ScienceDaily: Electronics News

Footwear's (carbon) footprint: Bulk of shoes' carbon footprint comes from manufacturing processes

Wed, 22 May 2013 12:31:31 EDT

A typical pair of running shoes generates 30 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions, equivalent to keeping a 100-watt light bulb on for one week, according to a new lifecycle assessment.

Fastest measurements ever made of ion channel proteins

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Engineers have used miniaturized electronics to measure the activity of individual ion-channel proteins with temporal resolution as fine as one microsecond, producing the fastest recordings of single ion channels ever performed. They designed a custom integrated circuit to perform these measurements, in which an artificial cell membrane and ion channel are attached directly to the surface of the amplifier chip.

Opening doors to foldable electronics with inkjet-printed graphene

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Imagine a bendable tablet computer or an electronic newspaper that could fold to fit in a pocket. The technology for these devices may not be so far off, thanks to new research.

Electric and magnetic characteristics of a material which could be used in spintronics: Promising doped zirconia

Fri, 17 May 2013 09:46:46 EDT

Materials belonging to the family of dilute magnetic oxides (DMOs) - an oxide-based variant of the dilute magnetic semiconductors - are good candidates for spintronics applications.

Stacking 2-D materials produces surprising results

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:20:20 EDT

New experiments reveal previously unseen effects, could lead to new kinds of electronics and optical devices.

Security risks found in sensors for heart devices, consumer electronics

Thu, 16 May 2013 12:39:39 EDT

The type of sensors that pick up the rhythm of a beating heart in implanted cardiac defibrillators and pacemakers are vulnerable to tampering, according to a new study conducted in controlled laboratory conditions.

New insights into how materials transfer heat could lead to improved electronics

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:56:56 EDT

Researchers have published new insights into how materials transfer heat, which could lead eventually to smaller, more powerful electronic devices.

New record in wireless data transmission

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:53:53 EDT

Researchers have achieved the wireless transmission of 40 Gbit/s at 240 GHz over a distance of one kilometer. Researchers say that their most recent demonstration sets a new world record and ties in seamlessly with the capacity of optical fiber transmission. In the future, such radio links will be able to close gaps in providing broadband internet by supplementing the network in rural areas and places which are difficult to access.

Significant improvement in performance of solar-powered hydrogen generation

Wed, 15 May 2013 12:51:51 EDT

Using a powerful combination of microanalytic techniques that simultaneously image photoelectric current and chemical reaction rates across a surface on a micrometer scale, researchers have shed new light on what may become a cost-effective way to generate hydrogen gas directly from water and sunlight.

Obtaining polymers with à la carte optical and electrical properties

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Scientists have created nanostructured composite materials with specific optical and electrical properties that vary according to size. These properties allow researchers to synthesize particles of the size corresponding to the desired properties, and by adding these particles to polymers, to give the final product one specific property or another.

Electronics comes to paper: Paper, being light and foldable, works well for electrically conducting structures

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:52:52 EDT

Paper, being a light and foldable raw material, is a cost-efficient and simple means of generating electrically conducting structures.

New uses for tiny carbon nanotubes: Adding ionic liquid to nanotube films could build smaller gadgets

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

Nanotubes are stronger than steel and smaller than any element of silicon-based electronics. They can potentially process information faster while using less energy. The challenge has been figuring out how to incorporate these properties into useful electronic devices. Now scientists have discovered that by adding ionic liquid -- a kind of liquid salt -- they can modify the optical transparency of single-walled carbon nanotube films in a controlled pattern.

Engineered biomaterial could improve success of medical implants

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:28:28 EDT

Expensive, state-of-the-art medical devices and surgeries often are thwarted by the body's natural response to attack something in the tissue that appears foreign. Now, engineers have demonstrated in mice a way to prevent this sort of response.

Terahertz technology: Seeing more with less

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:50:50 EDT

Single-chip integration of the components needed for sending and receiving terahertz radiation should help applications in imaging and communication.

Micromachining: Inclinations sounded out

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:49:49 EDT

A novel type of tilt sensor may extend the capabilities of ultrasonic devices already used in a range of applications.

Solar panels as inexpensive as paint?

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:36:36 EDT

Researchers are helping develop a new generation of photovoltaic cells that produce more power and cost less to manufacture than what's available today.

