Making and Using a Semiconductor

Under the direction of my advisor, I made cadmium sulfide in the lab from cadmium chloride and sodium sulfide. There are several more steps necessary, however, to actually put it to use. In its current condition it is precipitate in solution, which can be centrifuged and extracted to yield a powder. The powder will need to be resuspended in a solution suitable for ink-jetting or glued together somehow. A popular conductive polymer for that gluing together is Alq3, which we happen to have on hand. Its melting point is too high (above 300 °C) to extrude it, though. Thus, we’ll probably be going the ink-jetting route. I’ve been wrestling with which approach might be better–ink jetting or extruding–but now the question is answered, at least until we find a suitable conductive thermoplastic.