Articles tagged with Silicon
Researchers created a multilayered silicon structure with air-trapping features that improve water repellency, also absorbing light in the infrared range. This biologically-inspired surface has potential uses in electro-optical devices and chemical sensors.
Researchers at Northwestern University have created an electrode that allows lithium-ion batteries to hold a charge up to 10 times greater than current technology. The new technology can also charge 10 times faster, paving the way for more efficient and smaller batteries for electric cars.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have developed a technique to integrate compound semiconductor nanowires on silicon wafers, enabling high-performance solar cells. The approach uses densely packed arrays of tiny strands of III-V semiconductor that grow up vertically from the silicon wafer.
Graphene's unique properties, including fast electron mobility and high mechanical strength, make it suitable for fast analog electronics. Researchers are working to improve synthetic graphene quality and study its behavior in technology conditions.
A team of professors has received $1.5 million to study a groundbreaking idea that could revolutionize the electronics industry by reducing power consumption and increasing computing speed. The approach involves encoding information using collective states formed by charge-density waves, which can help reduce energy needs per computation.
Researchers have designed a new conducting polymer that enables the use of silicon as a next-generation lithium-ion battery anode, storing eight times more energy than current designs. The material maintains its capacity after over a year of testing, with potential applications in electric cars and consumer electronics.
Researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a method to control silicon evaporation, allowing for the growth of high-quality layers of epitaxial graphene on silicon carbide wafers. This technique enables the production of uniform and high-quality graphene layers, which is essential for electronic device applications.
Researchers have developed a novel antireflective coating using randomly oriented silicon nanowires, capturing a broad spectrum of light waves and increasing solar cell efficiency. The process is relatively inexpensive and could be scaled up for large manufacturing operations.
Researchers at Clemson University have identified a promising new binder material for lithium-ion battery electrodes extracted from common brown algae. The alginate has helped boost energy storage and output for both graphite-based and silicon-based electrodes, addressing challenges in existing batteries.
Researchers at Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have induced light rays to behave in a way that defies the centuries-old laws of reflection and refraction. The discovery allows for beams of light that reflect and refract in arbitrary ways, depending on the surface pattern.
Researchers propose using silicon wires to encode information via electron spin, offering faster data transfer and lower energy usage. The new scheme may one day shape emerging technologies.
The discovery reveals changes in silicon's mechanical response with decreasing size, driving unexpected deformation mechanisms. This finding provides a basis for understanding the onset of plasticity in nanovolumes, benefiting nano-device design.
Researchers at Vanderbilt University have created microelectronic devices out of thin films of nanodiamond, which can operate at higher speeds and require less power than silicon-based devices. The diamond-based devices are also resistant to radiation damage and can function in extremely high or low temperatures.
The University of Warwick has been awarded a prestigious five-year, £1.7 million Platform Grant from the EPSRC to realise its exciting new developments in silicon-based technologies. This grant will enable researchers to further their work on 'cooltronics', zero-power electronics, and could be key to combating global climate change.
Physicists at UC Riverside have discovered a new way to create positronium, an exotic atom made up of an electron and its antimatter twin, the positron. This method allows for the production of positronium at almost any temperature, including very low temperatures, making it easier to detect.
Scientists aim to study the universe's evolution with MicroSpec, a 10,000 times more sensitive spectrometer. The instrument will analyze infrared light to identify object compositions and properties.
Researchers create rapid, low-cost imprinting process for nanodevices, enabling production of devices with high sensitivity and precision. The new approach overcomes complexity and expense challenges in processing nanoporous materials.
Engineers at Vanderbilt University created a 'spongy' silicon biosensor that detects small molecules with high sensitivity. The new sensor's porous structure increases its surface area, allowing it to capture more molecules than traditional sensors.
Researchers at NRL demonstrate electrical injection, detection and precession of spin accumulation in silicon at temperatures up to 225°C, overcoming a major obstacle for spin-based devices. The findings provide key enabling steps for developing semiconductor spintronics that offer higher performance and lower power consumption.
A team led by Iowa State chemist Malika Jeffries-EL has developed new polymer structures that mimic traditional semiconductors, improving properties of certain organic polymers. The research aims to create more efficient organic solar cells and light-emitting diodes.
