ARGONNE, Ill. (Aug. 3, 2007) — One key to saving the environment, improving our economy and reducing our dependence on foreign oil might just be sitting in your mother's medicine cabinet.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have begun to combine infinitesimal particles of boric acid — known primarily as a mild antiseptic and eye cleanser — with traditional motor oils in order to improve their lubricity and by doing so increase energy efficiency.
Ali Erdemir, senior scientist in Argonne's Energy Systems Division, has spent nearly 20 years investigating the lubricious properties of boric acid. In 1991, he received an R&D 100 award — widely considered the "Oscar of technology" — for showing that microscopic particles of boric acid could dramatically reduce friction between automobile engine parts. Metals covered with a boric acid film exhibited coefficients of friction lower than that of Teflon, making Erdemir's films the slickest solids in existence at that time.
"Ali was looking at large, micron-sized, particles," said George Fenske, who works alongside Erdemir at Argonne. "He was just sprinkling boric acid onto surfaces."
But driven by a conviction that he could fashion boric acid into an even better lubricant, Erdemir continued to chase the ultimate frontier: a perfectly frictionless material. Glimpsing the potential of nanotechnology, Erdemir went smaller — 10 times smaller — and was astonished by the behavior of much thinner boric acid films. "If you can produce or manufacture boric acid at the nanoscale, its properties become even more fantastic," he said.
Reducing the size of the particles to as tiny as 50 nanometers in diameter — less than one-thousandth the width of a human hair — solved a number of old problems and opened up a number of new possibilities, Erdemir said. In previous tests, his team had combined the larger boric acid particles with pure poly-alpha-olefin, the principal ingredient in many synthetic motor oils. While these larger particles dramatically improved the lubricity of the pure oil, within a few weeks gravity had started to separate the mixture. By using smaller particles, Erdemir created a stable suspension of boric acid in the motor oil.
In laboratory tests, these new boric acid suspensions have reduced by as much as two-thirds the energy lost through friction as heat. The implications for fuel economy are not hard to imagine, Erdemir said. "You're easily talking about a four or five percent reduction in fuel consumption," he said. "In a given day, we consume so many millions of barrels of oil, and if you can reduce that number by even one percent, that will have a huge economic impact."
Argonne is currently in talks with materials and lubricant manufacturers to bring boric acid technology to market, Erdemir said. While these new additives need to pass a battery of environmental and safety tests, they will probably be available within two years.
In his first experiments with boric acid, Erdemir demonstrated that the compound not only proved an effective lubricant but was also every industrial technologist's dream: It came from naturally abundant minerals, was cheap to manufacture, and posed no health hazards or environmental threats.
Boric acid owes its lubricious properties to its unique natural structure. The compound consists of a stack of crystallized layers in which the atoms tightly adhere to each other. However, these layers stack themselves relatively far apart, so that the intermolecular bonds — called van der Waals forces — are comparatively weak. When stressed, the compound's layers smear and slide over one another easily, like a strewn deck of playing cards. The strong bonding within each layer prevents direct contact between sliding parts, lowering friction and minimizing wear.
Until recently, most of Erdemir's work in boric acid lubrication had been restricted to motor oils, principally because of the relative bulk of the larger particles. The move to the nanoscale, however, has opened up other possible uses of the chemical. Through a simple chemical reaction, nano-boric acid can be transformed into a liquid relative of boric acid that has shown potential to increase fuel lubricity.
Using this liquid analog of solid boric acid as a fuel additive on a large scale could greatly benefit the environment, both because it would help to increase fuel efficiency and because it would replace existing fuel lubricants that are potentially harmful to the environment, Erdemir said. By themselves, most fuels — especially diesels — contain some sulfur and other special chemical additives to boost lubricity. When burned, however, some of these additives along with sulfur may cause harmful emissions and acid rain. However, the lack of a suitable alternative complicates efforts to cut sulfur content.
The substitution of liquid boric acid for sulfur-containing additives preserves the health of the car as well as that of the environment. Sulfur exhaust gradually coats the surface of a car's catalytic converter, the part that helps to reduce the toxicity of a car's emissions. Eventually, the converter becomes so choked with sulfur that it is no longer able to process any more exhaust.
