sensors, and miniature light-emitting units that can be freely disassembled and reassembled like "electronic Lego" to construct sensor arrays, logic circuits, and even simple display systems as needed. For example, it can be customized according to user preferences or needs, or it can be disassembled and replaced using plug and play accessories when performance significantly decreases. Although there have been studies on self-healing materials and individual components before, expanding them to the level of circuits and modules and integrating them into electronic skin systems is still the first time, "said Sun Dongxi. This new material can also maintain stable performance in water and animal environments. Usually, flexible electronic components are prone to performance degradation in water or body fluids, but the semiconductor can still work stably for more than a week after implantation in animals, with no significant degradation in electrical properties, which has been confirmed through in vivo experiments. Regarding the future applications of self-healing semiconductors, Sun Dongxi stated that their prospects are very broad, especially in the fields of medical and health, with enormous potential. In neuroscience and clinical medicine, high-density interface devices can be developed to monitor and process biological signals generated by the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and heart tissue, which are expected to be applied in the treatment of neurological diseases, heart rhythm regulation, and long-term monitoring after organ transplantation. In terms of wearable devices, the new generation of electronic skins will be more comfortable and durable, and can dynamically adjust the circuit structure according to user activities or environmental changes, achieving truly personalized intelligent systems. In addition, due to the ability of the device to repair itself after damage, there is no need for frequent replacement, which helps reduce electronic waste and lower medical costs. As for the development significance of flexible electronic technology, Zhang Li, a researcher at the Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology and Nanobionics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that with the rise of embodied intelligent technology based on humanoid robots and other carriers in the world, a series of flexible electronic devices represented by flexible tactile sensors, flexible physiological electrodes, etc., will be further developed and gradually move towards large-scale applications. However, in practical complex or specific usage scenarios, the flexible characteristics can also bring problems such as easy damage, corrosion, and poor environmental stability, greatly affecting the long-term performance and lifespan of electronic devices. Inspired by the natural "flexible device" of human skin, the South Korean research team has developed flexible transistors and circuit devices with module level stretchability, reconfigurability, and automatic repair capabilities. These devices can work stably for more than a week under conditions such as implantation, and their electrical characteristics have not significantly degraded, demonstrating excellent adaptability to complex environmental applications. This will provide strong technical support for further expanding the application space of flexible electronic technology. Sun Dongxi also pointed out that in order to achieve industrialization, several key issues still need to be addressed: firstly, improving electrical performance, especially enhancing the carrier mobility and electrode conductivity of semiconductors, to support high-speed circuit operation; Secondly, optimize manufacturing processes and promote the transformation of laboratory technology towards standardized and low-cost large-scale production; The third is to further verify the long-term biocompatibility and safety of the material in the human body - although positive results have been achieved in animal experiments, more comprehensive and long-term evaluations are still needed for human applications. (New Society)