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Topic Close-up #10

Symposium A07: Solid State Batteries

Symposium focus: Batteries employing solid-electrolytes have the potential to significantly improve the safety and performance electrochemical energy storage, by replacing the flammable liquid electrolytes currently employed in Li-ion batteries. In recent years, there has been an explosion of research into new solid electrolyte chemistries, including ceramics, polymers, and composites. However, there are several critical challenges that remain, including interfacial compatibility with electrodes, coupled chemical-electrochemical-mechanical phenomena at solid-solid interfaces, degradation under high power densities, and manufacturing. This symposium takes an interdisciplinary look at the challenges and opportunities facing solid-state battery systems, including materials processing, characterization, and device performance. (more…)

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Topic Close-up #7

Symposium G01: 16th International Symposium on Semiconductor Cleaning Science and Technology (SCST 16)

Symposium focus: With the very first meeting held in Hollywood, FL, in 1989 the SCST Symposium is among the longest running meetings organized under the auspices of ECS. The focus of this symposium is on the science and technology of surface cleaning and conditioning in semiconductor device manufacturing. The symposium covers a wide range of topics related to the surface processing of elemental semiconductors Si(SOI) and Ge and compound semiconductors such as SiC, SiGe, III-V, and II-VI materials as well as non-semiconductor surfaces including sapphire, glass, ITO, and flexible plastic substrates. Topics of interest include contaminants removal, broadly understood surface conditioning processes, cleaning media, including non-aqueous cleaning methods, and cleaning tools. More detailed description of the topics remining within the scope of the Semiconductor Cleaning Science and Technology Symposium can be found in the symposium’s Call for Papers. (more…)

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Topic Close-up #6

Symposium G06: Materials and Processes for Semiconductor, 2.5 and 3D Chip Packaging, and  Interconnection PCB 2

Symposium focus: This symposium focuses on issues pertinent to advances in semiconductor interconnects beyond the 20 nm technology node as well as novel materials and integration methods for 2.5D and 3D interconnects. Damascene interconnects using copper or cobalt, introduced at the 10-20 nm node, are expected to be used for the foreseeable future. The 2.5D or 3D concept replaces long 2D interconnects with shorter vertical interconnects, which have the potential to alleviate the interconnect delay. Since electrochemical processes are the ultimate solution to create smaller size and lower cost devices, both practical and fundamental aspects of electrochemical processes are of high interest. This symposium will bring researchers together to discuss various aspects of device design and architecture, novel materials, chemical formulation, packaging approaches, and nano-scale fabrication methodologies. (more…)

Over 2,200 abstracts across 46 symposia from the upcoming 235th ECS Meeting in Dallas, TX are now available for download in the ECS Digital Library!

ECS Meeting Abstracts contain extended abstracts of the technical papers presented at the ECS biannual meetings, ECS joint meetings, and ECS-sponsored meetings. This publication offers a first look into the current research in the field. ECS Meeting Abstracts are freely available to all visitors of the ECS Digital Library. Learn more about our other open access publishing opportunities here!

Did you know? All ECS Transactions, Journal of The Electrochemical Society, and ECS Journal of Solid State Science and Technology articles that develop out of ECS Meeting Abstracts are linked back to their original abstracts in the digital library.

Don’t forget to join us in Dallas! The deadline for early registration and discounted hotel rooms at the Sheraton is April 22. Make sure to register for the meeting and book your hotel rooms as soon as possible!

The recent fatal crash of a Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft is forcing officials to take a closer look at the airplanes safety system. The accident—which happened just minutes after takeoff, killing all 157 passengers aboard the Ethiopian Airline—is suspected of being a result of a faulty sensory system built to stabilize the aircraft in flight, known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS), according to USA Today.

Why was the MCAS added?

Boeing had originally added the MCAS after redesigning its 737 platform for the Max, changing the placement and size of the aircraft’s engines, consequently altering how the jet handled in flight. As a result, the Max tended to raise its nose in flight; a movement called pitch. If a plane pitches too high, it could lead to crashing or stalling of the aircraft—something the MCAS was installed to detect and prevent. (more…)

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Topic Close-up #5

Symposium D04: Young Scientists on Fundamentals and Applications of Dielectrics

Symposium focus: This inaugural special symposium, the first in a planned series, aims to provide a unique forum for senior PhD students and early career researchers to present papers related to all areas of dielectric science and materials. Of particular interest are new materials and designs, theoretical and experimental aspects of inorganic and organic dielectric materials, growth processes, bulk and inter-facial properties, electric and ionic transport, porous dielectrics and thin and ultra-thin films. (more…)

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Topic Close-up #4

Symposium A06: Beyond Lithium Ion Batteries

Symposium focus: The beyond Li-ion battery symposium is designed to be an international platform for worldwide researchers to discuss recent progresses on the development of 1) Li-air batteries, 2) Li-sulfur batteries, 3) Na-based batteries, 4) Multivalent batteries, 5) Aqueous organic flow batteries for electric vehicles, unmanned aircrafts or grid-scale energy storage applications and 6) innovative chemistries and materials for exploring the battery science and technology. (more…)

The urgency for open access publishing has been felt for some time. The strain of paywalls and expensive scholarly publishing business models have limited access to academic papers and research, causing some to take matters into their own hands.

The Electrochemical Society is one of those to take action. Each year, ECS participates in International Open Access Week by taking down paywalls to the entire ECS Digital Library, giving the world a preview of what complete open access to peer-reviewed scientific research will look like. ECS is also the founder of the Free the Science initiative, which aims to make the Society’s high quality, peer-reviewed research free for everyone to read and free for authors to publish. In addition, in honor of Free the Science, the Society also offers another paywall-free week to the ECS Digital Library. This year marking the Society’s 3rd annual Free the Science Week, taking place April 1-7, where thousands of scientific articles and abstracts will become free to access.

And, it looks like ECS is far from alone in these efforts. (more…)

Credit: Ma et al./Current Biology

Hollywood has long toyed with the idea of superhuman powers, as seen in the 2013 science fiction thriller movie Riddick, where the lead character uses his extraordinary night vision to survive a hostile world. It is one supernatural ability that may be closer to becoming a reality.

According to ScienceDaily, scientists have now made it possible for mice to pick up infrared light with the help of nanotechnology, creating the ability for night vision.

The procedure

It works with a single injection of photoreceptor-binding particles that is inserted into the mice’s eyes, converting photons to high-energy forms that allow the mice to develop infrared vision for up to 10 weeks. The procedure results in minimal side effects and causes no changes to normal vision. (more…)