Even though he has just begun to unleash the potential of boric acid, Erdemir believes that nanoscale synthetic compounds may prove to be even more effective lubricants. "The next step is to use the basic knowledge that we have gained out of this particular compound to come up with more exotic compounds that will work even better," he said. — Jared Sagoff
For more information, please contact Steve McGregor (630/252-5580 or media@anl.gov) at Argonne.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Hot List
by Michael Orshan
This is probably a different hot list than you were thinking. I just got back from Mexico. I got off the plane through a tarmac stairway. I looked at the people working on the gas lines, baggage, and traffic. They all had uniforms on. Today, in the US they kind of have uniforms on. These people were proud of the services they were providing and you could see it they way the walked, did their jobs and talked to each other.
What does this have to do with Microsystems? Well, it is my opinion that while micro and nanotechnologies are growing, many of the projects are within the hands of the science community. This community has never been known for their customer care techniques. I believe that might be one of the factors that are slowing the adaptation of tiny components. Am I telling tales out of school here? Probably not, uh?
Customer care is the act of informing clients of their risks, giving them their best solutions and implementing these. It also includes an open mind and the realization that there might be options you haven’t considered and the client may want to ask about these. It also includes investigating their requests even if these seem outside of the box. Who knows?
Okay, well I’m writing these short articles as reminders to people. I have absolutely no expectation of changing anyone, but if I can affect one day and one interaction, I’m okay with that.
So, to all the scientists out there, I’ll offer a simple customer care solution that has always worked for me. I call this the Hot List. Every week I put together a Hot List for every client. On this list are three, never more nor less, of things to be done during the week. I also give this list to the client because often they need to do something as well. I find this lowers project risk significantly, brings the client closer to the project and finishes the job on time.
Does anyone out there have any other customer care suggestions?
This is probably a different hot list than you were thinking. I just got back from Mexico. I got off the plane through a tarmac stairway. I looked at the people working on the gas lines, baggage, and traffic. They all had uniforms on. Today, in the US they kind of have uniforms on. These people were proud of the services they were providing and you could see it they way the walked, did their jobs and talked to each other.
What does this have to do with Microsystems? Well, it is my opinion that while micro and nanotechnologies are growing, many of the projects are within the hands of the science community. This community has never been known for their customer care techniques. I believe that might be one of the factors that are slowing the adaptation of tiny components. Am I telling tales out of school here? Probably not, uh?
Customer care is the act of informing clients of their risks, giving them their best solutions and implementing these. It also includes an open mind and the realization that there might be options you haven’t considered and the client may want to ask about these. It also includes investigating their requests even if these seem outside of the box. Who knows?
Okay, well I’m writing these short articles as reminders to people. I have absolutely no expectation of changing anyone, but if I can affect one day and one interaction, I’m okay with that.
So, to all the scientists out there, I’ll offer a simple customer care solution that has always worked for me. I call this the Hot List. Every week I put together a Hot List for every client. On this list are three, never more nor less, of things to be done during the week. I also give this list to the client because often they need to do something as well. I find this lowers project risk significantly, brings the client closer to the project and finishes the job on time.
Does anyone out there have any other customer care suggestions?
Monday, December 3, 2007
An Environmentally Friendly Plastic Shopping Bag? Now a Reality Thanks to Nanotechnology
Nov 23, 2007
The Japanese convenience store am/pm Japan Co. is using plastic shopping bags in its Toyko area stores that are thinner but just as strong as the standard plastic market bag. The innovative bags are made of advanced polyethylene developed by Itrix Corporation, which uses nanotechnology to disperse a strengthening agent, as well as a substance that absorbs oxygen, ensuring a greater percentage of the bag ends up as ash versus emitting CO2 when destroyed. The store calculates their eco-friendly plastic bags will help lower carbon dioxide emissions by 3,000 tons annually. Am/pm Japan Co. plans to use these bags in all its 1,300 stores by next spring.
