Miniaturized electronics, minute sample volumes in lab equipment, small footprint batteries, and a multitude of other applications have one thing in common: The need for miniaturization and component flexibility. Whether employed as a reference sensor for precise ambient temperature measurement, or for temperature monitoring of critical components – the tiny sensor ‘microRTD’ developed by Heraeus Nexensos fulfills the need for a tiny, flexible temperature sensor. Thanks to a well-focused development effort, the sensor is ready for the transition to pilot plant production. The microRTD—the Right Temperature Sensor for Applications Requiring Ultrasmall, Ultra-Thin, and Flexibility With a footprint of just 0.6mm x 0.3 mm and a low profile of 50 microns, the microRTD can be employed in applications that require temperature control on localized hot spots or require a reference sensor that contributes to the overall small system layout. As a result of the low profile and innovative production technology, the bendable microRTD sensor is capable of conformal contact to curved or flexible surfaces, resulting in fast and precise temperature detection. The operating temperature window is -40 to +140 °C. Miniaturization Combined with Precision – Ready for Pilot Evaluation by Our Customers In close cooperation with a strategic partner, Nexensos channeled decades of sensor expertise into the development of the miniaturized temperature sensor. In the next phase, a large-scale production ...

Noninvasive glucose monitoring devices are not currently commercially available in the United States, so people with diabetes must collect blood samples or use sensors embedded under the skin to measure their blood sugar levels. Now, with a new wearable device created by Penn State researchers, less intrusive glucose monitoring could become the norm. Led by Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in Penn State's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, the researchers published the details of the noninvasive, low-cost sensor that can detect glucose in sweat in Biosensors and Bioelectronics "Laser-induced graphene non-enzymatic glucose sensors for on-body measurements". The researchers constructed the device first with laser-induced graphene (LIG), a material consisting of atom-thick carbon layers in various shapes. With high electrical conductivity and a convenient fabrication time of just seconds, LIG appeared to be an ideal framework for the sensing device but there was a significant caveat. “The challenge here is that LIG is not sensitive to glucose at all,” Cheng said. “So, we needed to deposit a glucose-sensitive material onto the LIG.” The team chose nickel because of its robust glucose sensitivity, according to Cheng, and combined it with gold to lower potential risks of an allergic reaction. The researchers hypothesized that the LIG outfitted with the nickel-gold alloy would be able to detect low concentrations of glucose in...

TNO at Holst Centre has developed an ultrathin conformable smart sensor mat that can detect a person's breathing rate, heart rate, and posture. The multi-modal sensing mat consists of a combination of printed piezo-resistive and piezo-electric sensors. In one implementation, the mat can be placed under a bedsheet, enabling long-term monitoring of patients in a hospital bed or babies sleeping at home. The mat can also be integrated into the seat and back of an office chair, increasing and extending the vitality of our workforce. When used in a car seat, the mat can monitor posture and driver alertness. Unobtrusive monitoring Approximately 26% of people between the ages of 30 and 70 suffer from sleep apnoea worldwide. People with sleep apnoea are four times more likely to have a stroke and many die each year from cardiovascular diseases caused by this condition. As the healthcare costs involved are increasing rapidly across the globe, the demand for a cure is on the rise. People suffering from sleep apnoea are often monitored in so-called sleeping centers, having to sleep there several nights under less-than-ideal circumstances. Peter Zalar, Program Manager Large-Area Sensors at TNO at Holst Centre, explains: "The posture, breathing rate, and heart rate of a person laying on a bed can be ascertained using a large-area matrix of piezo-electric and piezo-resistive force sensors. Because these sensors are printed on a thin elastomer, they are very sensitive, quickly picking up...

As the world leaders gathered in Glasgow to discuss climate policies, there was inevitably constant discussion on energy transition towards sustainable renewable sources.

Solar cells are unquestionably part of the answer. As shown below, photovoltaic technology has come far in terms of reducing $/W and expanding global production capacity. In fact, solar cells are now financially viable without subsidy in many regions of the world. The installations are also rapidly growing every year as solar cells become a major part of the global energy mix.

The solar technology of choice today is of course wafer based silicon. As shown below, this technology is long established as the winning technology, limiting the space for other solutions including thin film solar cells. Given this dominance, an important question is whether Si will forever retain its current pole position? or will other technology options rise to complement and/or displace silicon?

In most technology fields many technology transitions take place. These transitions brew in the background for decades, often with dim prospects, but they eventually come of age to displace the old guard. There is no fundamental reason to assume solar technology will be any different, especially as silicon as is appears to have matured, reaching limits of its performance.

On the hand, silicon has proven extremely resilient in the electronic field. It never ceases to surprise and progress. However, even in this field, many non-silicon s...

