Notable & Newsworthy

June 2017
MLCCs Bring Enhanced Performance, Stability and Predictability to Automotive Applications

KEMET's U2J dielectric now has automotive qualification.

KEMET has announced the extension of its U2J dielectric for automotive grade applications. With AEC-Q200 automotive qualification, the U2J surface mount (SMD) platform offers more than twice the capacitance available in C0G/NP0. It also offers superior temperature performance over X7R, X8R and X5R, ren
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Date:
06/30/2017
Global Motion Control Market Is Returning for Solid Growth
Following a significant market decline in 2015, the global motion control market regained a concrete growth in 2016, totalling over $10.8 billion hardware revenues, with more than 21 million units shipped. Looking forward, IHS Markit expects the world market for motion control controls to sustain a steady growth tr
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Date:
06/30/2017
Mouser Electronics, Inc. announces a global distribution agreement with ITT Cannon, a world leader in the design and manufacture of highly reliable and innovative connector and interconnect products serving military and commercial customers in the aerospace and defense, medical, energy, transportation, and industrial ma
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Date:
06/30/2017
Exciting New Material Uses Solar Energy to Remove Man-Made Dye Pollutants From Water

Powders of tantalum nitride nanoparticles (left), tungsten oxide nanowires (centre) and the tantalum nitride/tungsten oxide composite (right).

A novel composite material has been developed by scientists in the Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at Swansea University which shows promise as a catalyst for the degradation of environmentally-harmful synthetic dye pollutants, which are released at a rate of nearly 300,000 tonnes a year into the world's wat
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Date:
06/30/2017
Mouser Electronics, Inc. has been named 2016 e-Commerce Distributor of the Year for Europe by Vishay Intertechnology. This is the fifth consecutive year that Mouser has received this prestigious award. “We greatly appreciate this recognition from Vishay,” said Graham Maggs, Vice President of Marketing, EMEA, at
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Date:
06/30/2017
Industry’s Lowest Power Zero-Drift Op Amp Consumes only 1.3μA

Micropower Zero-Drift Op Amp Achieves 5µV Max VOS at 2µA Max IS

MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA – Analog Devices, Inc. announces the LTC2063 zero-drift op amp which draws just 1.3μA typ (2μA max) on a 1.8V supply. This micropower amplifier maintains uncompromised precision: maximum input offset voltage is 5μV at 25°C, maximum drift is 0.06μV/°C from –40°C to 125°C.
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Date:
06/29/2017
Nickel-PTFE-Nanodiamond Coatings Feature Improved Abrasive Wear Properties

New generation Carbodeon NanoDiamond coatings can reduce sliding parts wear by as much as 85 percent

Helsinki, Finland:  Nanodiamond material specialist Carbodeon of Finland has worked with metal finishing specialist CCT Plating of Germany, to develop a new electroless nickel, PTFE and nanodiamond composite coating. Electroless nickel-PTFE (EN-PTFE) coatings provide excellent anti-adhesive and low fric
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Date:
06/29/2017
DANVILLE, CA – ON Semiconductor and PowerSphyr Inc. announced an agreement to develop and market one of the industry’s most promising wireless power solutions for consumer electronic devices and the fast-growing IoT space. The agreement calls for ON Semiconductor to integrate its efficient power manageme
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Date:
06/29/2017
Half-Brick 150 Watt DC-DC Converters Offer Ultra-Wide 8:1 Input Range
XP Power announced the QSB150 series of 150 Watt half brick DC-DC converters aimed at a wide range of applications where an ultra-wide input range are required. Conforming to the industry standard half brick footprint of 61.5 x 57.9 x 12.7 mm (2.40 x 2.28 x 0.50 inches), and having pin out compatibility with ex
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Date:
06/29/2017
WiFi Module can Achieve +20dBm Output Power When in 802.11b Mode
Building on the success of its CleO smart display offering and the array of accessories that accompany it, Bridgetek has now brought wireless connectivity into the mix. Transmitting and receiving in the 2.4 GHz frequency band, the CleO35-WiFi module is compliant with the commonly used IEEE 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi stan
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Date:
06/29/2017
Step-Down Switching Regulator Delivers 93% Efficiency at 2MHz & Ultralow EMI/EMC Emissions
MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices, Inc., which recently acquired Linear Technology Corporation, announces the LT8609S, a 2A (3A Peak), 42V input synchronous step-down switching regulator. Its unique Silent Switcher 2 architecture uses two internal input capacitors as well as internal BST and INTVCC ca
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Date:
06/29/2017
Biofuel From Waste

