Oregon State University

Intense study of Printed Electronics in Japan

IDTechEx has just completed an intense study of Printed Electronics in Japan involving 35 visits to companies and institutions there and interviews and lectures at the IDTechEx Printed Electronics Asia event there.

Antifreeze, cheap materials may lead to low-cost solar energy

A process combining some comparatively cheap materials and the same antifreeze that keeps an automobile radiator from freezing in cold weather may be the key to making solar cells that cost less and avoid toxic compounds, while further expanding the use of solar energy.

Advance in generating electricity from wastewater

Engineers have made a breakthrough in the performance of microbial fuel cells that can produce electricity directly from wastewater.

Robotic sailing boat set to break robotic sailing world record

The ASV Roboat, a solar energy powered robotic sailing boat can be used for tsunami early warning systems, search operations, meteorological measurements and the recovery of oil spills.

Nanotube technology leading to fast, lower-cost medical diagnostics

Researchers at Oregon State University have tapped into the extraordinary power of carbon "nanotubes" to increase the speed of biological sensors, a technology that might one day allow a doctor to routinely perform lab tests in minutes, speeding diagnosis and treatment while reducing costs.

Energy harvesting for wireless sensors:1.6 million units 2011

In 2011 the market for energy harvesters reached US$700 million, with the majority of the value going into consumer electronic applications, where energy harvesters have been used for some time.

Microwave ovens key to energy from wasted heat

Researchers have found a new way to make "thermoelectric" materials for use in technology that could potentially save vast amounts of energy.

Magnetic nanobead technology could result in better biosensors

According to scientists from Oregon State University (OSU), the use of such particles in chemical detection systems could make those systems much smaller, faster, cheaper to produce, and more accurate than they are presently.

New PV physics promises higher efficiency

Researchers from three institutions are uniting under a three-year, $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to boost the output of solar cells.

NSF-funded project aims to grab more sun for solar cells

University of Oregon-led project with Oregon State and University of Illinois will involve a three-year push.

Nanotech coatings produce 20 times more electricity from sewage

Engineers at Oregon State University have made a significant advance toward producing electricity from sewage, by the use of new coatings on the anodes of microbial electrochemical cells that increased the electricity production about 20 times.

Breakthrough in thin film solar cell technology

Researchers have made an important breakthrough in the use of continuous flow microreactors to produce thin film absorbers for solar cells. This innovative technology could significantly reduce the cost of solar energy devices and reduce material waste.

Advance made in thin film solar cell technology

Researchers have made an important breakthrough in the use of continuous flow microreactors to produce thin film absorbers for solar cells - an innovative technology that could significantly reduce the cost of solar energy devices and reduce material waste.

Printed Electronics uses more inorganics and composites

Printed electronics is using more inorganics and composites in the quest for higher performance, lower costs, finer feature size, stretchability and creation of radically new components such as memristors, supercabatteries and metamaterials.

Inorganic printed electronics employs new compounds

There are huge opportunities for companies providing inorganic chemicals to printed and potentially printed electronics. Here, Dr Peter Harrop, Chairman, IDTechEx, summarises some of the findings from the new IDTechEx report "Inorganic and Composite Printed Electronics 2009-2019."

Visit to Plasma Quest

IDTechEx visited Professor Michael Thwaites at RF sputtering company Plasma Quest in Hampshire in the UK.

Power harvested from gym workouts

Harnessing the energy of students' gym workouts to create power for charging laptops, iPods or even a small energy efficient house.

New nanocluster to boost thin films for semiconductors

Oregon researchers push printed inorganic electronics to higher levels of performance by synthesizing an elusive metal-hydroxide compound in sufficient and rapidly produced yields, potentially paving the way for improved precursor inks that could boost semiconductor capabilities for large-area applications.

Progress towards p-type metal oxide semiconductors

In the last few years there has been increasing work on printed Zinc Oxide (ZnO) inorganic semiconductors. However, the materials developed have been used to demonstrated n-type transistors, but p-type transistors have not been commercially available. There are now two organizations that IDTechEx is aware of, and many more working on the topic, claiming p-type ZnO transistors are possible with reproducible results.