Cambridge NanoTech, a supplier of atomic layer deposition (ALD) systems for research and industry, has released the Savannah S300 system, which offers the same combination of ease of use, reliability and experimental flexibility as earlier models in a larger format.

Cambridge Nanotech’s Savannah S300 atomic layer deposition system can handle up to 300mm substrates.Click here to enlarge image

The S300 extends the company’s line of ALD tools to handling substrates up to 300mm in size. Like its predecessors (S100/S200), it offers configurations of up to six precursor lines and a compact ozone generator, with an optional “ALD Booster” for low vapor pressure precursors, higher-temperature ALD valves (>200°C), and up to three gas MFCs. An ALD Shield allows excess reactive vapors to form a film before they make it to the pumping system, thus preventing build-up of deposits on the plumbing and in the pump; the shield’s high-conductance, hot-foil design causes gases to deposit until depleted.

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CerMet Lab Co. has introduced CerMet-Auto, a ceramic coating nanotechnology formulated to reduce friction which in turn improves fuel economy in gas-powered engines. Microscopic ceramic particles in CerMet-Auto are carried to an engine’s friction zones via the engine oil where they bond to the metal surfaces, providing fuel economy benefits for approximately 60,000 miles of operation.

CerMet nanotechnology has been proven in both diesel-engine trucks and gas-powered passenger car fleets, with fuel consumption savings ranging from 5%-15%. The product is now available to consumers for under $200, in easy-to-use 10ML syringes that allow the liquid to be added to the engine in less time than it takes to pour in a quart of oil. Heat energy generated inside the engine due to friction initiates the ceramic coating process at the atomic level, with full benefits being achieved after ~2,000 miles of driving.

Independent tests have confirmed the fuel-saving benefits of CerMet nanotechnology, including an SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) J1321 Type II fuel consumption test that concluded CerMet “demonstrates significant and repeatable improvement in fuel economy.”

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Suss MicroTec Test Systems, a supplier of wafer-level test solutions for semiconductor devices, has announced the iVista LC high-resolution digital microscope, providing failure-analysis labs with an advanced microscopy tool capable of delivering high-resolution digital images in conjunction with laser-cutting capabilities.

Suss Microtec’s iVista LC high-resolution digital microscope.Click here to enlarge image

The iVista LC digital microscope delivers images with resolution comparable to a 16-megapixel color CCD. A standard laser port is available to mount laser cutters from all major manufacturers. A high-precision, automated objective changer allows the engineer to switch from a magnification used for navigation to a higher magnification for closer inspection and laser cutting. The microscope also includes an optional polarizer/analyzer unit for liquid-crystal thermography applications and enhanced image contrast. For documentation tasks, the user can save the full-resolution image and the multi-view screen.

Several additional software features in the SPECTRUM Vision System are enabled when using the iVista LC Microscope in conjunction with a Suss automated probe system, including multi-view and multi-cam imaging displays. Accurate point-to-point measurement and navigation tools using standard objectives are also provided.

The iVista LC Microscope is available for immediate order; first unit shipments are planned for 1Q09. The system can also be used with a manual probe station or as a stand-alone microscope.

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Freescale Semiconductor has introduced a family of inertial sensors designed to enhance the performance, sensitivity, and reliability of next-generation automotive airbag systems. Freescale’s new medium- and high-acceleration accelerometers are engineered to detect a crash by measuring the abrupt deceleration of a vehicle and then triggering airbag deployment.

Freescale’s MMA6222EG, MMA6255EG, and MMA621010EG inertial sensors are based on next-generation high aspect ratio microelectromechanical systems (HARMEMS) technology, a proven technology for airbag sensing applications. The accelerometers’ advanced transducer design enhances sensor offset performance and over-damping response, which helps improve system reliability and resistance to high-frequency and high-amplitude parasitic vibrations. The devices are designed to help distinguish airbag system conditions that might trigger a false deployment, such as a door slam or high vibrations during vehicle assembly.

The MMA62xxEG inertial sensors accommodate 3.3V and 5V supply voltage and offer developers the flexibility to use digital or analog outputs. The sensors also support bi-directional self-test and feature a serial peripheral interface (SPI) bus for enhanced monitoring capabilities.