Zeolite HBEA 150 significantly reduces temperature and energy requirements of a key step in the chemical process from organic waste to fuels.

Fuel from waste? It is possible. But hitherto, converting organic waste to fuel has not been economically viable. Excessively high temperatures and too much energy are required. Using a novel catalyst concept, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) have now managed to significantly reduce the te
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Date:
06/29/2017
TTI and Mouser capture European distribution awards from Vishay
June 28, 2017 – TTI, Inc. has been named European Volume Distributor of the Year and European Volume Actives Distributor of the Year 2016 by Vishay Intertechnology, Inc., one of the world's largest manufacturers of discrete semiconductors and passive electronic components. Vishay has also named Mouser Electronics, a T
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Date:
06/28/2017
Ruthenium Rules for New Fuel Cells

Rice University scientists have fabricated a durable catalyst for high-performance fuel cells by attaching single ruthenium atoms to graphene.

Rice University scientists have fabricated a durable catalyst for high-performance fuel cells by attaching single ruthenium atoms to graphene. Catalysts that drive the oxygen reduction reaction that lets fuel cells turn chemical energy into electricity are usually made of platinum, which stands up to the ac
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Date:
06/28/2017
Resistors are More Complex Than You May Think

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Figure 1. With so many different types of resistor it is important to understand the benefits each offers in order to find the right product for your application.

Resistors will never be as sexy as microcontrollers or other ICs, or even as interesting as their passive relations. This means that when systems are being designed, the performance characteristics of the resistors in the circuit are often overlooked, or left till last. If the characteristics of the resistor do
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Date:
06/28/2017
Wireless Power Supply in the Smart Home of the Future

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Figure 1: The wireless power spots can be invisible, disappearing into the wall or floor. Easy monitoring and control of the power sources is enabled by communication with the info center and blends seamlessly into the smart home concept.

The Smart Home is one of the classic examples of the Internet of Things. While more and more networked items are becoming pervasive in our everyday lives, it is clear that the network will usually be wireless and mobile devices will often play a key role. Once you are rid of the data cable, the logical question is
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Date:
06/28/2017
Module or Discrete Power?

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Figure 1: CUI’s VOF-300 is an open frame ac-dc power supply delivering up to 14.7 W/in3

Engineers today are feeling the pressure to get more done in less time, be experts in multiple disciplines, and use their resources more efficiently to maximize profits. This environment is shifting the way engineers approach finding solutions to their most pressing challenges; especially when it comes to the un
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Date:
06/28/2017
CWIEME 2017 Berlin Highlights
When thinking of power systems, or even any other electronics area, it is easy to get caught up in the latest breakthroughs and forget about the fundamental technologies that make up the majority of designs. Isaac Newton once allegedly said, that if he could see further, it was because he was standing on the sh
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Date:
06/28/2017
To paraphrase the irascible Dr. Ian Malcolm from Jurassic Park, we’ve been so preoccupied with whether we could add HUDs (heads-up displays) that we never stopped to think if we should. If you’ve been to CES in the past five years, you can’t possibly miss them – they’re quite literally in your fac
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Date:
06/28/2017
Speeding System Design Using Modular, Configurable Power Supplies

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Figure 1. Example of system design project using bench power supplies, each powered separately.