The Japanese convenience store am/pm Japan Co. is using plastic shopping bags in its Toyko area stores that are thinner but just as strong as the standard plastic market bag. The innovative bags are made of advanced polyethylene developed by Itrix Corporation, which uses nanotechnology to disperse a strengthening agent, as well as a substance that absorbs oxygen, ensuring a greater percentage of the bag ends up as ash versus emitting CO2 when destroyed. The store calculates their eco-friendly plastic bags will help lower carbon dioxide emissions by 3,000 tons annually. Am/pm Japan Co. plans to use these bags in all its 1,300 stores by next spring.
2011 MEMS Market to Hit $10B
Staff -- Semiconductor International, 9/11/2007 5:30:00 AM
The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) market will hit $10B by 2011, doubling from its estimated 2005 revenues of $5B, said Semiconductor Partners (Phoenix), a market research and consulting firm.
The automotive MEMS market will show robust growth as the number of MEMS devices per vehicle increases from an average of 40 per mid-range vehicle to ~60 MEMS for the same class of vehicle in 2011, said Morry Marshall, a partner at the firm.
The potential for growth in the consumer, communication and portable markets is also significant. Microphones and speakers, clock oscillators, handheld controls for gaming and cell phones, hard disk drives, RF switches and ink-jet print heads all represent high growth opportunities.
“Compared to automotive applications, the design cycles for these other markets are not as long,” Marshall said, allowing a faster return on investment (ROI). Also, the MEMS suppliers to the consumer and communications applications are not as well entrenched, and do not have the environmental and regulatory requirements of the auto industry. “Consumer and communications markets provide growth opportunities for new, emerging entrants to the MEMS market.”
The microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) market will hit $10B by 2011, doubling from its estimated 2005 revenues of $5B, said Semiconductor Partners (Phoenix), a market research and consulting firm.
The automotive MEMS market will show robust growth as the number of MEMS devices per vehicle increases from an average of 40 per mid-range vehicle to ~60 MEMS for the same class of vehicle in 2011, said Morry Marshall, a partner at the firm.
The potential for growth in the consumer, communication and portable markets is also significant. Microphones and speakers, clock oscillators, handheld controls for gaming and cell phones, hard disk drives, RF switches and ink-jet print heads all represent high growth opportunities.
“Compared to automotive applications, the design cycles for these other markets are not as long,” Marshall said, allowing a faster return on investment (ROI). Also, the MEMS suppliers to the consumer and communications applications are not as well entrenched, and do not have the environmental and regulatory requirements of the auto industry. “Consumer and communications markets provide growth opportunities for new, emerging entrants to the MEMS market.”
Bright Outlook for MEMS in Consumer Electronics
From: Vol. 50 l No. 5 | May 2007 | Pg.147
by Microwave Journal Staff
Nearly all major categories of MEMS have seen, or may soon see, applications in consumer products, reports In-Stat. As a result, the worldwide MEMS market in consumer electronics will grow from $727 M in 2006 to over $1 B by 2009, the high-tech market research firm says.
MEMS will expand to a broad array of consumer applications including game consoles, portable consumer electronics devices (such as digital camcorders) and GPS devices. “In the longer term, MEMS memory, MEMS fuel cells and other types of MEMS devices could also join the list,” says Steve Cullen, In-Stat analyst.
“However, these technologies are expected to initially find usage in other product areas that are less cost sensitive, with application in consumer electronics products unlikely until after 2010.”
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
• Pressure sensors have the greatest potential in consumer electronics in the short-term, followed by
• At least two firms are introducing MEMS resonators and oscillators with the intention of taking a piece of the long established crystal market.
• MEMS microphones have been a recent success because of rapid adoption in the mobile handset market, where their small size, ease of handling and competitive price has resulted in double-digit market share.
by Microwave Journal Staff
Nearly all major categories of MEMS have seen, or may soon see, applications in consumer products, reports In-Stat. As a result, the worldwide MEMS market in consumer electronics will grow from $727 M in 2006 to over $1 B by 2009, the high-tech market research firm says.