Graphene, hexagonally arranged carbon atoms in a single layer with, superior pliability and high conductivity, could advance flexible electronics according to a Penn State-led international research team. Huanyu “Larry” Cheng, Dorothy Quiggle Career Development Professor in Penn State's Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics (ESM), heads the collaboration, which recently published two studies that could inform research and development of future motion detection, tactile sensing and health monitoring devices. Investigating how laser processing affects graphene form and function Several substances can be converted into carbon to create graphene through laser radiation. Called laser-induced graphene (LIG), the resulting product can have specific properties determined by the original material. The team tested this process and their results were made available online ahead of publication in SCIENCE CHINA Technological Sciences "Effects of laser processing parameters on properties of laser-induced graphene by irradiating CO2 laser on polyimide". Samples of polyimide, a type of plastic, were irradiated through laser scanning. The researchers varied the power, scanning speed, number of passes, and density of scanning lines. “We wanted to look at how different parameters of the laser processing process create different nanostructures,” Cheng said. “Varying the power allowed us to create LIG either in a fiber or foam structure.” The researchers found that lower power le...

NovaCentrix today announced that it received a 2021 Mexico Technology Award in the category of Soldering – Other for its PulseForge® Soldering In-Line. The award was announced at a ceremony that took place Wednesday, Nov. 3, 2021, during SMTA International in Minneapolis, MN. “We are delighted to be recognized for this prestigious award,” said Stan Farnsworth, NovaCentrix’ Chief Marketing Officer. “The capabilities of the newest PulseForge toolset open the doors to new product innovation and substantial reduction in energy utilization in manufacturing”. NovaCentrix’s new PulseForge Soldering In-Line, with NovaCentrix proprietary high-intensity thermal technology, reflows a wide range of traditional solders, such as SAC305, in seconds or less. Such fast processing allows , commercial packages, including transistors, LEDs, and resistors in traditional sizes, to be soldered to heat-sensitive substrates like plastic, films, textiles, and paper, without damaging the substrate. Additionally, temperature-sensitive components such as sensors, batteries, and cameras can be directly soldered without damage. Furthermore, because of the ultra-rapid processing speed, substantial energy savings have been demonstrated versus traditional thermal processing methods. The PulseForge tools offer meaningful decarbonization of the EMS/SMT supply chain. PulseForge® Soldering In-Line is SMEMA 9851 compliant with high throughput, and available with input and output buffers. Move past conventional, sl...

Researchers at BYU have created microfluidic lab-on-a-chip devices using a new 3D printing technique that could help doctors find preterm birth defects and treat patients suffering from lung diseases, among other applications. Their research work has been published in Nature Communications paper "Spatially and optically tailored 3D printing for highly miniaturized and integrated microfluidics" where they detail a generalized 3D printing process that enables the fabrication of much higher resolution 3D components without increasing the resolution of the 3D printer. Microfluidic devices are tiny, coin-sized microchips that include a set of nearly microscopic channels, valves and pumps etched into the material of the chip. They’re designed to sort out and analyze disease biomarkers, cells, and other small structures from samples of liquids, like blood, through their channels. “We have taken the conventional 3D printing approach and generalized it to something that is broader in scope and has significantly more capability,” said BYU engineering professor Greg Nordin. Currently, the process to create these devices is time-consuming and expensive. Due to the precision needed, new prototypes are typically created and tested in a cleanroom—a designated lab environment free from dust and other contaminants. This process makes it difficult to manufacture and distribute the lab-on-a-chip technology on a large scale and puts major limitations on the size and type of devices ...

USA has completed the commercial launch of its GEN3.0 CVD Graphene manufacturing line and a portfolio of application-specific CVD products. This 20m long state-of-the-art production facility, has the capability to produce single and multi-layer graphene in large sheets or long rolls, up to 400mm wide. Programmable in both scale and size, polycrystalline and large scale, preferred copper orientation graphene sheets can be manufactured on this production line.
Using patented processes, General Graphene focuses on providing low-cost, large sheet, CVD graphene. The latest GEN 3.0 state-of-the-art production line delivers more than 100,000 m2/yr. sheet graphene; a 1000-fold increase in production compared with the previous GEN 2.0 machine, and with advanced levels of control and precision. GEN 3.0 technology is scalable and enables General Graphene to supply affordable, highly consistent CVD graphene in industrial volumes. This capability is a game-changer. Now the industry can accelerate the development of advanced products and devices with confidence in supply and consistency of performance. With a thickness of just 0.345nm, CVD graphene provides a flexible, biocompatible, transparent, and conductive ultra-thin film barrier, opening new design options for researchers and industrial engineers. General Graphene is currently partnering with industrial leaders in the electronics, sensors, life sciences, industrial metals, and packaging markets, to unlock ...