There are many issues involved in integrating power supplies into system design. Three typical approaches: custom, in-house and standard off-the-shelf designs are often implemented at the end of the system design – and they have the serious drawback of causing major disruptions in the process if the power su
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Date:
06/28/2017
The “Power” of PDUs

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Figure 1. PDI 50 kVA PDU in Data Center — built in 2002 (Photo credit: Hurricane Electric)

Consider this -- the United States began its power grid construction in the late 1880s and today, it is responsible for delivering electricity to more than 144 million end users throughout the nation. There are seemingly endless points of failure when you consider there are over 450,000 miles of high-voltage tr
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Date:
06/28/2017
Addressing Power’s

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Figure 1. Proper selection and deployment of magnetic components provides cascading benefits across the board

A precision discipline that must apply engineering solutions in the real world, power supply design has always been a pursuit for the optimal solution. Analog engineering is not an a la carte design process -- every device in the circuit impacts the others around it, especially in the area of passives.  One ar
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Date:
06/28/2017
Standard High-Voltage Modules Save Time, Space and Money

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Figure 1: Component, high voltage DC/DC converters generate a high voltage output that is fully controllable using standard low voltage circuitry.

System power designers specifying high-voltage power supplies have three basic options: (i) specify, manage and procure a custom supply from a third-party supplier; (ii) design, manage and manufacture either in-house or via a contract manufacturer; or (iii) the option that allows them to build a high voltage po
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Date:
06/28/2017
A Brief Introduction is in Order

Ally Winning, European Editor, Power Systems Design (PSD)

As the July/August edition of Power Systems Design Europe is my first issue as European editor, I’d like to take a second to tell you a little about myself. Since I graduated in electronics from university, I have written for a variety of magazines in the UK, as well as worked in-house at a global catalogue dis
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Date:
06/28/2017
Who Pays the Piper When A.I. Causes Traffic Deaths?
2016 was the most deadly year for motorists in nearly a decade, and human error causes up to 90% of accidents, making self-driving cars seemingly inevitable. This raises a host of questions, not the least of which is ‘what happens when autonomous vehicles cause traffic deaths?’ Who’s at fault? It’s no small matter
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Date:
06/28/2017
Rugged RS485 Transceiver Meets IEC Level 4 ESD Standard
MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices, Inc., which recently acquired Linear Technology Corporation, announces the LTC2862A, an enhanced version of the widely accepted LTC2862 ±60V tolerant RS485/RS422 transceiver that released several years ago. Both of these half-duplex transceivers eliminate field fai
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Date:
06/28/2017
R&S FSW Becomes the First Signal and Spectrum Analyzer Offering 2 GHz Internal Analysis Bandwidth
Munich -- Rohde & Schwarz is expanding the internal analysis bandwidth of its R&S FSW high-end signal and spectrum analyzer up to 2 GHz by introducing the new R&S FSW-B2001 option. This test solution enables R&D users to investigate wideband signals in detail without the need for an external di
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Date:
06/28/2017
Powering the Modern Vehicle: Designing for the Digital-First Driver

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Figure 2. C&K’s Clicker integrates several functions within a single surface, independent of bulky keys or switches, delivering a smooth, consistent haptic feel for the driver.

When we look at today’s automobiles, they’re beginning to look more like computers than vehicles. From a sea of headlines about autonomous, self-driving vehicles to the ‘smartphone-ization’ of the cockpit, it’s clear that the digitization of cars – particularly within the interior – is upon us an
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Date:
06/28/2017
ABB’s Microgrid to Power Aruba and Support Transition to Renewable Energy

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ABB microgrid will integrate wind and solar energy to provide electricity to Caribbean island that was previously fully dependent on fossil fuels