MEMS will expand to a broad array of consumer applications including game consoles, portable consumer electronics devices (such as digital camcorders) and GPS devices. “In the longer term, MEMS memory, MEMS fuel cells and other types of MEMS devices could also join the list,” says Steve Cullen, In-Stat analyst.
“However, these technologies are expected to initially find usage in other product areas that are less cost sensitive, with application in consumer electronics products unlikely until after 2010.”
Recent research by In-Stat found the following:
• Pressure sensors have the greatest potential in consumer electronics in the short-term, followed by
• At least two firms are introducing MEMS resonators and oscillators with the intention of taking a piece of the long established crystal market.
• MEMS microphones have been a recent success because of rapid adoption in the mobile handset market, where their small size, ease of handling and competitive price has resulted in double-digit market share.
Cornell/BU technique speeds atomic microscopy 100X
November 12, 2007 -- Using an existing technique in a novel way, Cornell physicist Keith Schwab and colleagues at Cornell and Boston University have made the scanning tunneling microscope (STM) -- which can image individual atoms on a surface -- at least 100 times faster.
The simple adaptation, based on a method of measurement currently used in nano-electronics, could also give STMs significant new capabilities -- including the ability to sense temperatures in spots as small as a single atom, and to detect changes in position as tiny as 0.00000000000001 meters: a distance 30,000 times smaller than the diameter of an atom.
The finding is described in the Nov. 1 issue of the journal Nature.
The STM uses quantum tunneling, or the ability of electrons to "tunnel" across a barrier, to detect changes in the distance between a needlelike probe and a conducting surface.) By measuring changes in current as electrons tunnel between the sample and the probe, scientists can construct a map of the surface topology.
By adding an external source of radio frequency (RF) waves and sending a wave into the STM through a simple network, the researchers showed that it's possible to detect the resistance at the tunneling junction -- and hence the distance between the probe and sample surface -- based on the characteristics of the wave that reflects back to the source.
The technique, called reflectometry, uses the standard cables as paths for high-frequency waves, which aren't slowed down by the cables' capacitance.
The simple adaptation, based on a method of measurement currently used in nano-electronics, could also give STMs significant new capabilities -- including the ability to sense temperatures in spots as small as a single atom, and to detect changes in position as tiny as 0.00000000000001 meters: a distance 30,000 times smaller than the diameter of an atom.
The finding is described in the Nov. 1 issue of the journal Nature.
The STM uses quantum tunneling, or the ability of electrons to "tunnel" across a barrier, to detect changes in the distance between a needlelike probe and a conducting surface.) By measuring changes in current as electrons tunnel between the sample and the probe, scientists can construct a map of the surface topology.
By adding an external source of radio frequency (RF) waves and sending a wave into the STM through a simple network, the researchers showed that it's possible to detect the resistance at the tunneling junction -- and hence the distance between the probe and sample surface -- based on the characteristics of the wave that reflects back to the source.
The technique, called reflectometry, uses the standard cables as paths for high-frequency waves, which aren't slowed down by the cables' capacitance.
Mass market makes a MEMS move
R. Colin Johnson
EE Times
November 20, 2007 (11:32 AM EST)
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) penetrated the mass market two decades ago, when they enabled air bags to trigger fast enough to catch passengers before they hit the steering wheel or windshield. MEMS chips gained a major business-market design-win a decade ago, when they began to be used to fabricate the high-precision ink-jet print-heads that displaced impact printers.
Now, MEMS chips are entering the consumer-electronics mainstream with the same invigorating effect. Most recently, we're seeing MEMS technology being used in Nintendo's Wii and Apple's iPhone, and this may just be the beginning. The real volume customers will be the mainstream consumer-electronics makers adding MEMS chips to their ubiquitous devices. "We are at the edge of a mass market--today's MEMS applications are just the early adopters," said Bosch-Sensortec general manager and chief executive officer Frank Melzer. "The true mass-market adoption of MEMS will come when designers understand how a single MEMS sensor can have multiple uses in a single device, and when they learn how to use multiple sensors together to solve tough problems."
