Inorganic dissolvable bioelectronics

Although physically invariant performance remains as a hallmark of the modern silicon electronics, certain opportunities emerge when part or entire device system can dissolve in biologically relevant fluids or water. This class of transient electronic devices allows them to function for a programmable timeframe and then to harmlessly dissolve in the environment or human body. The former minimizes or eliminates the waste stream from consumer gadgets, whereas the latter enables the biomedical implant as a diagnostic and/or therapeutic tool that obviates the need for removal after the function. Constructing high-performance dissolvable devices hinges on a realistic set of functional biodegradable materials for substrates, encapsulation layers, dielectrics, electrical connections, and electronic devices especially those involve the use of semiconductors. In this book chapter, we will first review the complete set of functional materials commonly used in high-performance inorganic dissolvable bioelectronics. Next, we will discuss various processing and manufacturing approaches for fabricating the dissolvable bioelectronics. After introducing several strategies to the power supply as a key component for the device system, we will then provide application opportunities from functional transformation and biomedical implants to green electronics and physically destructive devices for data security.