Tag Archives: Small Times Magazine


Bosch’s EBS integrates with a car battery’s pole for space savings (Photo: Bosch)

Feb. 23, 2007&#8212Bosch has begun manufacture of its Electronic Battery Sensor (EBS), which promises to help motorists avoid flat batteries, the most common cause of breakdowns. With its integrated evaluation electronics, the MEMS sensor determines the battery’s condition by measuring voltage, current, and temperature. The energy management system incorporated in modern cars uses these values to continuously guarantee sufficient battery energy, so that the vehicle can be started reliably even after a long stationary period. In 2007, more vehicles equipped with the sensor will go into series production.

The Bosch battery sensor consists of a chip that contains all the electronics, and a shunt for current measurement. These two components, along with the pole terminal, form a unit that can be connected directly to the car battery, fitting into the pole niche of standard automotive batteries. This yields a significant saving in both space and costs over previous solutions.

Bosch developed the associated software for battery-state detection in collaboration with Varta, and integrated the algorithms into the EBS chip. The sensor determines the battery’s capacity, state of charge, and expected performance, and sends this information via an LIN interface to the vehicle’s superordinate energy management system, which uses the data to optimize the state of charge.

If over a period of time more electric charge is used than the alternator can provide, the level of charge in the battery will fall. The energy management system compensates for this before a critical battery state is reached by reducing the power consumption of comfort items such as the seat heating, and may even switch them off altogether for short periods. It can also increase the combustion engine’s idle speed, and thus the alternator speed, if the vehicle is stuck in a traffic jam for a longer period. This improves the battery’s state of charge, which means that the period in which a vehicle can be re-started reliably is now much longer, even if a large number of electrical consumers drew on the battery on the vehicle’s previous journey or if the vehicle has been left standing for a considerable period.

Besides the present state of charge, the software can also forecast the battery’s future charging condition. And, it will be possible to control power generation by the alternator more precisely. This promises to reduce fuel consumption, and thus also emissions of pollutants.

Accurate information about the battery is also needed in vehicles with stop-start systems. For example, the engine will only be switched off if there is sufficient power available to restart it subsequently without any difficulty. And even when the vehicle is being manufactured, a quiescent current test can be done, allowing any problems to be detected. The sensor opens up greater diagnostic possibilities for garages&#8212for example, when a customer is having recurring problems with a flat battery.

Agilent’s beamsplitters are available in displacement, cube, and plate geometries. (Photo: Agilent)

Feb. 22, 2007&#8212Agilent Technologies Inc. announced its new family of high-performance thin-film beamsplitters, designed to provide precision beam control for nanotechnology measurement and other applications. The polarizing, non-polarizing and wavelength beamsplitters are available in multiple geometries to fit a variety of requirements.

Agilent’s beamsplitters promise near-distortionless beam splitting with the option for parallel or orthogonal output, and eighth-wave to tenth-wave TWD in both output beams. Agilent says its displacement beamsplitters accurately split an input beam into two or more displaced output beams with industry-leading parallelism, accurate to 25 arcseconds. The company’s cube beamsplitters are designed to separate an input beam into two beams exiting at a 90-degree angle to each other. Compact plate beamsplitters promise low thermal mass with lower wavefront distortion and arcsecond wedge tolerance for precise 90-degree separation between the output beams. In addition, Agilent boasts that its polarization beamsplitters offer performance with a 1,000:1 contrast ratio in both transmitted and reflected beams.

The company formerly known as Tylerstone Ventures Corporation will henceforth operate under the name nCoat Inc., which, it says, best reflects management’s strategic outlook and planning.

The name change became effective when Tylerstone acquired all issued and outstanding shares of nCoat Automotive Group, Inc. Now nCoat will focus on development of proprietary nanotechnology coatings formulations into commercially viable nano-formulated coatings and materials in multiple industries including the automotive, diesel engine and aerospace industries.

Management plans to fund the acquisitions of profitable high performance coatings (surface treatment) companies from within the current highly fragmented cottage industry environment and to provide operating and expansion capital for growth of those acquisitions. After acquisition, the company will introduce new nano-formulated coating into the acquired product mix, thereby raising performance of the coatings leading to increased market share.

