Nanotechnology Spotlight – Latest Articles

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Showing Spotlights 65 - 72 of 240 in category All (newest first):

 

Conductance of an anti-aromatic molecule measured for the first time

transmission_channelsMolecular electronics aims to use small organic molecules as the active component in an electrical circuit in order to tailor functionality and achieve new levels of miniaturization with increased functionality via chemical design. Anti-aromatic molecules had been predicted decades ago to have excellent conducting properties. Now researchers have realized a molecular circuit involving an anti-aromatic molecule for the first time.

Aug 16th, 2017

Current state of fabricating molecular electronics

molecular_electronicsSince the early days of molecular electronics, tremendous progress has been achieved both theoretically and experimentally by scientists and engineers who were fascinated by intriguing physical, chemical phenomena, and potential device applications of molecular junctions. In a recent paper, scientists review recent experimental efforts for pursuing high-yield functional molecular devices, in which a bundle of molecules (the contacted molecules number more than 1000) is contained in a junction.

Jun 14th, 2017

Large portfolio of 2D semiconductor materials benefits next-generation flexible electronics

flexible_electronicsInspired by the unique optical and electronic property of graphene, two-dimensional layered materials - as well as their hybrids - have been intensively investigated in recent years, driven by their potential applications for nanoelectronics. The broad spectrum of atomic layered crystals includes transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), semiconducting dichalcogenides, monoatomic buckled crystals, such as black phosphorous (BP), and diatomic hexagonal boron nitride, etc. Tihis article examines the recent advancement of flexible 2D electronic devices based on TMDs and BP.

May 23rd, 2017

Remote destruction capability of high performance silicon electronics

selfdestructing_electronicsYou surely remember one of the hallmarks of the Mission: Impossible series that shows a secret agent receiving his instructions on a tape or other device that then self-destructs and goes up in a cloud of smoke. Getting pretty close to this Hollywood scenario, minus the smoke, scientists now have demonstrated remote destruction capability of high performance silicon electronics. They also show that in case of tempering, dislocation, or light exposure, electronics on for instance stolen or lost hard drives can self-destruct.

Mar 29th, 2017

Transition metal perovskite chalcogenide, a new class of highly tunable optoelectronic semiconductors

perovskite_chalcogenidesComplex oxide perovskite have been intensively researched for over half a century for their intriguing high temperature superconductivity, thermoelectric, ferroelectricity, colossal magnetoresistance. However, their large band gaps limit their interaction with visible photons. In new work, researchers propose transition metal perovskite chalcogenides (TMPCs) as a new class of versatile semiconductors for optoelectronic applications.

Feb 28th, 2017

A new contact to the two-dimensional world

MXeneNext-generation electronics will be based on two-dimensional semiconductors, which have a significantly higher resistance than conventional silicon-based electronics. This development is significantly limited by the high contact resistance between the metal electrode and the 2D semiconductor. To minimize the energy dissipation and improve the device performance, it is critical to reduce the contact resistance. Researchers have now shown that MXenes, a class of 2D metal carbides or nitrides, can achieve low contact resistance with 2D semiconductors.

Feb 22nd, 2017

Wearable health monitor based on household paper

paper_electronicsPaper electronics - putting flexible electronic sensors and other circuits on regular paper - have the potential to cut the price of a wide range of medical tools, from point-of-care diagnostic tests to portable DNA detectors. In new work, researchers have now shown an integration strategy to rationally design an ultra-low cost health monitoring device, a Paper Watch, using recyclable household materials: non-functionalized papers.

Feb 16th, 2017

Lego like silicon electronics fabricated with hybrid etching masks

lego-like_electronicsResearchers have developed a highly manufacturable deep reactive ion etching based process involving a hybrid soft/hard mask process technology that shows high aspect ratio complex geometry Lego-like silicon electronics formation enabling free-form (physically flexible, stretchable, and reconfigurable) electronic systems. This hybrid mask enables deep sub-millimeter etching while preserving existing devices and structures and is advantageous for many applications, including lego like concept for pre-packaging modules/system integration.

Feb 6th, 2017