Engineers at Harvard University have discovered that individual, vertical silicon nanowires can display vibrant colors of the spectrum, dependent on their diameter. The finding has potential applications in increasing efficiency and detecting color without filters in nanoscale image sensor devices.
University of Utah researchers built spintronic transistors that aligned magnetic spins of electrons for a record period of time at room temperature. The achievement is a significant step towards the development of faster and more power-efficient spintronic devices using silicon chips.
Researchers found that graphene's electronic properties were significantly improved when mounted on boron nitride, a material almost identical in structure to graphene. The team was able to measure the topography and electrical properties of the resulting smooth graphene layer with atomic resolution.
The University of Washington is developing design tools and using commercial nanofabrication tools to create inexpensive next-generation silicon-based electro-optical chips. The Air Force Office of Scientific Research is funding this effort to improve data communications, lasers, and detectors.
The Avogadro project has achieved a milestone in measuring the Avogadro constant with unprecedented precision, using a highly enriched single crystal of silicon-28. The measurement uncertainty has been reduced to 3 × 10^(-22), enabling a more accurate definition of the kilogram based on fundamental constants.
Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a method to grow nanolasers directly onto a silicon surface, enabling highly efficient silicon photonics. This breakthrough could lead to powerful biochemical sensors and faster microprocessors, as well as new applications in computing, communications, displays, and optical signal processing.
The new center, OpSIS, will provide access to high-end semiconductor manufacturing for researchers worldwide. It aims to create a system that enables non-specialists to design and build functioning chips combining photonics and electronics.
Researchers have discovered a new material, molybdenite, that can be used to make smaller and more energy-efficient electronic chips. Molybdenite has distinct advantages over traditional silicon or graphene for use in electronics applications.
Researchers at North Carolina State University have successfully created the first coils of silicon nanowires on a stretchable substrate that can be stretched to more than double their original length. The new design improves the stretchability of electronic materials without compromising their electric functionality.
Researchers at Delft University of Technology and Oxford University have developed a new, more robust type of nanopore device that combines biological and artificial building blocks. This technology has the potential to revolutionize DNA analysis by making it faster and cheaper.
Electrical engineers created a miniaturized short pulse generator that eliminates a roadblock for optical interconnects. The pulse compressor enables higher data rates and generates less heat than copper wires, critical for future computer networks.
Researchers have successfully integrated ultra-thin layers of indium arsenide onto a silicon substrate to create nanoscale transistors with excellent electronic properties. The devices exhibited superior performance in terms of current density and transconductance compared to silicon transistors.
Researchers have developed an advanced imaging technology to rapidly screen single-wall carbon nanotubes, which could be used in creating a new class of computers and electronics. The technique, called transient absorption, measures the metallicity of the tubes and may be combined with another laser to zap unwanted metallic nanotubes.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a method to produce high-quality graphene using plain table sugar and other carbon-based substances. The process, which can be done in just one step, produces large-area sheets of graphene at low temperatures.
Duke University engineers have designed and demonstrated microscopically small lasers integrated with thin film-light guides on silicon that could replace copper in a host of electronic products. The new approach solves some of the unanswered riddles facing scientists trying to create and control light at such a miniscule scale.
Researchers at Zyvex Labs have demonstrated a process for removing individual hydrogen atoms from silicon surfaces and adding single atomic layers of silicon. This technique allows for the creation of atomically precise three-dimensional structures with potential applications in nanotechnology, quantum computing, and more.
Rice University scientists have created a new type of silicon anode that can store more than 10 times the amount of lithium as current graphite-based anodes. The breakthrough could lead to significant increases in battery performance and lifespan, making electric cars more efficient and cost-effective.
Stanford engineers discovered that ultra-thin solar cells with nanoscale roughness can absorb more energy than predicted by conventional theory. Light trapping technique increases energy absorption beyond the theoretical limit, opening a new door to designing highly efficient solar cells.
A team from UNSW has created a single electron reader, a crucial component needed to build a quantum computer using silicon. This breakthrough opens the path to constructing simpler and more scalable quantum computers.
Researchers at Caltech have developed a new type of material made out of silicon that could lead to more efficient thermoelectric devices. The material is composed of a thin film with a grid-like arrangement of tiny holes, which slows down phonons and lowers its thermal conductivity.