Bosch-Sensortec is the CE division of Robert Bosch GmbH, the world's largest MEMS chip maker, which spun off its consumer electronics division in 2005. Now, Bosch-Sensortec has seven MEMS chips available for consumer applications--two pressure sensors for altimeters and navigation; two gyroscopes for image-stabilization applications; and three accelerometers, including a second-generation three-axis unit, the SMB380, which was recently dissected by Chipworks (Ottawa, Canada).
"Bosch's decision to spin-out its Sensortec division, dedicated to consumer electronics, appears to be paying off," said St. John Dixon-Warren, head of Chipworks Technical Intelligence Process Engineering team. "When we opened their new digital accelerometer, the SMD380, we found the MEMS die next to the ASIC instead of on top of it like before--that's how they made it thinner, which is what consumer devices need. Plus, Bosch has shrunk both the MEMS die and the ASIC, which is also what they needed to do to meet price concessions to mass-market customers while still making a profit."
Together with its parent company Robert Bosch, Bosch-Sensortec had MEMS sales in excess of $370 million last year--more than any other MEMS chip maker, according to Wicht Technologie Consulting (WTC). STMicroelectronics and Freescale Semiconductor ranked second and third in WTC's ranking. Bosch intends to keep its lead, too; for instance, it just invested in a new 8-inch fab in Reutlingen, Germany, where up to thousand wafers containing up to one million chips per day will start being produced by 2009.
The consumer-device makers buying all those chips, according to Melzer, are telling Bosch-Sensortec that they want reference designs showing how to utilize MEMS chips in multiple ways. For instance, cell phones are predicted to consume as many as 10 billion MEMS chips by 2010, according to Philippe Kahn, founder of Fullpower Technologies Inc. (Santa Cruz, Calif.). Cell phones will use accelerometers to perform user-interface duties, such as picking-up the phone by shaking it, as well as to perform secondary tasks, such as extending battery life with intelligent power management that turns off the cell phone's display when its laid face down.
Beyond using a single MEMS chip for multiple tasks is using multiple sensor chips for a single task. Here, STMicroelectronics agrees with Bosch-Sensortec, according to Jay Esfandyari, MEMS market development manager at STMicroelectronics. As an example, Esfandyari has recently been demonstrating a reference design for an electronic compass that compensates for tilt using a three-axis accelerometer. Normally, a magnetometer chip requires that you keep it flat to read-out a compass heading correctly, but an accelerometer can sense orientation and compensate. STMicroelectronics' reference design shows the compensating compass heading in bold, with a lighter indicator showing how much the compass would be off if it wasn't equipped with the accelerometer.
Bosch-Sensortec is currently putting together another multi-mode reference design that points the way for OEMS using its chips for next-generation consumer-electronic devices. In particular, Bosch-Sensortec is working with the navigational device maker NumeriX S.A. (Manno, Switzerland) to combine a Bosch-Sensortec MEMS barometric-pressure sensor with NumeriX's global-positioning system (GPS) chip set.
"We make the world's smallest digital-pressure sensors, which we are integrating with GPS navigation solutions from NumeriX," said Melzer. "The SMD500 pressure sensor can detect changes in height as small as one foot, which helps when navigating stacked freeways and facilitates timely notification of upcoming exits. A pressure sensor can also help distinguish between closely packed freeway clover-leafs by detecting the slope of the road," said Melzer.
By integrating Bosch's SMD500 barometric pressure sensor with NumeriX GPS chips, the NumeriX/Bosch reference design achieves higher resolution for more accurate "turn" commands, as well as allowing multilevel bridges and stacked highways to be more easily navigated.
EE Times
November 20, 2007 (11:32 AM EST)
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) penetrated the mass market two decades ago, when they enabled air bags to trigger fast enough to catch passengers before they hit the steering wheel or windshield. MEMS chips gained a major business-market design-win a decade ago, when they began to be used to fabricate the high-precision ink-jet print-heads that displaced impact printers.