The company currently operates two wholly owned subsidiaries:

(1) High Performance Coatings, Inc. (HPC), a 25-year-old Oklahoma company that was founded on the sales of thermal barrier, corrosion resistant, lubritic and appearance high performance coatings for the motor sports industry. nCoat has expanded HPC’s market-base to include manufacturers of commercial trucks, RVs, defense applications, motorcycles, aerospace components, aviation parts, oil and gas industry suppliers, energy producers and other sophisticated users, while continuing to provide coatings and services to the after-market customer.

(2) nTech, Inc., a Delaware corporation that is a wholly owned subsidiary of nCoat, designated to develop and hold proprietary intellectual property for the group and develop licensed coatings facilities on-site at their customers manufacturing plants.

nCoat will operate nTech, High Performance Coatings, Inc., and other future acquisitions to develop, integrate and sell commercially viable proprietary nano-formulated and traditional coatings products.

The general global coatings industry is a long-established, $30 billion market with multiple competitors. The competition in the high performance coatings industry, a market segment of more than $2 billion in annual revenues, is characterized by hundreds of small privately owned coatings companies with market share in several market segments.

FEI has introduced the Quanta 3D FEG, which it says is the first high-resolution, low-vacuum SEM/FIB (DualBeam) for 3D material characterization, failure analysis, and process control. This latest addition to FEI’s Quanta family follows the launch of the Helios NanoLab in August 2006.

According to FEI, the Quanta 3D FEG is also the first high-resolution DualDeam featuring three operating modes in a single, integrated system: high vacuum, low vacuum and ESEM. The ESEM mode makes it possible to collect data on any sample, regardless of heat, moisture or dirt levels, as well as to characterize in-situ dynamic experiments with live recording.

“With its unmatched 65nA high current ion beam capability, the Quanta 3D FEG allows very fast milling and precise cross-sectioning to reveal sub-surface structures and features,” the company says. And, with its 200nA electron beam current capability, the Quanta 3D FEG promises fast 3D analytical capabilities which to speed your understanding of the specimen.


Researchers are using carbon nanotubes to help block the HIV virus. (Image: piperreport.com)

Feb. 21, 2007&#8212Researchers led by Hongjie Dai at Stanford University are using carbon nanotubes to solve the challenge of efficient and targeted delivery of RNA into cells. Solving the problem promises a new type of gene therapy that involves binding short DNA fragments (interfering RNA) to specific genes to block their “translation” into the corresponding, disease-related protein.

The use of carbon nanotubes has allowed the researchers to successfully introduce RNA fragments that “switch off” the genes for special HIV-specific receptors and co-receptors on the cells’ surface into human T-cells and primary blood cells. This leaves few entry points for the HIV viruses. The researchers report in the journal Angewandte Chemie that this allows for much better silencing effect to the cells than current transport systems based on liposomes.

T-cells are one of the types of white blood cells important for a good immune defense; they detect and destroy virus-affected cells. However, they themselves are among the targets attacked by HIV. In order to enter into a T-cell, the virus must first dock to a receptor known as CD4. Also involved is the co-receptor CXCR4. The use of short interfering RNA strands allows the CD4 and CXCR4 genes of the T-cell to be shut off. The T-cell then strops producing these receptors and the virus cannot find any points of attack on the surface of the cell. This could significantly slow down an HIV infection, as previous work has shown.

But how to get the RNA fragments into the T-cells? The shells of nonpathogenic viruses can be used to smuggle genetic material into cells, but this is dangerous in therapeutic applications because they can trigger allergies. Liposomes, tiny bubbles of fat, are safe but have proven to be ineffective for use in T-cells.

Carbon nanotubes are known for their abilities to be absorbed by cells and to smuggle other molecules in at the same time. The researchers attached phospholipids—molecules from which cell membranes are also made—to chains of polyethylene glycol. The phospholipids nestle securely onto the outer wall of the carbon nanotubes while the polyethylene glycol chains protrude into the surrounding solution. The required RNA molecules were fastened to the ends of these chains. Once inside the cell, the RNA could easily be split off by means of a sulfur–sulfur bridge.