Researchers at UC San Diego developed a new chip prototype called GreenDroid, which uses dark silicon to improve performance through specialized processors. The prototype delivers improved efficiency by running heavily used code in Google's Android platform, resulting in up to 7.5 times increased efficiency compared to aggressive mobil...
Physicists at the Naval Research Laboratory and University of Wisconsin-Madison predict that certain silicon surfaces can exhibit intrinsic magnetism, thanks to self-assembly processes. This discovery has the potential to enable single-spin magnetoelectronics, which could revolutionize memory and logic devices.
Researchers at MIT create a material that exhibits 'retrograde melting' at lower temperatures than normal, allowing for potentially cheaper production of solar cells and other devices. The discovery enables the creation of liquid droplets to purify silicon and could lead to new methods for making arrays of silicon nanowires.
Intel Corporation showcased its 50Gbps Silicon Photonics Link prototype, the world's first silicon-based optical data connection, at IPR. The link achieved speeds of up to 50 gigabits of data per second, surpassing electrical solutions.
Researchers have discovered that silicon oil can absorb nearly 50% of radioactive rays during radiation therapy for ocular melanoma. The study, published in Archives of Ophthalmology, suggests that the substance acts as a physical shield to reduce radiation exposure to the eye.
Researchers have successfully controlled quantum superposition in silicon, a crucial step towards building affordable quantum computers. The breakthrough could enable faster processing of complex information and secure code-cracking capabilities.
Researchers have developed a one-step process to create nanowires and tune electronic properties of reduced graphene oxide, turning it into a conducting material. This breakthrough could lead to faster and more power-efficient electronics.
Duke University engineer Chris Dwyer demonstrates that DNA can be used to create simple logic gates, or switches, using light to excite molecules. This technology has the potential to produce virtually unlimited supplies of these tiny circuits, paving the way for faster and more efficient computing.
Researchers discovered that multiple layers of graphene retain strong heat conducting properties, making it a promising material for removing dissipated heat from electronic devices. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new technologies to keep laptops and other devices from overheating.
A multidisciplinary research team at NIST has found a viable candidate for creating large-area electronics by spraying organic semiconductor material onto a surface. The material overcomes a major cost hurdle in the manufacture of organic thin-film transistors, which could lead to disposable devices.
Researchers have developed a flexible silicon electronics device that can map waves of electrical activity in the heart with high density and speed. The device uses 288 contact points and has the potential to localize and treat abnormal heart rhythms.
Researchers have developed biocompatible flexible electronics that can map large areas of tissue at once, monitoring electricity coursing through a beating heart. The technology has the potential to redefine design strategies for advanced surgical devices and implants.
Researchers at the University of Rochester have discovered a way to make liquid flow vertically upward along a silicon surface, overcoming gravity's pull. By carving intricate patterns in silicon with high-powered laser bursts, they increase the attraction that water molecules feel toward it, allowing the liquid to rise on its own accord.
A new high-performance anode structure based on silicon-carbon nanocomposite materials has been developed, significantly improving the performance of lithium-ion batteries. The self-assembly technique creates rigid spheres with open internal channels that allow for rapid entry of lithium ions and accommodate expansion without cracking.
Researchers have fabricated a near-frictionless diamond material that is 3,000 times more wear-resistant at the nanoscale than silicon. This discovery has significant implications for atomic imaging, probe-based data storage, and emerging applications like nanolithography and nanometrology.
Cui's team has developed lightweight paper batteries, supercapacitors, and eTextiles that can store energy while retaining mechanical properties. The technology has potential applications in homes, gadgets, sportswear, and wearable power.
A team of scientists from Caltech has created a new type of flexible solar cell that enhances the absorption of sunlight and efficiently converts its photons into electrons. The solar cell uses only a fraction of the expensive semiconductor materials required by conventional solar cells, making it potentially cheaper to produce.
A new anode material made from titanium Nanonets coated with silicon particles demonstrates higher speed, capacity and longevity. The material shows a charge/re-charge rate five to 10 times greater than typical Lithium-ion anode materials.
A study published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture reveals that beer is a significant source of dietary silicon, a key ingredient for increasing bone mineral density. The researchers found that beers containing high levels of malted barley and hops are richest in silicon.
Researchers at MIT have successfully built a germanium laser that can emit wavelengths useful for optical communications. This breakthrough paves the way for the development of light-based computers that could process data more efficiently than current electrical systems.