Now, MEMS chips are entering the consumer-electronics mainstream with the same invigorating effect. Most recently, we're seeing MEMS technology being used in Nintendo's Wii and Apple's iPhone, and this may just be the beginning. The real volume customers will be the mainstream consumer-electronics makers adding MEMS chips to their ubiquitous devices. "We are at the edge of a mass market--today's MEMS applications are just the early adopters," said Bosch-Sensortec general manager and chief executive officer Frank Melzer. "The true mass-market adoption of MEMS will come when designers understand how a single MEMS sensor can have multiple uses in a single device, and when they learn how to use multiple sensors together to solve tough problems."
Bosch-Sensortec is the CE division of Robert Bosch GmbH, the world's largest MEMS chip maker, which spun off its consumer electronics division in 2005. Now, Bosch-Sensortec has seven MEMS chips available for consumer applications--two pressure sensors for altimeters and navigation; two gyroscopes for image-stabilization applications; and three accelerometers, including a second-generation three-axis unit, the SMB380, which was recently dissected by Chipworks (Ottawa, Canada).
"Bosch's decision to spin-out its Sensortec division, dedicated to consumer electronics, appears to be paying off," said St. John Dixon-Warren, head of Chipworks Technical Intelligence Process Engineering team. "When we opened their new digital accelerometer, the SMD380, we found the MEMS die next to the ASIC instead of on top of it like before--that's how they made it thinner, which is what consumer devices need. Plus, Bosch has shrunk both the MEMS die and the ASIC, which is also what they needed to do to meet price concessions to mass-market customers while still making a profit."
Together with its parent company Robert Bosch, Bosch-Sensortec had MEMS sales in excess of $370 million last year--more than any other MEMS chip maker, according to Wicht Technologie Consulting (WTC). STMicroelectronics and Freescale Semiconductor ranked second and third in WTC's ranking. Bosch intends to keep its lead, too; for instance, it just invested in a new 8-inch fab in Reutlingen, Germany, where up to thousand wafers containing up to one million chips per day will start being produced by 2009.
The consumer-device makers buying all those chips, according to Melzer, are telling Bosch-Sensortec that they want reference designs showing how to utilize MEMS chips in multiple ways. For instance, cell phones are predicted to consume as many as 10 billion MEMS chips by 2010, according to Philippe Kahn, founder of Fullpower Technologies Inc. (Santa Cruz, Calif.). Cell phones will use accelerometers to perform user-interface duties, such as picking-up the phone by shaking it, as well as to perform secondary tasks, such as extending battery life with intelligent power management that turns off the cell phone's display when its laid face down.
Beyond using a single MEMS chip for multiple tasks is using multiple sensor chips for a single task. Here, STMicroelectronics agrees with Bosch-Sensortec, according to Jay Esfandyari, MEMS market development manager at STMicroelectronics. As an example, Esfandyari has recently been demonstrating a reference design for an electronic compass that compensates for tilt using a three-axis accelerometer. Normally, a magnetometer chip requires that you keep it flat to read-out a compass heading correctly, but an accelerometer can sense orientation and compensate. STMicroelectronics' reference design shows the compensating compass heading in bold, with a lighter indicator showing how much the compass would be off if it wasn't equipped with the accelerometer.
Bosch-Sensortec is currently putting together another multi-mode reference design that points the way for OEMS using its chips for next-generation consumer-electronic devices. In particular, Bosch-Sensortec is working with the navigational device maker NumeriX S.A. (Manno, Switzerland) to combine a Bosch-Sensortec MEMS barometric-pressure sensor with NumeriX's global-positioning system (GPS) chip set.
"We make the world's smallest digital-pressure sensors, which we are integrating with GPS navigation solutions from NumeriX," said Melzer. "The SMD500 pressure sensor can detect changes in height as small as one foot, which helps when navigating stacked freeways and facilitates timely notification of upcoming exits. A pressure sensor can also help distinguish between closely packed freeway clover-leafs by detecting the slope of the road," said Melzer.
By integrating Bosch's SMD500 barometric pressure sensor with NumeriX GPS chips, the NumeriX/Bosch reference design achieves higher resolution for more accurate "turn" commands, as well as allowing multilevel bridges and stacked highways to be more easily navigated.
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