EurekAlert February 5, 2018 An international team of researchers (Switzerland, Germany) working on the EU Horizon 2020 project called Phase-Change Switch found that the atomic structure of the metal-insulator vanadium dioxide (VO2) changes as the temperature rises, transitioning from a crystalline structure at room temperature to a metallic one at temperatures above 68°C. They found that adding germanium to VO2 film can lift the material’s phase change temperature to over 100°C required for modern electronic devices. The technology is particularly effective in the frequency range crucial for space communication systems (the Ka band, with programmable frequency modulation between 28.2 and […]
Category Archives: Advanced materials
A major step forward in organic electronics
Eurekalert January 11, 2018 Researchers in Sweden have shown that ladder-type polymers, such as poly(benzimidazobenzophenanthroline) (BBL), can successfully work as stable and efficient n-channel material for OECTs. BBL-based OECTs show high transconductance (up to 9.7 mS) and excellent stability in ambient and aqueous media. They have demonstrated that BBL-based n-type OECTs can be successfully integrated with p-type OECTs to form electrochemical complementary inverters. The latter show high gains and large worst-case noise margin at a supply voltage below 0.6 V. Applications of the organic components include logic circuits that can be printed on textile or paper, various types of cheap […]
Flexible bonding: hard and soft at the same time
Fraunhofer Research News January 2, 2018 Researchers in Germany have developed a new material called MetAK which is comparable to commercially available resins. Its stiffness can be determined by two hardening mechanisms: irradiation with UV light, and heat. The areas that should remain flexible are not irradiated; they are instead treated with heat, which cures them. As the rigidity is very easily adjustable, it is possible to flexibly adjust the material to the frequency range of the vibrations and compensate for them. MetAk can be cast in a specified shape making it attractive for orthopedic applications. Read more.
Carbon nanotube as ultrafast emitter with narrow energy spread at optical frequency
Nanowerk January 2, 2018 An international team of researchers (China, Finland) used carbon nanotubes to achieve energy spreads as low as 0.25 eV to demonstrate field-driven ultrafast photo electron emission, in a system capable of much higher phase synchronization than its photon-driven counterpart. According to the researchers, their work will help reshape our understanding of strong field physics, and may very well light the way for entirely new types of electron emission systems. Read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Atomically thin perovskites boost for future electronics
Physorg.com December 27, 2017 High-κ dielectric materials may be the key for developing electronic devices of the future. Researchers in Japan created high-performance dielectric nanofilms using 2-D perovskite nanosheets (Ca2Nam−3NbmO3m+1; m = 3–6) as building blocks. It exhibited an unprecedented capacitance density of approximately 203 μF cm-2, which is about three orders of magnitude greater than that of currently available ceramic condensers, opening a route to ultra-scaled high-density capacitors. The research provides a strategy for achieving 2-D high-κ dielectrics/ferroelectrics for use in ultra-scaled electronics and post-graphene technology. Read more. TECHNICAL ARTICLE Credit: National Institute for Materials Science