Drawing Diodes

Engineers create semiconductor diodes inside optical fibers. The fiber drawing process essentially makes large structures much smaller and brings them closer together, so it should be possible to lay out fairly complex circuits in the preform to create nanometer-scale devices within the fiber. With the right reagents, Fink says, the process should work to produce a wide variety of semiconductor materials. That could make possible flexible electronic textiles and fibers that can convert light into electricity; perhaps one day a T-shirt could power a cellphone.