ABB microgrid will integrate wind and solar energy to provide electricity to Caribbean island that was previously fully dependent on fossil fuels ABB will provide an advanced microgrid to WEB Aruba N.V., the main power utility serving the DutchCaribbean island of Aruba. ABB’s software, automation and con
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Date:
06/28/2017
Reference Designs Support LoRa Communication, ECC Security, Signal Aggregation, Machine Learning & Graphics Acceleration
Portland, OR – Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced the availability of new reference designs based on its iCE40 UltraPlus FPGA devices to address emerging market requirements and to enable an expedited product development cycle. Expanding one of the industry’s most energy-efficient and programmable mo
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Date:
06/27/2017
Mouser and PRECI-DIP sign global distribution agreement
Mouser Electronics, Inc. has signed a global distribution agreement with PRECI-DIP, a leading manufacturer of high-quality, precision-machined interconnect products. The PRECI-DIP product line available from Mouser Electronics includes a rich variety of headers, sockets, and spring-loaded connectors as well a
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Date:
06/27/2017
Dual output buck regulator incorporates a constant-frequency, peak-current-mode architecture
MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices, Inc. announces the LTC7124, a high efficiency, 4MHz synchronous dual output buck regulator that incorporates a constant frequency, peak current mode architecture. Optional spread spectrum frequency modulation is integrated for reducing radiated and conductive EM
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Date:
06/27/2017
Building transient electronics is usually about doing something to make them stop working: blast them with light, soak them with acid, dunk them in water. Professor Leon Bellan's idea is to dissolve them with neglect: Stop applying heat, and they come apart. Using silver nanowires embedded in a polymer that
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Date:
06/27/2017
Automotive surface mount load dump TVS helps to overcome transient surges in vehicles
Now available in Europe through TTI, Inc. are SLD8S Series Automotive SMT Transient Voltage Suppression (TVS) Diodes from Littelfuse offering a choice of 7000W (10/1000μs) or 2200W (load dump) peak pulse power dissipation ratings in a surface mount SMTO-263 package. The high peak pulse power dissipation ratings ena
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Date:
06/26/2017
LVDT sensors provide precision measurements of position and path
The new Inelta ILAT Series Miniature LVDT Sensors provide precision measurements of position and path in the range of single-digit millimeters.  The sensors of this series are available in Models ILAT 2, ILAT4 and ILAT10 for the exact measurements of ±1 mm, ±2 mm or ±5 mm traveling distances. Owing to th
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Date:
06/26/2017
Hall sensor developed for industrial and automotive applications
Munich, Germany – Development kits for sensors from Infineon are significantly reducing design effort – and thereby development time and system costs. For reliable and fast measurement of speed, Infineon Technologies AG is offering the new Hall sensor TLE4922 as well as the “Speed Senso
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Date:
06/26/2017
LEDs enable human-centric lighting optimized for circadian rhythms

Only 5.7% of human retinal cells are S-cones, which can distinguish blue color
Source – Nature paper number: Roorda et al. Nature, 397, 520-522, (1999)

ANSAN, South Korea – Seoul Semiconductor has developed a new LED technology that produces light that closely matches the spectrum of natural sunlight. Announced at a press conference in Frankfurt, Germany on June 26, 2017, the new SunLike Series natural spectrum LED technology was co-developed by Seoul Semiconductor an
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Date:
06/26/2017
ECS and Toyota announce fellowship winners for projects in green energy technology