New magnetic graphene may revolutionize electronics

Fri, 10 May 2013 07:55:55 EDT

Researchers have managed to give graphene magnetic properties. The breakthrough opens the door to the development of graphene-based spintronic devices, that is, devices based on the spin or rotation of the electron, and could transform the electronics industry.

Spintronics discovery: Scientists find new 'magic' in magnetic material

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:19:19 EDT

Researchers have reported a fundamental finding that will help advance the development of next-generation electronics called "spintronics."

An electronic nose can tell pears and apples apart

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:28:28 EDT

Engineers have created a system of sensors that detects fruit odors more effectively than the human sense of smell. For now, the device can distinguish between the odors compounds emitted by pears and apples. Scientists have created an electronic nose with 32 sensors that can identify the odors given off by chopped pears and apples.

In vivo flexible large scale integrated circuits developed

Mon, 06 May 2013 11:39:39 EDT

A team of researchers in Korea has developed in vivo silicon-based flexible large scale integrated circuits for bio-medical wireless communication.

A giant leap to commercialization of polymer solar cell technology

Mon, 06 May 2013 09:45:45 EDT

Researchers in Korea have demonstrated high-performance polymer solar cells (PSCs) with power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 8.92% which is the highest values reported to date for plasmonic PSCs using metal nanoparticles (NPs).

Printable functional 'bionic' ear melds electronics and biology

Wed, 01 May 2013 19:32:32 EDT

Scientists used off-the-shelf printing tools to create a functional ear that can "hear" radio frequencies far beyond the range of normal human capability. The researchers' primary purpose was to explore an efficient and versatile means to merge electronics with tissue. The scientists used 3-D printing of cells and nanoparticles followed by cell culture to combine a small coil antenna with cartilage, creating what they term a bionic ear.

New measurement tool is on target for the fast-growing MEMS industry

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

As markets for miniature, hybrid machines known as MEMS grow and diversify, researchers have introduced a long-awaited measurement tool that will help growing numbers of device designers, manufacturers and customers to see eye to eye on eight dimensional and material property measurements that are key to device performance.

Shaking things up: Researchers propose new old way to purify carbon nanotubes

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

An old, somewhat passé, trick used to purify protein samples based on their affinity for water has found new fans: materials scientists are using it to divvy up solutions of carbon nanotubes, separating the metallic nanotubes from semiconductors. They say it's a fast, easy and cheap way to produce high-purity samples of carbon nanotubes for use in nanoscale electronics and many other applications.

Use of laser light yields versatile manipulation of a quantum bit

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

By using light, researchers have manipulated the quantum state of a single atomic-sized defect in diamond -- the nitrogen-vacancy center -- in a method that not only allows for more unified control than conventional processes, but is more versatile, and opens up the possibility of exploring new solid-state quantum systems.

Bug's view inspires new digital camera's unique imaging capabilities

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:19:19 EDT

An insect-inspired device uses hemispherical, compound optics to capture wide, undistorted fields of view.

Bug's eye inspires hemispherical digital camera

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:19:19 EDT

Inspired by the complex fly eye, a research team has developed a hemispherical digital camera with nearly 200 tiny lenses, delivering exceptionally wide-angle field of view and sharp images. The new camera -- a rounded half bubble, similar to a bulging fly eye -- has 180 microlenses mounted on it, allowing it to take pictures across nearly 180 degrees. Only a camera shaped like a bug's eye can do this.

Graphene's high-speed seesaw

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:13:13 EDT

A new transistor capable of revolutionizing technologies for medical imaging and security screening has been developed by graphene researchers. The researchers report the first graphene-based transistor with bistable characteristics, which means that the device can spontaneously switch between two electronic states. Such devices are in great demand as emitters of electromagnetic waves in the high-frequency range between radar and infra-red, relevant for applications such as security systems and medical imaging.

Racing car with electric drive

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 07:37:37 EDT

Drive technology has an electric future – of this research scientists are in no doubt. Scientists have developed an electric racing car with a novel solution for battery management and electronic sensor systems.

'Taxels' convert mechanical motion to electronic signals

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:22:22 EDT

Using bundles of vertical zinc oxide nanowires, researchers have fabricated arrays of piezotronic transistors capable of converting mechanical motion directly into electronic controlling signals. The arrays could help give robots a more adaptive sense of touch, provide better security in handwritten signatures and offer new ways for humans to interact with electronic devices.

