Thin films
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May 18 | News
Joshua
Zide has spent nearly a decade engineering nanomaterials using
molecular beam epitaxy. His particular area of expertise are
metalllic-semiconductor nanocomposite for use in electronics, and he is
now working on a variation of epitaxy that he hopes will bring the
materials deposition technique to the production line for the first
time.
May 17 | News
Scientists
in the U.K. have discovered a previously unrecognized volcanic process
called “fluidized spray granulation”, which can occur during kimberlite
eruptions to produce well-rounded particles containing mantle, most
notably diamonds. This physical process is remarkable similar to the gas
injection and spraying process used to form smooth coatings on
chocolates.
May 16 | News
Wet
chemical processes or vacuum plasma processes are typically used for
coating applications in industry. Both have drawbacks: vacuum units are
expensive and time-consuming, and wet chemistry is energy-intensive and
environmentally challenging. Researchers have recently developed a new
kind of plasma coating process that works at ambient pressure.
May 11 | News
A
French-American collaboration has developed a new combination of
polymers that makes it possible to design ultra-thin films capable of
self-organization with a 5-nm resolution. These hybrid copolymers are
based on sugars and oil-based macromolecules. Previous attempts using
nothing but oil-based molecules were limited to 20 nm in thickness.
May 9 | News
A
detailed description of development of the first practical device that
mimics the process of photosynthesis has recently been published in an
American Chemical Society journal. Unlike earlier devices, which used
costly ingredients, the new device is made from inexpensive materials
and employs low-cost engineering and manufacturing processes.
May 7 | News
Yale University engineers have developed a novel automated system for generating strong, flexible, transparent coatings with promising uses in lithium-ion battery and fuel cell production, among other applications. The system, called spin-spray layer-by-layer, cuts process time and produces films with both nanolevel precision and improved function.
May 2 | News
A new study by a team including scientists from NIST
indicates that thin polymer films can have different properties
depending on
the method by which they are made. The results suggest that deeper work
is
necessary to explore the best way of creating these films, which are
used in
applications ranging from high-tech mirrors to computer memory devices.
May 2 | News
Different
versions of microengines have been developed, including devices that
could transport medications through the bloodstream. But until now no
one has ever shown that these devices—which are about 10 times smaller
than the width of a human hair—could help clean up oil spills.
Scientists are reporting successful testing of the first self-propelled
“microsubmarines” designed to pick up droplets of oil and transport
them.
Apr 30 | News
Engineers
are developing new and innovative ways of coating medical materials
with nano-sized particles of silver, an element that has long been known
for its antimicrobial properties. However, a recent paper from the
University of Notre Dame highlights the fact that a vast majority of
bacteria are actually neutral, or even beneficial. Overuse of nanosilver
might harm their useful functions in daily life, the paper reports.
Apr 27 | News
In
collaboration with researchers in Japan, U.K. scientists have grown
highly boron-doped diamond layers just 1 nm in thickness. The technique
is known as d-doping, and the researchers believe the layers will be the
basis for high-performance field-effect transistors that offer the
prospect of highly sensitive biochemical agent detection.