This is Dr. Ahmet Kusoglu, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Pennington, NJ - The ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship Selection Committee has chosen three winners who will receive $50,000 fellowship awards each for projects in green energy technology. The awardees are Dr. Ahmet Kusoglu, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Professor Julie Renner, Case Western Reserve Un
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Date:
06/26/2017
Buck regulators incorporate a unique constant frequency/controlled on-time, current mode control scheme
MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices, Inc. announces the LTC3636 and LTC3636-1 are high efficiency, 4MHz synchronous dual output buck regulators that incorporate a unique constant frequency/controlled on-time, current mode control scheme with phase lockable switching frequency. Further, their innovative des
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Date:
06/26/2017
Mouser Electronics and Grant Imahara launch  “Shaping Smarter Cities” video series
Mouser Electronics Inc. is teaming up with celebrity engineer Grant Imahara for the Shaping Smarter Cities project, the newest series in the successful Empowering Innovation Together program. The exciting series features five videos that showcase engineers and companies from around the world that are working to make cities more intelligent and resourceful through innovative
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Date:
06/23/2017
Santa Clara event parking includes electric vehicle charging stations
SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- Heading to an event at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Levi's Stadium, or California's Great America theme park and running low on your electric vehicle (EV) charge? There are no worries in Santa Clara as the city has one of the largest public multi-standard EV charging facilities in Cali
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Date:
06/23/2017
True green LEDs increase design-in flexibility, enable smaller end products
MALVERN, Pa. — The optoelectronics group of Vishay Intertechnology, Inc. introduced a new series of true green LEDs in a compact surface-mount 0603 ChipLED package. Measuring 1.6 mm by 0.8 mm with an ultra thin 0.55 mm profile, the VLMTG1400 series devices utilize the most recent ultrabright InGaN chip technolo
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Date:
06/22/2017
Time is running out to enter the Create the Future Design Contest, an exciting challenge — sponsored by Mouser Electronics — to engineers and students worldwide to create the next great thing. Mouser, the industry’s new product introduction leader, is once again partnering with valued suppliers Intel and
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Date:
06/22/2017
Pocket-sized device combines a logic analyzer and built-in pattern generator
Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the Digital Discovery module from Digilent. This pocket-sized, high-performance device combines a logic analyzer and built-in pattern generator in a single instrument. The Digital Discovery provides designers a suite of advanced features to debug, visualize and simulate di
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Date:
06/22/2017
Power IC manufacturing technology designed for automotive applications
Munich, Germany – Car makers want in-vehicle electronic systems to provide a large number of energy-efficient functions in as little space as possible. Infineon Technologies AG supports this trend with its new power IC manufacturing technology SMART7. Infineon designed it specifically for automot
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Date:
06/22/2017
Contactor designed for operating voltages of up to 450 V DC
TDK Corporation presents the new HVC200A bipolar high-voltage contactor for the switching of high DC voltages and currents. It is designed for operating voltages of up to 450 V DC and a high continuous current of 200 A. Arcs that occur when disconnecting the DC load are quickly and safely extinguished wi
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Date:
06/22/2017
Multifunctional catalyst for poison-resistant hydrogen fuel cells

Reaction mechanism with a catalyst for fuel cells that use hydrogen and carbon monoxide as fuels.

Kyushu, Japan--Demand for eco-friendly fuel sources is increasing as the goal of weaning off our reliance on fossil fuels becomes commonly recognized. Hydrogen represents a possible sustainable fuel source when it is produced from water and burned with oxygen because only water is released as a by-product. The ox
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Date:
06/22/2017
SAN JOSE, California – Elektrobit (EB) and NXP Semiconductors N.V. announced a collaboration to deliver a powerful new development platform that integrates the NXP BlueBox Automated Drive Development Platform and Elektrobit’s EB robinos software framework for highly automated driving systems. This joint solution
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Date:
06/21/2017
Deceleration of runaway electrons paves the way for fusion power

Although the vacuum chamber in the British fusion reactor JET has a wall made of solid metal, it can melt if it gets hit by a beam of runaway electrons. It is these runaway elementary particles that doctoral students Linnea Hesslow and Ola Embréus have successfully identified and decelerated.

Fusion power has the potential to provide clean and safe energy that is free from carbon dioxide emissions. However, imitating the solar energy process is a difficult task to achieve. Two young plasma physicists at Chalmers University of Technology have now taken us one step closer to a functional fusion reactor. Th
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Date:
06/21/2017
Australian scientists have paved the way for carbon neutral fuel with the development of a new efficient catalyst that converts carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air into synthetic natural gas in a 'clean' process using solar energy. Undertaken by University of Adelaide in collaboration with CSIRO, the research co
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Date:
06/21/2017
DC/DC Controller Eliminates Power Inductor & Delivers 500W+ in Non-Isolated Intermediate Bus Converter Applications

