A single-digit-micrometer thickness wood speaker

In a recent report on Nature Communications, Wentao Gan and a team of researchers at the departments of materials science and engineering in the U.S. have detailed the use of an ultrathin film of natural wood to create an audio speaker. The construct exhibited excellent mechanical properties including high tensile strength and increased Young's modulus. The properties of ultrathin thickness and exceptional mechanical strength allowed excellent acoustic properties with higher resonance frequency and greater displacement amplitude when compared to a commercial polypropylene diaphragm in an audio speaker. As proof of concept, Gan et al. directly used the ultrathin wood film as a diaphragm in a real speaker to emit music. The surfaces with excellent mechanical properties and acoustic performance were a promising candidate to build next-generation acoustic speakers.