Battery breakthrough: silicon-based Li-ion anode stands up under stress

7 hours ago | News

Lithium-ion battery anodes are made from graphite. Silicon anodes would offer a ten-fold improvement, but ion travel quickly destroys the material. A new experimental silicon-carbon nanocomposite, built through self-assembly, solves the degradation problem.

OLED concept uses graphene as transparent conductor

Mar 12 | News

Researchers at Stanford University have successfully developed a brand new concept of organic lighting-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with a few nanometers of graphene as transparent conductor. This paves th...

Stamping microelectromechanical devices onto plastic

Mar 1 | News

MIT researchers have discovered a way to make microelectromechanical devices, or MEMS, by stamping them onto a plastic film. This discovery should reduce their cost, and open up the possibility of large sheets of sensors that could, one day, cover the wings of an airplane to gauge their structural integrity.

Tiny crystals under stress display unexpected movement

Feb 24 | News

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that, under the right conditions, nanocrystalline materials—like those found in some integrated circuits—exhibit surprising activity in the tiny spaces between the geometric clusters of atoms called nanocrystals, from which they are made. This has implications for those who use thin films or manufacture MEMS.

Flexible solar cells created with silicon wire arrays

Feb 17 | News

Using arrays of long, thin silicon wires embedded in a polymer substrate, a team of scientists from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has created a new type of flexible solar cell that enhances the absorption of sunlight and efficiently converts its photons into electrons.

Molecule created with promising semiconductor properties

Feb 12 | News

A team of chemists from the Univ. of New Hampshire has synthesized the first-ever stable derivative of nonacene, creating a compound that holds significant promise in the manufacture of flexible organic electronics such as large displays, solar cells and radio frequency identification tags.

Fractal patterns may be key to semiconductor magnetism

Feb 9 | News

A Princeton-led team of scientists has observed electrons in a semiconductor on the brink of the metal-insulator transition for the first time. Caught in the act, the electrons formed complex patterns resembling those seen in turbulent fluids, confirming some long-held predictions and providing new insights into how semiconductors can be turned into magnets.

IBM’s latest graphene transistor breaks 100 GHz barrier

Feb 5 | News

A team at IBM working for the Carbon Electronics for RF Applications program funded by DARPA previously achieved 26GHz. But this breakthrough—the world’s fastest cycle speed for graphene—was achieved using wafer-scale graphene processing technology compatible with silicon device fabrication.

First germanium laser built

Feb 4 | News

MIT researchers have demonstrated the first laser built from germanium that can emit wavelengths of light useful for optical communications. It’s also the first germanium laser to operate at room temperature. Unlike the materials typically used in lasers, germanium is easy to incorporate into existing processes for manufacturing silicon chips.

Graphene-based electronic devices closer to reality

Feb 2 | News

Researchers in the Electro-Optics Center (EOC) Materials Division at Penn State have produced 100 mm diameter graphene wafers, a key milestone in the development of graphene for next generation high frequency electronic devices.

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Much ado about next to nothing

3 hours ago

The recent review of the past 10 years of the National Nanotechnology Initiative--as presented by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology--suggested the rise of nanomanufacturing as the near future of nanotechnology. But the actual proposed funding reflects a cautious approach, even about nanotech in general.

Lunar tires, space MRSA, and resonating microfluidics

Mar 5

I typically attend the annual Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy each year in pursuit of specific coverage. This year, I sought out candidates for coverage in a vacuum technology article, and pulled together some instruments for a spectroscopy guide. But as busy as that kept me, it wasn’t all mass spectrometers and vacuum pumps on the show floor.  

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NuGard Coating Ashburn Hill

Jan 7

NuGard First Response Protective Clothing are lightweight coveralls, jackets, and pants that provide protection from heat and flame while keeping the wearers body temperature constant.

Multi-Touch Music Maker

Jan 7

Professor David Wessel shows his multi-touch interface that uses computer technologies that allow him to experiment with fine controls to "caress" the instrument.