Expectations for circuitry are growing in every conceivable market, so IBM researchers have developed high-performance nanoscale circuits that are thin enough to be folded and bent to fit in countless devices. From curvy computers to implantable medical devices, these razor thin circuits can provide massive horsepower to small and oddly shaped devices that we’ve yet to even dream about.

Stephen Bedell and Davood Shahrjerdi, researchers at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center, are pushing the envelope with nanoelectronic circuits. This flexible circuit, roughly one ten-thousandth the thickness of a sheet of paper, is shaved off a wafer of silicon, and stuck onto a piece of plastic. Not only is this a huge step forward for small and portable computing, but the incredibly tiny size means big things for increasing the horsepower of existing devices without needing substantially larger power resources.

“Thin flexible circuits are so light that a large number of these circuits can be stacked to provide unprecedented computing power,” says Stephen Bedell. 10 billion transistors fit on this slim layer, and it only requires 0.6 volts to power up. Powerful, efficient, flexible, and lightweight — this breakthrough just doesn’t compromise. The possibilities are endless.

As far as technology trends, it’s fair to say that the cutting edge research is being done to make everything thin and flexible. From touch screens to zinc batteries, this is clearly where we are headed as an industry. It’s no surprise that IBM is dedicating resources to take circuitry to the next level. With a curvature radius of only 6mm, this flexible circuitry is bound to find its way into all sorts of products from foldable smartphones to lightweight computers on spacecraft.

A tiny flexible circuit isn’t all this technology has up its sleeve, though. Controlled spalling, the technique used to peel off the thin layer of circuitry, can be used for other materials. IBM explains that the same technology can be ported to solid state lighting as well. By replacing the inefficient sapphire substrate, this technology can be implemented to make the lights smaller and more eco-friendly.

Truly, this is just the beginning for flexible tech. Not only are we destined to see current devices re-imagined as thin lightweight supercomputers, but this opens doors for new inventions as well. Now that bulky, stiff, and flat circuits are no longer mandatory, a new generation of technology will undoubtedly come to the forefront. It’s only a matter of time before our cars, doctors, and personal electronics start taking advantage of this breakthrough.