High performance semiconductor spray paint could be a game changer for organic electronics

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:33:33 EDT

Researchers have come up with a novel solution to one of the biggest technological barriers facing the organic semiconductor industry today. They developed a high performance organic semiconductor 'spray paint' that can be applied to large surface areas without losing electric conductivity.

Engineers generate world-record mmWave output power from nanoscale CMOS

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:11:11 EDT

Electrical engineers have generated a record amount of power output —- by a power of five —- using silicon-based nanoscale CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology for millimeter-wave power amplifiers. Power amplifiers are used in communications and sensor systems to boost power levels for reliable transmission of signals over long distances as required by the given application.

Microelectronics: Taking the heat off microfluidic chips

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:23:23 EDT

Replacing a high-temperature processing technique with an infrared treatment allows the manufacture of tiny devices without damaging the polymer components.

Nanowires grown on graphene have surprising structure

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:58:58 EDT

When engineers set out to grow nanowires of a compound semiconductor on top of a sheet of graphene, they did not expect to discover a new paradigm of epitaxy. The self-assembled wires have a core of one composition and an outer layer of another, a desired trait for many advanced electronics applications.

New material approach should increase solar cell efficiency

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:58:58 EDT

A new research group brought together aspects of condensed matter physics, semiconductor device engineering, and photochemistry to develop a new form of high-performance solar photocatalyst based on the combination of the TiO2 (titanium dioxide) and other "metallic" oxides that greatly enhance the visible light absorption and promote more efficient utilization of the solar spectrum for energy applications.

Scientists provide 'new spin' on emerging quantum technologies

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:10:10 EDT

Scientists have shed new light on a fundamental area of physics which could have important implications for future electronic devices and the transfer of information at the quantum level.

Physicists find right (and left) solution for on-chip optics: Nanoscale router converts and directs optical signals efficiently

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 14:33:33 EDT

Scientists have created a new type of nanoscale device that converts an optical signal into waves that travel along a metal surface. Significantly, the device can recognize specific kinds of polarized light and accordingly send the signal in one direction or another.

Revolutionary new device joins world of smart electronics: New flexible, transparent, photosensitive device

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 12:11:11 EDT

Smart electronics are taking the world by storm. From techno-textiles to transparent electronic displays, the world of intelligent technology is growing fast and a revolutionary new device has just been added to its ranks. Researchers have developed a new photoelectric device that is both flexible and transparent.

Device to mitigate power outages, prevent equipment damage

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:41:41 EDT

Engineering researchers have developed equipment that will prevent rolling power outages by regulating or limiting the amount of excess current that moves through the power grid when a surge occurs.

Robot hands gain a gentler touch: Tactile sensing technology builds on tiny barometer chips

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:42:42 EDT

What use is a hand without nerves, that can't tell what it's holding? A hand that lifts a can of soda to your lips, but inadvertently tips or crushes it in the process? Scientists have now developed a very inexpensive tactile sensor for robotic hands that is sensitive enough to turn a brute machine into a dextrous manipulator.

Tests in New York City suggest how to improve emergency radio communications

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 10:01:01 EDT

Radio communications can be unreliable in underground tunnels and other large, complicated structures, posing a safety hazard for emergency responders. New tests of wireless emergency safety equipment have defined the challenges more precisely and suggest how emergency communications might be improved.

Super-nanotubes: 'Remarkable' spray-on coating combines carbon nanotubes with ceramic

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:59:59 EDT

Researchers have demonstrated a spray-on mixture of carbon nanotubes and ceramic that has unprecedented ability to resist damage while absorbing laser light. Coatings that absorb as much of the energy of high-powered lasers as possible without breaking down are essential for measuring the output of such lasers.

Quantum computing taps nucleus of single atom

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Australian engineers have demonstrated that quantum information can be "written" onto the nucleus of a single atom and "read" out with incredible accuracy. The result was achieved using a silicon chip that can be wired up and operated electronically.

Small in size, big on power: New microbatteries the most powerful yet

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 15:19:19 EDT

The most powerful batteries on the planet are only a few millimeters in size, yet they pack such a punch that a driver could use a cellphone powered by these batteries to jump-start a dead car battery -- and then recharge the phone in the blink of an eye. The new microbatteries out-power even the best supercapacitors and could drive new applications in radio communications and compact electronics.