Feb. 20, 2007 – The global pharmaceutical and chemical company Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany (EMD in North America) announced today an alliance with Nano-Terra LLC, a nanotechnology co-development firm, to bring to market nanotechnology-based offerings.

Under the agreement, Nano-Terra and Merck will create new physical properties in specialty chemicals currently manufactured and sold by Merck. These new properties are made possible through nanoscale, molecular fabrication methods pioneered by Nano-Terra and its co-founder, Professor George M. Whitesides of Harvard University. The new solutions promise that Merck’s proprietary materials will work with significantly greater precision and control, and allow for new applications at lower prices than ever before possible.

The development work will be done primarily at Nano-Terra’s lab facilities in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with close cooperation of a Merck scientific team. Local support for the alliance will be provided by EMD Chemicals, Merck’s North American affiliate.

The two companies anticipate that first new solutions will be presented to Merck customers by early 2008. The partners will share commercialization rights on a global basis.


Merck plans to expand markets for its materials by developing nanotechnology.

“Merck is a world leader in research-driven pharmaceutical and chemical products, and the goal of this alliance is to work with them to develop innovative nanotechnology solutions that dramatically expand the addressable markets for their materials,” said Carmichael Roberts, Vice Chairman of Nano-Terra.

Dr. Thomas Geelhaar, Vice President Liquid Crystals R&D and Business Development Chemicals of Merck KGaA, added: “We have long been fascinated by the sciences originally developed by Professor George Whitesides of Harvard and, through his association with Nano-Terra, we look forward to being amongst the first to commercialize these innovations with them.”

DayStar Technologies, Inc., developer and manufacturer of CIGS Photovoltaic Foil brand sunlight-to-energy products, said today that it has completed the issuance of new securities in connection with its restructuring of an outstanding convertible note and private placement of common stock.

The company closed a previously announced financing round with several new investors, selling 2,500,000 shares of common stock at $2 each—for $5 million in new funding. In connection with this closing, the company converted the principal and interest on an outstanding convertible note into 3,050,203 shares of common stock. Upon this conversion, the Class B Warrant and all the existing debt covenants have been terminated.

DayStar manufactures CIGS solar cells, which are deposited on flexible metal foils using production processes adapted from computer component manufacturing. As an alternative to wafer-silicon solar cells, DayStar believes the unique combination of its CIGS solar cell design coupled with proprietary manufacturing processes on flexible metal substrates could substantially lower costs and remove deployment barriers currently limiting large adoption of solar energy.

By Barbara G. Goode
Small Times Staff

Feb. 19, 2007 — Last week D-Wave Systems, Inc. a privately-held Canadian firm headquartered near Vancouver, B.C., demonstrated what it calls the world’s first commercially viable quantum computer. Company officials formally announced the technology at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California.

Quantum computing offers the potential to create value in areas where problems or requirements exceed the capability of digital computing, the company says. But D-Wave notes that its new device is intended as a complement to conventional computers, not as a replacement for them. The demo aimed to show how the machine can run commercial applications and solve problems that severely challenge conventional (digital) computers.

Although many scientists believe quantum computing to be many years from reality, according to an Associated Press (AP) report on the event D-Wave intends to offer its technology for sale next year. It’s no surprise, then, that D-Wave’s event caused quite a stir and caught the attention of journalists from a wide range of media outlets including ABC News.


D-Wave’s quantum computing technology. (Photo: D-Wave)

Skeptics point out, though, that D-Wave has not published its work in peer-reviewed journals. So doubts abound concerning whether the company is demonstrating true quantum computing. Perhaps that’s why, according to AP, D-Wave’s CEO Herb Martin emphasized that the machine is “not a true quantum computer and is instead a kind of special-purpose machine that uses some quantum mechanics to solve problems.”

Among the many articles covering the demo, HPCwire‘s offers perhaps the best technical explanation of the technology, and thus illustrates the basis of the skepticism. Meantime D-Wave plans to answer doubters by offering a Web-based interface that allows people to try out the technology on their own applications.

