Materials & Manufacturing

Briefs : Electronics & Computers

3D Inductor Technology Expands Microchip Capability

Using 3D components on a standardized 2D microchip manufacturing platform uses up to 100 times less chip space.

Briefs : Materials

Copper Strengthens 3D-Printed Titanium

Titanium-copper alloys for 3D printing could create high-performance alloys for medical device and aerospace applications.

Briefs : Sensors/Data Acquisition

Researchers Create Nanoscale Sensors to Better See How High Pressure Affects Materials

Researchers have developed new nanoscale technology to image and measure more of the stresses and strains on materials under high pressures.

Briefs : Sensors/Data Acquisition

Conductive Polymer/Carbon Nanotube Structural Materials

These materials can be used in aerospace vehicles, automobiles, clothing, helmets, and chemical sensors.

Briefs : Lighting

Thin Films of Barium Zirconium Sulfide Offer Exceptional Electronic Properties

These thin films hold great promise for solar cells and LEDs.

Briefs : Materials

Slippery Surfaces Allow Sticky Pastes and Gels to Slide

An engineered surface treatment can reduce waste and improve efficiency in many processes.

Briefs : Aerospace

Electrically Non-Conductive Ladder Fall Protection

This system protects workers on lightning and telecommunications towers, and on oil and gas platforms.

Briefs : Materials

Self-Cleaning, Non-Stick Coating

The coating can prevent the transfer of antibiotic-resistant superbugs and other bacteria in settings ranging from hospitals to kitchens.

Briefs : Mechanical & Fluid Systems

Multi-Objective Flight Control Optimization Framework

This framework can be used by commercial and military aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles.

Briefs : Materials

Process Synthesizes Carbon Nanotubes Using Carbon Dioxide

This process turns carbon dioxide into carbon nanotubes with small diameters.

Briefs : Test & Measurement

Portable Sample Preparation for Chemical and Biological Analysis

This system autonomously prepares samples for online automated analysis.

Briefs : Aerospace

3D Printing of Plastics with Electrical Circuits

This innovation could lead to better drones, satellites, and biomedical devices.

Briefs : Materials

Enhancing Materials for High-Resolution Patterning

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials transfer ultra-small, high-aspect-ratio features into silicon for next-generation electronic devices.

Briefs : Sensors/Data Acquisition

Multimaterial Fiber “Ink” for 3D-Printed Devices

Filaments with embedded circuitry can be used to print complex shapes for biomedical and robotic devices.

Briefs : Manufacturing & Prototyping

3D-Printed Structures Morph from Flat Layers into Predetermined Shapes

The flat structure morphs into another shape when temperature changes, enabling self-deploying tents or adaptive robotic fins.

Briefs : Electronics & Computers

Welding Ceramics with Lasers

This technology could be used to create smartphones that don't scratch or shatter, metal-free pacemakers, and electronics for space and other harsh environments.

Briefs : Manufacturing & Prototyping

Shape-Shifting Robot Uses New Locomotion Strategy

The robot is built entirely from smaller robots and can form a robophysical system that can move by itself.

Briefs : Manufacturing & Prototyping

Flexure for Self-Assembly

Conventional fastening mechanisms like nails, bolts, and welds are subject to manufacturing and inspection tolerances, differential thermal growth, and other sources of error that lead to over-constraint, among...

Briefs : Manufacturing & Prototyping

Robots Assemble Large Structures from Little Pieces

Systems of tiny robots could build high-performance structures, from airplanes to space settlements.

Briefs : Electronics & Computers

Transistors Both Process and Store Information

The functional transistors are integrated with ferroelectric RAM.

Briefs : Test & Measurement

Bomb Detection Method Detects Peroxide-Based Explosives

The ultra-fast method analyzes a wider range of materials than current thermal-based detection systems.

Briefs : Materials

Silicon Carbide Fiber Tows

This rapid processing method produces stronger materials and heals lower-quality fibers.

Briefs : Electronics & Computers

Polymer Coating Cools Down Buildings

This coating acts as a spontaneous air cooler and can be fabricated, dyed, and applied like paint.

Briefs : Electronics & Computers

Thermally Conductive Polymer Films

These materials may replace metals as lightweight, flexible heat dissipators in cars, computers, cellphones, and refrigerators.

Briefs : Materials

Technique Creates Transparent Polythene Films as Strong as Aluminum

The films could be used in impact-resistant glazing, windscreens, and displays.