Peel-and-stick solar cells

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:28:28 EDT

It may be possible soon to charge cell phones, change the tint on windows, or power small toys with peel-and-stick versions of solar cells, thanks to new research.

Layered '2-D nanocrystals' promising new semiconductor

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:44:44 EDT

Researchers are developing a new type of semiconductor technology for future computers and electronics based on "two-dimensional nanocrystals" layered in sheets less than a nanometer thick that could replace today's transistors.

Neighbors move electrons jointly: Ultrafast collective electron transfer after excitation of single electron

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:22:22 EDT

Applying femtosecond x-ray methods, researchers have observed an extremely fast, collective electron transfer of ~100 molecular ions after excitation of a single electron in a crystal of transition metal complexes.

Color of OLEDs can now at last be predicted thanks to new modeling technique

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:48:48 EDT

OLEDs can be made more efficiently and at lower cost by a better understanding of the electronic processes.

Tiny wireless device shines light on mouse brain, generating reward

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 14:27:27 EDT

Using a miniature electronic device implanted in the brain, scientists have tapped into the internal reward system of mice, prodding neurons to release dopamine, a chemical associated with pleasure. This implantable LED device is smaller than the eye of a needle and activates brain cells with light.

Diamond as a building material for optical circuits

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 07:54:54 EDT

The application of light for information processing opens up a multitude of possibilities. However, to be able to adequately use photons in circuits and sensors, materials need to have particular optical and mechanical properties. Researchers have now for the first time used polycrystalline diamond to manufacture optical circuits.

Faster than silicon: Redesigned material could lead to lighter, faster electronics

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:15:15 EDT

The same material that formed the first primitive transistors more than 60 years ago can be modified in a new way to advance future electronics, according to a new study. Chemists have developed the technology for making a one-atom-thick sheet of germanium, and found that it conducts electrons more than ten times faster than silicon and five times faster than conventional germanium.

Plasmonics: A flexible bridge between two worlds

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 11:41:41 EDT

A novel material shows its credentials to facilitate the integration of photonic and electronic components in practical devices.

Advancing secure communications: A better single-photon emitter for quantum cryptography

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:50:50 EDT

In a development that could make the advanced form of secure communications known as quantum cryptography more practical, researchers have demonstrated a simpler, more efficient single-photon emitter that can be made using traditional semiconductor processing techniques.

Electronic implants: New fast transcutaneous non-invasive battery recharger and energy feeder

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 13:18:18 EDT

Scientists have developed a non-invasive battery recharger system for electronic implants that allows a longer life for the internal implantable devices in the human body such as pacemakers, defibrillators and electric hearts.

New 'transient electronics' disappear when no longer needed

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 12:23:23 EDT

Scientists have described key advances toward practical uses of a new genre of tiny, biocompatible electronic devices that could be implanted into the body to relieve pain or battle infection for a specific period of time, and then dissolve harmlessly.

Organic semi-conductors could revolutionize electronics

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:48:48 EDT

Organic semi-conductors could revolutionize electronics in various areas. Nowadays, components put out such high performances that they are used in small devices like mobile phones. With larger devices, however, the organic components heat up in such an uncontrollable manner that they break down or conduct electricity in an irregular way. Physicists and mathematicians have now analyzed the typical feedback effects and they describe them for organic semi-conductors.

Accidental discovery may lead to improved polymers

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:49:49 EDT

The discovery of an unexpected side product of polymer synthesis by chemical engineers may have implications for the manufacture of commercial polymers used in sealants, adhesives, toys and even medical implants.

Quantum tricks drive magnetic switching into the fast lane

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:03:03 EDT

Researchers in the U.S. and Greece have found a new way to switch magnetism that is at least 1000 times faster than currently used in magnetic memory technologies. Magnetic switching is used to encode information in hard drives, RAM and other computing devices.

'Dancing' silicon atoms discovered in graphene

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:14:14 EDT

Jumping silicon atoms are the stars of a newly discovered atomic scale ballet. The "dancing" movement of the silicon atoms was caused by the energy transferred to the material from the electron beam of the team's microscope.

Research could improve heat dissipation in 3-D systems

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:11:11 EDT

Researchers have won a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to develop three-dimensional chip-cooling technology able to handle heat loads as much as ten times greater than systems commonly used today.