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Cell Biosciences Inc., a provider of protein detection and characterization systems to life science researchers, has released assay kits for its Firefly 3000 Protein Analysis System, an ultrasensitive nano-immunoassay system that quantifies the phosphorylation of signaling proteins in samples as small as 25 cells.

The new Firefly 3000 Focusing Kits, Detection Kits, and Plate Kits are designed to provide highly reproducible analytical results in a convenient and flexible format. The kits are available with multiple separation ranges and multiple detection antibodies to address a wide range of assay requirements and workflows.

“We are committed to providing innovative whole-product solutions to our customers, and these kits represent a significant step toward that goal,” stated Wilhelm Lachnit, VP of research and development.

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Asylum Research has unveiled its new Cypher high-resolution atomic force microscope (AFM) that it says provides more capability, control, and modularity.

Click here to enlarge image

The Cypher AFM achieves closed loop atomic resolution using sensors in all three axes, combining the accuracy and control of closed loop with the power of atomic resolution for extremely accurate images and measurements. Additional capabilities include SpotOn automated laser alignment with a mouse-click, interchangeable light source modules that allow laser spot sizes down to 3µm for broad application and scan mode flexibility, and support for high-speed AC imaging with cantilevers smaller than 10µm. The system includes an integrated enclosure which provides acoustic and vibration isolation, as well as excellent thermal control for image and measurement stability.

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SiTime Corp., a manufacturer of MEMS-based silicon timing solutions, has introduced a new family of programmable spread spectrum clock oscillators that are the smallest in the industry and offer the widest frequency range and lowest cycle to cycle jitter.

The first solutions in this high-performance product line are the SiT9001, which offers the industry’s smallest footprint for space constrained applications, and the SiT9002, a differential output programmable spread spectrum clock oscillator. Both devices include an embedded MEMS resonator as the clock reference, which eliminates the need for external components.

“Our new spread spectrum oscillators are drop-in replacements for standard oscillators, which will help our customers to eliminate expensive delays in development and bring their products to market faster,” said Piyush Sevalia, VP of marketing at SiTime. “These programmable MEMS-based oscillators enable users to reduce electro-magnetic interference (EMI) and pass environmental testing without the need to redesign their boards or use expensive metal enclosures.”

Both the SiT9001 and SiT9002 use SiTime’s proven MEMS technology to offer 10× better robustness and reliability than existing quartz-based solutions, supporting longer-life electronics. The devices’ programmability also allows delivery of samples in 24–48 hours and production quantities in two to three weeks.

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Thin-film battery manufacturer Infinite Power Solutions (IPS) has unveiled the Thinergy Application Development Platform (ADP), which when coupled with the company’s Thinergy family of thin-film microenergy cell products, lets designers create new microelectronic applications such as perpetually powered and deeply embedded systems.

The Thinergy ADP simplifies the typical lab setup for micro-battery testing and is suited for evaluating the IPS micro-energy cells’ performance, the effectiveness of charging circuits using ambient energy harvesting, and overall system development of the user’s end application.

IPS’ family of thin-film MECs deliver a highly efficient, safe, rechargeable, and powerful energy storage solution in an extremely thin form factor–roughly the size of a postage stamp. IPS’ ADP evaluates and demonstrates its MEC performance advantages over competing solutions while powering the developer’s application. To this end, the MEC’s thinness, power and long life makes it ideal for integration into embedded applications, while the ADP enables the simultaneous development of energy harvesting solutions to create a new generation of autonomously powered micro-electronics systems.

It’s a common occurrence in the world of advanced materials–an engineer develops a brilliant design, but it is too expensive or complex to mass produce because of limitations in the manufacturing methods available to integrate ceramics, metals, glasses, and polymers.

The brilliant design may require features such as radiating surfaces, circuits, chambers, piezoelectric elements, passives, sensors, and even moving parts. Manufacturing technologies are very limited in this multi-material realm, especially with devices in the size range of millimeters and microns; many materials must be bonded or sintered together to achieve the desired properties. As a result, some devices remain too costly or impossible to produce in volume.

