Power/Performance Bits: Feb. 15


3D printed piezoelectrics Researchers at University of Notre Dame and Purdue University developed a hybrid 3D printer that combines multi-material aerosol jet printing and extrusion printing, integrating both functional and structural materials into a single printing platform. They used it to create an all-printed piezoelectric wearable device. The stretchable piezoelectric sensors conform ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Feb. 7


Design tools for solid-state batteries Oak Ridge National Laboratory has devised a new tool designed to accelerate the development of energy-dense solid-state batteries. The tool, called the Solid-State Battery Performance Analyzer and Calculator (SolidPAC), enables researchers to assess the impact of battery designs and choice of cell components for solid-state batteries. It can be used to... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Feb. 7


Stopping interference in integrated photonics Researchers at EPFL and Purdue University combined integrated photonics and MEMS to develop an electrically driven optical isolator-on-a-chip that transmits light in only one direction. Optical isolators are useful to prevent reflected light from other components compromising or interfering with an on-chip laser’s performance. They are often c... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Feb. 1


Fab equipment cybersecurity In a major step to help provide security in the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain, SEMI has published the first cybersecurity specifications and standards for fab equipment. For some time, the semiconductor industry has been developing new cybersecurity standards for fab equipment in an effort to protect systems from potential cyberattacks, viruses, and IP... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Feb. 1


Seaweed-inspired energy harvesting Researchers from Dalian Maritime University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Sun Yat-sen University developed flexible power generators that mimic the way seaweed sways to efficiently convert surface and underwater waves into electricity to power marine-based devices. Networks of sensors are spread across coastal zones, collecting information on curre... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Jan. 25


Stretchable thermometers The Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) has developed a stretchable and self-powered thermometer that can be integrated into various systems, such as stretchable electronics and soft robots. Depending on the materials used, the stretchable thermometer can measure temperatures of more than 200 degrees Celsius to -100 degrees Cel... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 25


Nanoscale 3D optics Researchers at Rice University and University of Houston are using 3D printing to build nanostructures of silica for micro-scale electronic, mechanical, and photonic devices. “It’s very tough to make complicated, three-dimensional geometries with traditional photolithography techniques,” said Jun Lou, a professor of materials science and nanoengineering at Rice. �... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Jan. 18


Proton/antiproton measurements CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, has made a breakthrough in particle physics by conducting the world’s most precise measurements and comparisons between protons and antiprotons. The breakthrough can help scientists gain a better understand of particle physics as well as the origins and the composition of the universe. It can also bring n... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 18


3D printed custom wearables Researchers from the University of Arizona created a 3D printed wearable that can operate continuously through wireless power to track body temperature and muscle deformation during exercise. Based on 3D body scans of the wearer, the medical-grade 'biosymbiotic device' can be custom printed to conform to a user's skin without the need for adhesives, which can irr... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Jan. 10


Finding new materials with inverse design The Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART) has found a new way to perform general inverse design, a technique that can accelerate the discovery of new materials. The concept of inverse design is simple. Let’s say you want to develop products with select materials. In a computer, you input the desired materials and the propertie... » read more

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