IEEE Nanotechnology Magazine

This article reviews the recent developments in a type of random access memory (RAM) called resistive RAM (RRAM) for the analog synapse, which is an important building block for neuromorphic computing systems. To achieve high learning accuracy in an artificial neural network based on the backpropagation learning rule, a linear and symmetric weight update behavior of the analog synapse is critical.... View full abstract»

Neuromorphic computing systems, which employ electronic circuits based on digital and analog components to mimic the neurobiological structures in nervous systems, have attracted broad interest as a promising approach for future computing applications [1]-[3]. The interest is driven both from the bottom-up, where continued performance gains following Moore's law have become increasingly harder to ... View full abstract»

This article provides a comprehensive review of recent advances in heterostructures of two-dimensional (2-D) layered materials for future electronic and optoelectronic applications. We also discuss the progress in capping heterostructures, where an inert 2-D material serves as a passivation layer and provides environmental stability to the relatively unstable 2-D material. Such capping of heterost... View full abstract»

Brain-inspired computing is attracting considerable attention because of its potential to solve a wide variety of data-intensive problems that are difficult for even state-of-the-art supercomputers to tackle. The ability of the human brain to process visual and audio inputs in real time and make complex logical decisions by consuming a mere 20 W makes it the most power-efficient computational engi... View full abstract»

In this article, the particular importance of nanotechnology-enabled materials associated with additive manufacturing techniques for the realization of radio-frequency (RF) components and modules for Internet of Things (IoT) and millimeter-wave (mm-wave) applications is discussed. View full abstract»

The trends to high-density, ultrathin, and low-cost electronic systems are currently changing the face of the mobile, security, health-care, and automotive industries. Providing a flexible platform extends the applicability of these next-generation circuits to smart displays, conformal sensors, Internet of Things (IoT) tags, remote health-monitoring systems, radar and millimeter (mm)-wave electron... View full abstract»

Neural networks (NNs) have been able to provide record-breaking performance in several machine-learning tasks, such as image and speech recognition, natural-language processing, playing complex games, and data analytics for scientific or business purposes [1]. They process their inputs through a series of linear and nonlinear operations and use learning algorithms, i.e., rules that optimize the pa... View full abstract»

The development of organic electronics, such as organic LED (OLED) devices and organic field effect transistors (OFE Ts), as well as thin-film solar cells enable the development of devices with a range of functionality in f lexible form factors [1]-[6]. View full abstract»

As far back as the 1850s, workers applying decorative and anticorrosive coatings of metallic surfaces used a technique [1] that would later be referred to as anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) synthesis. About 100 years later, the morphologies of such coatings were investigated and found to consist of highly ordered/quasiregular arrays of high aspect ratio nanopores [2]. During the same decade, nuclear s... View full abstract»

Techniques for capturing electrical signals from the brain corresponding to most of the activities (actual or imagined) generated by neuron firing have provided neurologists with a fascinating path to decoding and studying this complex system. Technology to increase the spatiotemporal resolution of brain mapping tools has been advancing, aiming at highly dense electrode sites with the long-term st... View full abstract»

Recently, two-dimensional (2-D) nanomaterials, especially graphene and boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS ), have received extensive attention in the area of thermal management due to their ultrahigh thermal conductivity. This article reviews chemical and electronic structure, thermal properties, and preparation and functionalization methods of graphene and BNNS as well as their potential applications... View full abstract»

The nonlinear conductivity of polymer composites is helpful in regulating electric field distribution and dissipating surface charge and/or space charge. In this article, silicon carbide (SiC) nanoparticles are used as the nonlinear filler and added to epoxy resin. The filler loadings were 0, 1, 3, 7, and 10 wt%. The glass transition temperature, dielectric spectroscopy, and nonlinear conductivity... View full abstract»

