The overall cost of wafer manufacturing is poised to decline with a new graphene-based “copy machine” that transfers intricate crystalline patterns from an underlying semiconductor wafer to a top layer of identical material. The technology supports fabrication of devices from exotic, higher-performing semiconductor materials.

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This MEMS-based device is about the size of a dime, and is mounted on a credit-card-sized printed circuit board that contains circuits, sensors, and other miniature components that control the microscope.

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Industry news sources continue to report proposed alternatives to the lithium-ion batteries that power everything from laptops to electric cars. The latest candidate, lithium-sulfur batteries (Li-S), can store 4x the energy per unit mass of the Li-ion variety and can work at high temperatures without the slightly inconvenient side effect of catching fire. Nevertheless, no good deed ever goes unpunished. Li-S batteries can suffer sulfur depletion after a relatively short life, and polysulfides can contaminate the electrolyte. These researchers have alleviated such shortcomings using a coating technique called molecular layer deposition (MLD) that produces a stable battery up to 55° C.

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In searching for the next great semiconductor, researchers may have found a candidate nearer at hand than they expected. Diamond crystals dissipate heat much more rapidly than other materials can, allowing manufacturers to avoid relying on heat sinks and other encumbrances to keep devices from overheating. Single diamond crystals doped with boron conduct electricity much better than previous techniques that relied on multiple crystals stuck together. Also, multiple crystals contain irregularities between them and require coating with boron and heating to 1,450° C. In contrast, single crystals require heating only to 800° C. Challenges remain, including reducing the cost of the process and finding ways to increase or work more easily with the size of the existing diamond crystal.

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In searching for the next great semiconductor, researchers may have found a candidate nearer at hand than they expected. Diamond crystals dissipate heat much more rapidly than other materials can, allowing manufacturers to avoid relying on heat sinks and other encumbrances to keep devices from overheating. Single diamond crystals doped with boron conduct electricity much better than previous techniques that relied on multiple crystals stuck together. Also, multiple crystals contain irregularities between them and require coating with boron and heating to 1,450° C. In contrast, single crystals require heating only to 800° C. Challenges remain, including reducing the cost of the process and finding ways to increase or work more easily with the size of the existing diamond crystal.

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