72V Fixed Ratio High Power Charge Pump Controller

MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA – Linear Technology Corporation announces the LTC7820, a high power fixed ratio charge pump DC/DC controller that eliminates the power inductor in a non-isolated intermediate bus converter, allowing up to a 50% reduction in circuit size and up to 4000W/in3 power density.&
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Date:
06/20/2017
World's Smallest Common-Mode Choke for Automotive Ethernet
TDK Corporation presents the ACT1210L common-mode choke – the world's smallest of its type for automotive Ethernet applications. Its dimensions are just 3.2 mm x 2.5 mm x 2.5 mm, making it just half the size of the existing ACT45L choke which measures in at 4.5 mm x 3.2 mm x 2.8 mm. Series production of the new
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Date:
06/20/2017
Boost Converter Drives Portable Power Management Applications
Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the TPS61253A 4A boost converter from Texas Instruments (TI). The TPS61253A delivers a variety of features that enable the device to drive a multitude of portable power management applications, such as smartphones and USB charging ports, requiring fewer external components th
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Date:
06/20/2017
Power Splitter Designed for Mid- and High-End Smartphones and Tablet PCs
Santa Clara, California – Silego Technology Inc. (Silego) announced the introduction of the SLG59H1302C – a very robust single-input, dual-output power splitter designed for mid- and high-end smartphones and tablet PCs. Any integrated circuit (IC) product designed for consumer electronics and operating in the v
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Date:
06/20/2017
Corn better used as food than biofuel, study finds

In a new study, Professor Kumar and graduate student Meredith Richardson find that using corn for biofuel comes with greater environmental costs and fewer benefits than using corn for food.

Corn is grown not only for food, it is also an important renewable energy source. Renewable biofuels can come with hidden economic and environmental issues, and the question of whether corn is better utilized as food or as a biofuel has persisted since ethanol came into use. For the first time, researchers at th
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Date:
06/20/2017
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 20, 2017 -- Glow sticks, like those brandished by trick-or-treaters and partygoers, light up due to excited electrons of the molecules in the contained fluorescent dye. Electrons accept the exciting energy from a chemical reaction that results when an inner tube in the glow stick is cracked an
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Date:
06/20/2017
Changing how solar power rolls

Smaller and lighter than traditional solar panels, the Roll-Out Solar Array, or ROSA, consists of a center wing made of a flexible material containing photovoltaic cells to convert light into electricity.

Traditional solar panels used to power satellites can be bulky with heavy panels folded together using mechanical hinges. An experiment that recently arrived at the International Space Station will test a new solar array design that rolls up to form a compact cylinder for launch with significantly less mass an
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Date:
06/20/2017
Munich, Germany – The Japanese automotive system supplier DENSO has honored Infineon with a “Supplier of the Year Award”. DENSO acknowledged the Infineon North America team for their outstanding local support. The award is given to the supplier who demonstrates commitment to exceptional q
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Date:
06/19/2017
DC/DC Converter Delivers 93% Efficiency at 2MHz from a 2mm x 2mm DFN Package
MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices, Inc. announces the LT8607, a 750mA, 42V input synchronous step-down switching regulator. A unique synchronous rectification topology delivers 93% efficiency while switching at 2MHz, enabling designers to avoid critical noise-sensitive frequency bands, such as AM
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Date:
06/19/2017
TEV Project Teams up with Newcastle University to Create Highways of the Future
TEV project, an initiative to advance road infrastructure and the way people travel, has announced its innovative partnership with Newcastle University. Caroline Jones Carrick created TEV Project alongside her father, Will Jones, a battery expert and inventor, bringing their vision for a next-generation highway w
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Date:
06/16/2017
DOE Awards Six Research Contracts Totaling $258 Million to Boost US Exascale Technology
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Secretary of Energy Rick Perry announced that six leading U.S. technology companies will receive funding from the Department of Energy's Exascale Computing Project (ECP) as part of its new PathForward program, accelerating the research necessary to deploy the nation's first exascale supercomputers. The awardees wi
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Date:
06/16/2017
Electrolytes Made From Liquefied Gas Enable Batteries to Run at Ultra-Low Temperatures
Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a breakthrough in electrolyte chemistry that enables lithium batteries to run at temperatures as low as -60 degrees Celsius with excellent performance -- in comparison, today's lithium-ion batteries stop working at -20 degrees Celsius. The new ele
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Date:
06/16/2017
Wireless Power Development Kit Charges Devices up to 80 Feet
PITTSBURGH, PA -- Powercast Corporation announced the P1110-EVAL-01 development kit that enables manufacturers of smart, connected devices to easily design and deploy them using Powercast's wireless power technology. The kit includes Powercast's FCC-approved Powercaster transmitter (FCC ID: YESTX91501, IC #
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Date:
06/16/2017
Nickel for Thought: Compound Shows Potential for High-Temperature Superconductivity