The science of using the electron's spin in electronic devices is popularly known as spintronics. Researchers have been exploring spintronics to achieve nonvolatility, low dynamic power, zero standby power, and high device density. Several novel materials and phenomena have recently been discovered in this field, including the monumental spin-transfer torque (STT) effect. Since then, aggressive re... View full abstract»

With the layer-dependent tunability of their optical band gap in the near-infrared (IR ) to visible spectrum, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), including molybdenum disulfide (MoS₂) and tungsten disulfide (WS₂), exhibit strong light-matter interactions, making them suitable as absorber layers for optoelectronic devices. Currently, the WS<sub&... View full abstract»

Over their 150-year history, new twists on metal-air batteries have continued to emerge up to the present day. In this article, we present the fundamentals and recent advances in nonprecious electrocatalysts for metal-air batteries. The catalysts for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in lithium (Li)-air and zinc (Zn)-air batteries, including transition-metal oxide... View full abstract»

Nanocomposites are of great interest to electronic packaging, and the opportunities are readily comprehended. First is the ability to integrate materials cheaply, with better performance, miniaturization, and reliability for a wide range of applications, including embedded passives (capacitors, resistors), low-k materials, adhesives (electrically conductive adhesives), interconnects, and thermal i... View full abstract»

Since its successful exfoliation and epitaxial growth in 2004 [1], [2], graphene, a honeycomb sp2 carbon lattice, has attracted interest because of its intrinsic high flexibility, electrical conductivity, and mobility. Among the various approaches to producing graphene, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [3] is one of the most practical methods to scale up graphene film for either research or practic... View full abstract»

In recent decades, terahertz (THz) technology has seen rapid development and significant application in the biological sensing field. In this process, nanotechnology has been constantly creating possibilities for THz technology advancement. Here, we discuss common THz biosensing techniques and limitations and focus on how state-of-the-art nanotechnology helps to improve THz biological imaging capa... View full abstract»

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have been developed and deployed to delineate the internal characteristics of electronic and photonic devices such as doping profiles, electric potential profile, electric field profile, and charge carrier profile, as they play a crucial role in the function and performance of biased and unbiased devices. Two of the most promising techniques, scanning spr... View full abstract»

Early detection of pathogens, biomarkers, or toxins in clinical, environmental, or food samples is of great interest, and it continues to be a challenge in disease diagnosis as well as in environmental and food-safety monitoring. A molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) is a polymer capable of mimicking the function and structure of antibodies and biological receptors to recognize target molecules wi... View full abstract»

A new generation of a ubiquitous health smart home is being developed to support the elderly and/or people with chronic diseases in their own home. The goal of the U-Health smart home is to help the elderly to continue to live a more independent life as long as possible in their own home while being monitored and assisted in an unobtrusive manner. This concept of a ubiquitous health care (U-Health... View full abstract»

The extremely high charge carrier mobility in graphene has motivated the exploration of unique properties in other two-dimensional (2-D) materials, such as hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), phosphorene, silicine, and the transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). The latter compounds have generated great interest due to their potential for optoelectronic applications, since their band gaps are tunable... View full abstract»

Body on a chip could contribute to human health and be an extremely useful application in nano/microengineering. However, in reality, body on a chip is still at the proof-of-concept stage, such as in terms of the placement of multiple tissues within a single device, and much effort is required for its development into a practical and useful technology. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to adva... View full abstract»

In this article, we propose a method to calculate the density of deep traps formed in interaction zones based on a mesoscopic structure and a double-electric layer of polymer nanocomposites. A space-charge modulated breakdown model is then utilized to investigate the electrical breakdown property and its relation to deep traps in interaction zones. The deep traps that formed around the independent... View full abstract»

Polymer nanofibers are increasingly being used in broad and diverse areas. In addition to the intrinsic chemical properties of the polymer, the physical and mechanical properties of the fiber are also important in determining its suitability for a given application. But measuring the mechanical properties and understanding their relationship to the structure and dimensions of the polymer nanofiber... View full abstract»