In an attempt to “cut through the fog” generated by the demo, Wired News interviewed Oxford University theoretical physicist David Deutsch, who pioneered the field of quantum computing. Deutsch speculated that the most important application of quantum computing will be simulation of quantum systems (that is, objects doing different things in different universes). Using standard methods such calculation “becomes infeasible very, very quickly,” said Deutsch, “…whereas a quantum computer could mimic such a process directly…”

“Perhaps in the long run, as nanotechnology becomes quantum technology, that will be a very important generic application,” Deutsch said.

In Canada’s first major public-private nanotechnology research partnership, the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC), the National Research Council Canada (NRC), the National Institute for Nanotechnology (NINT), and the Government of Alberta will provide approximately $4.5 million for research and development of materials-based nanotechnology over the next three years.

The three partners will invest funds, human resources, and infrastructures to create a research program and teams focused on developing commercially successful nanotechnology-based discoveries. Personnel from NINT and XRCC will collaborate on research projects at NINT in Edmonton, Alberta, and at XRCC in Mississauga, Ontario.

“[The] announcement is in keeping with the spirit of the objectives outlined in our recent economic plan, Advantage Canada. It solidifies our commitment to support research excellence,” said Maxime Bernier, Canada’s Minister of Industry. “This initiative represents the collaboration and investments of all stakeholders, including Canada’s new government. Partnerships are essential, and it is vital that we continue with this approach,” he added.

The funds will contribute to the hiring of six to 10 scientists who will investigate materials-based nanotechnologies, including document and display-related technologies. The research program, co-managed by XRCC and NINT, will allow access to Xerox’s experience in successfully commercializing technology to facilitate the market application of resulting inventions.

XRCC was established in 1974 to develop the materials used globally by Xerox Corporation, and it began nanotechnology-enabled research efforts several years ago. It has already developed successfully commercial materials, including ‘EA Toner’, a technology for making more cost-effective and environmentally efficient toner for printers. XRCC will now be able to expand its nanotechnology efforts.

NINT is a multi-disciplinary institution involving researchers in science, engineering, pharmacy, medicine, business and law. Established in 2001 and operated as a collaborative project of the NRC, the University of Alberta and the Government of Alberta, it conducts advanced research and fosters innovation in support of a new generation of nanotechnology-based firms.

“The combination of Xerox’s industrial culture and dedication to the commercialization of invention and NINT’s broad research experience and approach to open innovation provide the focus and skill sets to achieve innovation that is of value to the marketplace,” said NRC Vice-President Richard Normandin. “This program will also expand NINT’s industrial collaboration capacity, which will be beneficial for many Canadian firms.”

Those working with sterling silver have tried various methods to combat tarnishing effects, including several surface treatment methods. Many processes based on lacquers are widely in use—but lacquers don’t adhere well to silver, and the lacquer layers are usually visible.

Kalevala Koru, the largest jewelry manufacturer in Finland, has finally found a satisfactory solution in nSILVER, is a coating method developed by Beneq, also of Finland.

nSILVER is based on surface controlled reactions of certain chemicals in vapor phase, which to react with silver surface of any shape and in any direction. Vapor molecules are very small and able to penetrate even the narrowest grooves leaving no pin-holes on the surface. Since the vapors react only with the surface and not with each other, the coating is uniform. Moreover, the thin film is completely transparent and does not change the original finish and appearance of the silver object.

“Our target was to have an ultimate anti-tarnishing solution for our surface finishing without changing the appearance of the jewelry. We were looking for an industrially proven system which could be easily integrated into our existing production and logistics. said Ms. Marja Usvasalo, Managing Director of Kalevala Koru. “Streamlined production flow in surface finishing and 100% quality has been the main outcome of this project for us.”

“Also, this novel technique has allowed us to reduce the use of environmentally harmful chemicals in our surface finishing and get rid of outdated techniques and equipment. Our sales agents all around the world have been extremely happy to receive our nSILVER treated jewelry since there is basically no tarnishing effect anymore,” she explained.