Materials scientists at Argonne National Laboratory synthesized these single crystals of a metallic trilayer nickelate compound via a high-pressure crystal growth process. A team led by John Mitchell, an Argonne Distinguished Fellow and associate director of the laboratory's Materials Science Division, describe the compound's potential as a high-temperature superconductor in the June 12 issue of Nature Physics.

A team of researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory has identified a nickel oxide compound as an unconventional but promising candidate material for high-temperature superconductivity. The team successfully synthesized single crystals of a metallic trilayer nickelate compound,
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Date:
06/16/2017
Railway DC-DC Converters Offer RIA12 Surge Withstand Capacity
ABSOPULSE Electronics has recently added the DCR 30R-F0 series to its line of RIA12 railway quality DC-DC converters. The input voltage surge withstand capacity is 3.5 times greater than the nominal input voltage for 20 milliseconds, which ensures that the converters meet RIA12, the specification for the protection of
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Date:
06/15/2017
Time-of-Flight Chipset and Development Kit Enables Future-Proof Design of 3D Vision Solutions
Tessenderlo, Belgium - Melexis announces a new Time-of-Flight (ToF) chipset and development kit that enables simple, modular and future proof design of 3D vision solutions. Previously available only as part of a development system, the chipset is now available to designers everywhere. The newly available chipset in
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Date:
06/15/2017
Mouser-Sponsored Vaillante Rebellion Shifts into High Gear for Le Mans
Coming off strong showings at Belgium’s 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps on May 6, the Mouser Electronics-sponsored Vaillante Rebellion racing team is excitedly preparing for the famed 24 Hours of Le Mans, set for June 17–18. The Vaillante Rebellion No. 31 car, piloted by Nick Prost, Bruno Senna and Julien Canal, ha
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Date:
06/15/2017
ANN ARBOR--In what could be a major step forward for a new generation of solar cells called "concentrator photovoltaics," University of Michigan researchers have developed a new semiconductor alloy that can capture the near-infrared light located on the leading edge of the visible light spectrum. Easier to manufa
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Date:
06/15/2017
LED Controller Eliminates Trade-Off Between Fast Response Time and Low EMI for Exterior Lighting
San Jose, CA— The MAX20078 synchronous buck, high-brightness LED controller from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. is the only product available which provides both fast response time and low electromagnetic interference (EMI) for exterior LED lighting and improved safety applications. Ideal for matrix lighting
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Date:
06/14/2017
Breakthrough by Queen's University Paves way for Smaller Electronic Devices

Domain Walls research is pictured.

