Purdue Research Foundation

University of Illinois

Agere Systems Inc.

Muhammad Ashraful Alam

Ankit Jain

Changwook Jeong

Mark Lundstrom

Pradeep R Nair

David B Janes

Suprem R Das

Ruiyi Chen

Muhammad Masuduzzaman

John A Rogers

Rakesh Agrawal

Qing Cao

Rashid Bashir

Jonghyun Go

Mitchell R Tuinstra

Bobby Reddy, Jr

Robert K Smith

Sourabh Dongaonkar

Philip W Mason

Piyush Dak

Ninad Pimparkar

A process and device for electrostatically controlling an ionic environment in a droplet, such as in a droplet-based platform including polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) applications. The process includes providing a chip that comprises at least a pair of electrodes, placing a salt-containing droplet on the chip, and then applying a bias across the electrodes to accumulate ions near surfaces of the electrodes, thereby depleting a bulk salt concentration in regions of the droplet away from the electrodes.

Electrostatic control of ionic environment in a droplet based platform for biological applications

A method and apparatus for generating solar power in agricultural fields while minimally impacting crop growth and farming efforts, including positioning an elongated solar panel above crops, wherein the elongated solar panel runs generally parallel to longitudinal lines and wherein the elongated solar panel has at least one solar transducing face and an endless edge surrounding and perpendicular to the at least one solar transducing face, automatically pivoting the elongated solar panel such that the at least one solar transducing face is oriented parallel to incident solar rays during predetermined times when plant growth requires incident sunlight, automatically pivoting the elongated solar panel such that the at least one solar transducing face is oriented parallel to the vertical during rain, automatically pivoting the elongated solar panel out of the way of heavy farm equipment, and automatically pivoting the elongated solar panel such that the at least one solar transducing face is oriented perpendicular to incident solar rays at predetermined times when plant growth does not require direct sunlight. The elongated solar panel is positioned sufficiently above crops to give clearance to heavy farm equipment passing therebelow and/or adjacent panels are spaced sufficiently apart such that heavy farm equipment may pass therebetween.

Photovoltaic structures for use in agriculture farms

Hybrid transparent conducting materials are disclosed which combine a polycrystalline film and conductive nanostructures, in which the polycrystalline film is 'percolation doped' with the conductive nanostructures. The polycrystalline film preferably is a single atomic layer thickness of polycrystalline graphene, and the conductive nanostructures preferably are silver nanowires.

High optical transparent two-dimensional electronic conducting system and process for generating same

Hybrid transparent conducting materials are disclosed with combine a polycrystalline film and conductive nanostructures, in which the polycrystalline film is 'percolation doped' with the conductive nanostructures. The polycrystalline film preferably is a single atomic layer thickness of polycrystalline graphene, and conductive nanostructures preferably are silver nanowires.

An electrical circuit comprising at least two negative capacitance insulators connected in series, one of the two negative capacitance insulators is biased to generate a negative capacitance. One of the negative capacitance insulators may include an air-gap which is part of a nanoelectromechnical system (NEMS) device and the second negative capacitance insulator includes a ferroelectric material. Both of the negative capacitance insulators may be located between the channel and gate of a field effect transistor. The NEMS device may include a movable electrode, a dielectric and a fixed electrode and arranged so that the movable electrode is attached to at least two points and spaced apart from the dielectric and fixed electrode, and the ferroelectric capacitor is electrically connected to either of the electrodes.

NEMS devices with series ferroelectric negative capacitor

Provided herein are methods and devices for measuring pH and for amplifying a pH signal to obtain ultrasensitive detection of changes in pH. This is achieved by providing a sensor and a transducer, wherein the sensor transconductance is sensitive to changes in pH and the transducer transconductance is not affected by pH change. The transducer instead compensates for changes in the sensor transconductance arising from pH change. The unique configuration of the sensor and transducer with respect to each other provides substantial increases in a pH amplification factor, thereby providing pH sensing devices with a giant Nernst response and, therefore, effectively increased pH sensitivity.

Coupled heterogeneous devices for pH sensing

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based electrical switch. The electrical switch includes a moveable electrode, a dielectric layer positioned adjacent the moveable electrode on a first side of the dielectric layer and spaced apart from the moveable electrode when the moveable electrode is in an inactivated position and in contact with the moveable electrode when the moveable electrode is in an activated position, and a substrate attached to the dielectric layer on a second side opposite to the first side, the moveable electrode is configured to brake prior to coming in contact with the dielectric layer when the moveable electrode is switched between the inactivated state and the activated state.

Capacitive microelectromechanical switches with dynamic soft-landing

Illustrative embodiments of hybrid transparent conducting materials and applications thereof are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment, a hybrid transparent conducting material may include a polycrystalline film and a plurality of conductive nanostructures randomly dispersed in the polycrystalline film. In another illustrative embodiment, a photovoltaic cell may include a transparent electrode comprising polycrystalline graphene that is percolation doped with metallic nanowires, where the metallic nanowires do not form a percolation network for charge carriers across the transparent electrode.

Hybrid transparent conducting materials

Transistor-based particle detection systems and methods may be configured to detect charged and non-charged particles. Such systems may include a supporting structure contacting a gate of a transistor and separating the gate from a dielectric of the transistor, and the transistor may have a near pull-in bias and a sub-threshold region bias to facilitate particle detection. The transistor may be configured to change current flow through the transistor in response to a change in stiffness of the gate caused by securing of a particle to the gate, and the transistor-based particle detection system may configured to detect the non-charged particle at least from the change in current flow.

Transistor-based particle detection systems and methods

The present invention provides device components geometries and fabrication strategies for enhancing the electronic performance of electronic devices based on thin films of randomly oriented or partially aligned semiconducting nanotubes. In certain aspects, devices and methods of the present invention incorporate a patterned layer of randomly oriented or partially aligned carbon nanotubes, such as one or more interconnected SWNT networks, providing a semiconductor channel exhibiting improved electronic properties relative to conventional nanotubes-based electronic systems.

Medium scale carbon nanotube thin film integrated circuits on flexible plastic substrates

Conductive layer(s) in a thin film photovoltaic (TFPV) panel are divided by first scribe curves into photovoltaic cells connected in series. At least one of the layers is scribed to isolate a shunt defect in a cell from parts of that cell away from the defect. The isolation scribes can substantially follow or parallel current-flow lines established by the design of the panel. A TFPV panel can be altered by, using a controller, automatically locating a shunt defect and scribing at least one of the conductive layers along two spaced-apart second scribe curves. Each second scribe curve can intersect the two first scribe curves that bound the cell with the defect. The two second scribe curves can be on opposite sides of the defect.

Thin film photovoltaic panels and repair methods

It is possible to predict with acceptable accuracy the time to failure of a device having a thin gate dielectric in a field effect transistor. Such prediction is based on the realization that for such thin dielectric multiple dielectric breakdown occurs before device failure ensues and that measurement of the device quiescent current flow provides the information necessary for such prediction. The ability to make reliable prediction allows improvement of device design, manufacture, and use.

Growing community of inventors

West Lafayette, IN, United States of America

Muhammad Ashraful Alam