Electronics

New Technique May Open Up an Era of Atomic-scale Semiconductor Devices
05/22/2013 - 09:58

Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating high-quality semiconductor thin films at the atomic scale – meaning the films are only one atom thick. The technique can be used to create these thin films on a large scale, sufficient to coat wafers that are two inches wide, or larger.

 

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“Plastic” sensors for diagnosis of genetic and infectious diseases
05/21/2013 - 22:43

In recent years, molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have attracted much attention due to their multifarious potential applications including in sensors, separations, catalysis, drug delivery and waste management. To prepare MIPs, functional monomers are initially self-assembled around the template molecule via interaction between functional groups on both the template and the monomers. The self-assembled functional monomers are subsequently cross-linked.

 

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Iron-platinum alloys could be new-generation hard drives
05/20/2013 - 14:34

Meeting the demand for more data storage in smaller volumes means using materials made up of ever-smaller magnets, or nanomagnets. One promising material for a potential new generation of recording media is an alloy of iron and platinum with an ordered crystal structure. Researchers led by Professor Kai Liu and graduate student Dustin Gilbert at the University of California, Davis, have now found a convenient way to make these alloys and tailor their properties.

 

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Making frequency-hopping radios practical
05/15/2013 - 10:34

The way in which radio spectrum is currently allocated to different wireless technologies can lead to gross inefficiencies. In some regions, for instance, the frequencies used by cellphones can be desperately congested, while large swaths of the broadcast-television spectrum stand idle.

 

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Wireless signals could transform brain trauma diagnostics
05/15/2013 - 10:08

New technology developed at the University of California, Berkeley, is using wireless signals to provide real-time, non-invasive diagnoses of brain swelling or bleeding. The device analyzes data from low energy electromagnetic waves that are similar to those used to transmit radio and mobile signals. The technology, described in the May 14 issue of the journal PLOS ONE, could potentially become a cost-effective tool for medical diagnostics and to triage injuries in areas where access to medical care, especially medical imaging, is limited.

 

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Solar panels as inexpensive as paint?
05/13/2013 - 10:46

Most Americans want the U.S. to place more emphasis on developing solar power, recent polls suggest. A major impediment, however, is the cost to manufacture, install and maintain solar panels. Simply put, most people and businesses cannot afford to place them on their rooftops.

 

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