Research Bits: May 13


On-chip microcapacitors Scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California Berkeley developed microcapacitors with ultrahigh energy and power density that could be used for on-chip energy storage. The microcapacitors were made with thin films of hafnium oxide (HfO2) and zirconium oxide (ZrO2) engineered to achieve a negative capacitance effect, which increase... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Feb. 16


Energy storage on microchips After more than half a decade of speculation, fabrication, modeling and testing, an international team of researchers from Drexel University in Pennsylvania and Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France, confirmed that their process for making carbon films and micro-supercapacitors will allow microchips and their power sources to become one and the same. Si... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: July 7


Direct solar energy storage Storing solar energy as hydrogen is a promising way for developing comprehensive renewable energy systems. To accomplish this, traditional solar panels can be used to generate an electrical current that splits water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, the latter being considered a form of solar fuel. However, the cost of producing efficient solar panels makes wate... » read more