'Hybrid' semiconductors show zero thermal expansion, could lead to hardier electronics and optoelectronics

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The crystal structure of -ZnTe(en)0:5 determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Two-monolayerthick ZnTe slabs are interconnected by ethylenediamine (C2N2H8) molecules bonded to zinc atoms. Zn-Green Te-Red N-Blueand C-Gray. Hydrogen atoms are om ...
The crystal structure of -ZnTe(en)0:5, determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Two-monolayerthick ZnTe slabs are interconnected by ethylenediamine (C2N2H8) molecules bonded to zinc atoms. Zn-Green, Te-Red, N-Blue,and C-Gray. Hydrogen atoms are omitted for clarity. Credit: ANL

The fan in your computer is there to keep the microprocessor chip from heating to the point where its component materials start to expand, inducing cracks that interrupt the flow of electricity — and not incidentally, ruin the chip. Thermal expansion can also separate semiconducting materials from the substrate, reduce performance through changes in the electronic structure of the material or warp the delicate structures that emit laser light.


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Purdue panel finds misconduct by fusion scientist

12 hours ago | User rating: not rated yet
(AP) -- A Purdue University panel has found two instances of misconduct by a researcher who claims he produced nuclear fusion in tabletop experiments.

Shimmering ferroelectric domains

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Ferroelectric materials are named after ferromagnetic ones because they behave in a similar way. The main difference: these materials are not magnetic, but permanently electrically polarized. They have great ...

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A novel super-resolution X-ray microscope developed by a team of researchers from the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI) and EPFL in Switzerland combines the high penetration power of x-rays with high spatial resolution, ...

First full 3-D view of cracks growing in steel

Jul 17, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
A team of researchers from the University of Manchester (United Kingdom), the National Institute of Applied Sciences in Lyon (France) and the ESRF has revealed how a growing crack interacts with the 3D crystal ...

Advance brings low-cost, bright LED lighting closer to reality

Jul 17, 2008 | User rating: not rated yet
Researchers at Purdue University have overcome a major obstacle in reducing the cost of "solid state lighting," a technology that could cut electricity consumption by 10 percent if widely adopted.
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