The problem is that a manufacturing gap exists at the miniature scale when working with multiple materials. Some designs are too large or contain too many materials to be manufactured with MEMS or related processes, yet they are too small for assembly to be cost-effective.

Recognizing this need, EoPlex Technologies drove development of a new technology platform called “high-volume print forming” (HVPF) to build parts such as fuel-cell components, energy harvesters, miniature ceramic antennas, and electronic packaging.

Energy harvesters are a good example of the challenges created by this manufacturing gap. These devices, which harvest vibration to create electric power, are being developed as battery substitutes for applications including tire pressure systems required in all new cars sold in the USA. They offer the potential of lifetime service and the elimination of batteries, and they are better for the consumer and the environment.

Energy harvesters have been around for a while in relatively crude forms. For example, in the electric match, squeezing the trigger bends and releases a spring to strike a piezoelectric material, creating an electric spark. This is OK for lighting a barbeque–but devices that can replace batteries are far more complex, and unfortunately, higher-cost.

A look inside a device shows why. The energy harvester includes a multilayer beam of piezo-material bonded to metal conductors to form a tiny bimorph sandwich, fixed at one end and free to vibrate like a tuning fork. Electricity is generated, captured by electrodes, and stored in a capacitor. Manufacturing these devices requires precise integration and bonding of up to seven different materials, which cannot be done with present methods at low cost, and that is why these devices have seen slow market adoption.

Our HVPF process offers the potential to make rugged low-cost energy harvesters available. The HVPF platform allows tiny elements of metals, ceramics, polymers, and void spaces to be integrated into devices and manufactured simultaneously. Thousands of parts are made together in a panel process similar to that used for semiconductors, and cost-per-part is low. Proprietary “inks” are print-formed in sheets at high accuracy and then decomposed by special heat treatments to form the required dielectrics, conductors, and spaces in a form that will work together. Parts may require hundreds of layers with thicknesses from microns to millimeters.

Miniature fuel cells represent another area where this manufacturing gap has delayed market entry. Unlike energy harvesters which work in limited applications that require small amounts of power, fuel cells produce high power in lightweight packages and offer unlimited service-life for portable applications such as emergency radios, laptop computers, cell phones, etc. Unfortunately, commercial fuel cells have been “just around the corner” for years, due in part to limitations in the production of components like miniature pumps, hydrogen reformers, catalyst beds, and other small complex parts. The HVPF manufacturing process represents a new solution to low-cost production of these parts, and is currently being used in the development of small fuel cells–offering encouragement that we may finally see these products on the market in the near future.

The gap in manufacturing complex multi-materials devices is a barrier to commercialization. EoPlex is working to help bridge this gap by providing a low-cost technology platform to design and manufacture such parts in high volume.

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Arthur L. Chait is president and CEO of EoPlex Technologies Inc., Redwood City, CA.

by Jan Provoost, IMEC, Leuven, Belgium, and Rob van Schaijk, IMEC Holst Center, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

In the not-so-distant future, microsized autonomous wireless sensors may become standard components of our intelligent environment. Their miniature size and autonomy make them suited to continuously measure health parameters of the environment, machines and vehicles, or even the human body. One example where they could already be applied is tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) in vehicles, to increase the safety of cars while at the same time decreasing their fuel consumption.

Today, wireless sensor systems that are commercially available have a limited autonomy–they still need batteries. The sensors and wireless electronics become ever smaller and sophisticated, making them applicable in more environments, but the scaling of electrochemical batteries has run into technological restrictions. So, wireless sensors either need large batteries to give them a longer autonomy, which makes the sensor packages too big, or small batteries, which make the sensors less autonomous. For TPMS, large, heavy sensors or frequent battery replacement are not the best options.

One solution for the battery issue is to build microsized energy harvesting into the sensor modules. Energy harvesters take their energy from the environment in the form of vibration, light, or heat, and convert this energy into electricity. Sensors in machines, for example, could harvest energy from the continuous vibrations of the machine’s components. In TPMS, they can tap into the vibrations of the car’s tires.

Within the context of its activities at the Holst Centre, which it formed in 2005 with Dutch research centre TNO, IMEC has recently shown a new piezoelectric energy harvester for microsensors. The new harvester delivers an experimental output power of 60µW, a new record for micromachined energy harvesters, and enough to drive simple sensor systems that intermittently transfer sensor readings to a master, which would be the case for TPMS systems.

Micromachined energy harvesters can make wireless sensors autonomous

The Holst Centre research fits a longstanding ambition of IMEC: to create autonomous micropower solutions for wireless sensing. These micromodules consist of a sensor or actuator, a module to acquire and preprocess the signals, and a wireless radio to send them to a base station. Their autonomy will allow them to operate an indefinite time without battery recharge or connection to a power grid.

For some applications, such as sensing in highly accessible environments, microsensors may run on batteries. But for other applications, such as continuous machine monitoring, or monitoring in an environment that is difficult to access, batteries are not the best option. Depending on the type of battery, the autonomy of a 100µW module would be limited to a few months, or half a year maximum.

IMEC’s solution is to tackle the energy problem from both sides: consumption and generation. To reduce the energy consumption, IMEC is working on micromodules that run on a minimal amount of energy, with a goal of an average of 100µW. As for energy generation, IMEC looks into generating and storing power at the micro-scale to improve the autonomy of wireless autonomous modules. For generating energy, the choice is to develop micromachined energy harvesters and combine these with added energy storage, as backup when the harvester is not active or to handle peak loads when the harvester cannot generate enough power.

Figure 1: Piezoelectric energy harvesters. Click here to enlarge image

Each form of energy harvesting has its characteristics and application for which it is best suited. Outdoor sensors, for example, may best be combined with photovoltaic cells, which can generate up to 10mW/cm². Monitoring in machines, on the other hand, will require harvesting the vibrations or heat coming from the machines. Typical for machine components is that they vibrate at constant, predictable frequencies. Tapping into these vibrations could deliver 100µW/cm², enough to drive the micropower devices that IMEC envisages.

How micromachined vibration harvesters work

Vibrational energy scavengers use electromagnetic, electrostatic, or piezoelectric conversion to generate electrical power. A microsized piezoelectric transducer (Figure 1) is simplest to design, and has so far shown the best result. It consists of a cantilever with one or several piezoelectric layers sandwiched between metallic electrodes forming a capacitor (Figure 2). At the tip of the cantilever, a seismic mass captures the vibrations of the machine to which the scavenger is attached.

Figure 2: Schematic of a piezoelectricenergy scavenger with cantilever and mass. Click here to enlarge image

The vibrations of the machine cause the mass of the harvester to vibrate, which stretches the piezoelectric layer on the cantilever, generating a voltage across the piezoelectric capacitor. The generated energy is extracted by a resistive load.

These piezoelectric transducers have a resonance frequency that depends on their mass and stiffness of the cantilever. When the machine vibrations cause the transducer to vibrate at this frequency, the transducer will generate its maximum power (Figure 3). For best results, the machine vibrations and the resonance frequency of the harvester should match. This can be done by adapting the mass and cantilever stiffness to the environment in which the harvester will operate.

Autonomous wireless sensors reduce maintenance costs

Wireless microsensors powered by microsized vibration harvesters could, for example, be used to monitor the health of jet engines, train components, windmill propellers, or helicopter blades–monitoring the fatigue and wear of ball-bearings, rotating blades, gears, or stressed surfaces. For such equipment, the unexpected malfunction of rotating elements is a major cause of shutdowns and production losses. However, these components are notoriously difficult to monitor for defects, and in many cases the rotating components are difficult to access, making the use of batteries that have to be replaced regularly a bad option. There is thus a large market opportunity for wireless and autonomous sensors that reliably monitor component health and predict breakdowns.

Figure 3: Resonance curve for the AIN piezoelectric harvester. Click here to enlarge image

One specific type of application is the tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS). In the near future, these sensors will become standard on new vehicles; they are already obligatory on all new cars in the US. TPMS systems measure and transmit the pressure of the tires of a vehicle a few times per hour. By alerting the drivers if the tire pressure drops, they increase the vehicle safety and decrease the fuel consumption.

There are several issues with current TPMS solutions, including their cost, weight, size, and lifetime. MEMS-based sensors in autonomous micro-power modules would solve many of the issues with current systems–they are ultralight, microsized, autonomous, and inexpensive. But the environment in which TPMS operate brings specific challenges. One is the vibration frequency of the wheels, which is dependent on the speed of the vehicle. A vibration harvester needs to be optimized to a vibration that is available at most speeds. Also, the modules must withstand shocks of several 100g which calls for extremely reliable sensors and components.

State-of-the-art micromachined vibration harvesters

IMEC’s new vibration harvester consists of a piezoelectric capacitor formed by a Pt electrode, an AIN piezoelectric layer, and a top Al electrode. It is fabricated in a silicon-based process using three wafers bonded by SU-8.

The resulting harvester delivers an experimental output power of 60µW. It weights only 34mg. The cantilever beam and mass are 6mm long, and the beam is only 5mm wide. The output power was measured at a resonance frequency of 500Hz and an acceleration of 2g.

Last year, IMEC showcased a piezoelectric harvester with a reported 40µW, but this device had a piezoelectric layer fabricated in PZT. The current AIN layer can be made in a simpler, standard CMOS-compatible deposition process, allowing production at a lower cost. Moreover, the PZT device operated at 1.8kHz; the lower resonance frequency (500Hz) of the new harvester corresponds with vibration frequencies in, for example, industrial equipment or car tires.

These state-of-the-art piezoelectric harvesters can still be improved along several lines. First, the fabrication process can be improved using SOI wafers. Second, a vacuum package should be designed to eliminate the effect of air damping of the cantilever movement. Third, the load should be optimized to have a maximum power output. Further into the future, vibration harvesters will be able to tune their resonance frequency, and optimum power output, to the application. Another option is to make broadband harvesters that generate power at a broad spectrum of vibrations.

With their 60µW output power, IMEC’s harvesters are already powerful enough to drive simple wireless sensors that intermittently transfer sensor readings to a master, which is the case in TPMS systems.

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Jan Provoost is scientific editor at IMEC (Leuven, Belgium), Europe’s largest independent research center in microelectronics. Email: [email protected].
Rob Van Schaijk is principal researcher and activity leader of IMEC’s micropower program at the Holst Centre (Eindhoven, The Netherlands). E-mail: [email protected].

November 14, 2008: NaturalNano Inc. announced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has issued the company two patents for the use of naturally occurring nanotubes (HNTTM) in clean energy areas: one in hydrogen storage, and another for the use of mineral based nanotechnology in ultracapacitors, a fast-growing industry where nanotechnology is having a profound impact.

“While NaturalNano’s current focus is on short term product applications in plastics and on filling hollow nanotubes for extended release for cosmetics, household products, and agriculture, our R&D initiatives have been identifying additional areas of opportunity. We have an aggressive intellectual property strategy that is creating strong patents in additional markets, which is critical to our future growth,” stated Cathy Fleischer, Ph.D., NaturalNano president and CTO.

NaturalNano has been awarded a dominant patent position in the hydrogen storage market. By storing hydrogen gas atoms within NaturalNano’s halloysite nanotubes, the need for high pressure storage tanks is reduced both for distribution of the gas and containment in car and truck gas tanks. A tank filled with halloysite nanotubes increases the surface area for the hydrogen gas to adhere to, while reducing the overall pounds per square inch (PSI) in the tank. Similar nanotubes have historically been proposed as hydrogen storage media in cars, trucks and planes. NaturalNano’s patent is novel in its application of halloysite for this purpose, which is a naturally occurring material.

NaturalNano’s ultracapacitor patent is an application of mineral microtubules, including but not limited to halloysite. Ultracapacitors can rapidly generate, hold, and release an electric charge. They play an increasingly critical role in many technologies, especially implanted medical devices.

These patents add to an already long and robust list of patents owned or exclusively licensed by NaturalNano.

Halloysite nanotubes imaged at Cornell University.