Queen's University Belfast researchers have discovered a new way to create extremely thin electrically conducting sheets, which could revolutionise the tiny electronic devices that control everything from smart phones to banking and medical technology. Through nanotechnology, physicists Dr Raymond McQuaid, D
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Date:
06/14/2017
MEMS Accelerometer and Inclinometer Delivers Exceptional Stability, Reliability and Low Noise
Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the SCA3300-D01 three-axis accelerometer and inclinometer from Murata. The surface-mount MEMS sensor provides user-selectable measurement range and extensive self-diagnostics features. The Murata SCA3300-D01 three-axis accelerometer and inclinometer, available from Mous
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Date:
06/14/2017
Power Distribution, Inc. Targets Ohio and Kentucky Data Centers With new Greensource Cincinnati Partnership
Richmond, Virginia – Power Distribution, Inc. (PDI) announced its partnership with greensource Cincinnati. The new alliance underscores PDI’s commitment to Ohio and Kentucky-based mission-critical facilities by aligning the industry’s most innovative power distribution solutions with the regions’ most not
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Date:
06/13/2017
Mouser Electronics and Amphenol SGX Sensortech Sign Global Agreement to Distribute Gas Sensors
Mouser Electronics, Inc., announces a global distribution agreement with Amphenol SGX Sensortech, a market leader in innovative sensor and detector devices. Through the agreement, Mouser will add SGX Sensortech’s robust environmental sensors to its sensor linecard. The Amphenol SGX Sensortech product line avai
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06/13/2017
Microcontroller Portfolio Targets a Wide Range of Sensing and Measurement Applications
Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the MSP430FR599x and MSP430FR596x microcontrollers, the latest MSP430 microcontrollers from Texas Instruments (TI). The ultra-low-power, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM) microcontroller portfolio targets a wide range of sensing and measurement applications. The TI MSP430
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06/13/2017
AC/DC Power Supplies Include Both Industrial and Medical Safety Approvals in a Small U-channel Footprint
XP Power has announced the UCP225 series of high power density, very low profile 225W AC/DC power supplies with both industrial and medical safety approvals in a small U-channel footprint.   The UCP225 series provides a high power density, low profile, compact, rugged U-channel power solution with very high
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06/13/2017
Ammonia On-Demand? Alternative Production Method for a Sustainable Future

Proton hopping plays an important role in the reaction, as it activates nitrogen gas even at low temperatures and moderates the harsh condition requirements.

Our society is in need of ammonia more than ever. Chemical fertilizers, plastic, fibers, pharmaceuticals, refrigerants in heat pumps, and even explosives all use ammonia as raw material. Moreover, ammonia has been suggested as a hydrogen carrier recently because of its high hydrogen content. In the Haber-Bosch
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06/13/2017
Angle sensors:TMR angle sensor with digital output

TMR angle sensor TAD2141 with digital output

TDK Corporation presents the new TMR angle sensor TAD2141 with digital output. The new sensor offers a guaranteed accuracy of ±0.2° and at room temperature achieves the industry’s highest accuracy*** for angle error of only ±0.05°. The sensor is capable of contactless sensing 360° within a temperature range of -
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06/13/2017
Lithium-oxygen systems could someday outperform today's lithium-ion batteries because of their potential for high energy density. However, a number of important issues, such as their poor electrochemical stability must be addressed before these systems can successfully compete with current rechargeable batteries. Tod
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06/12/2017
Modular Platform Enable Rapid Implementation of Smart and Connected Cloud-Based Applications
Mouser Electronics, Inc. is now stocking the IoT Development Kit (IDK) from ON Semiconductor. Combining hardware and software elements to enable rapid implementation of smart and connected cloud-based applications, ON Semiconductor’s IoT Development Kit provides engineers with all of the building blocks needed to
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06/12/2017
FPGA Enables Energy-Efficient Embedded Vision Systems at the Edge
PORTLAND, OR and SHANGHAI, CHINA – Lattice Semiconductor Corporation announced the implementation of its ECP5 FPGA into embedded vision applications for smart surveillance and automotive applications at the Edge. Reinforcing Lattice’s commitment to the industrial and automotive markets, the company’s ECP
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06/12/2017
Low Noise Buck-Boost Charge Pump Saves Space and Reduces EMI
MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA - Analog Devices, Inc. announces the LTC3246, a compact, low noise buck-boost charge pump with integrated watchdog timer capable of up to 500mA of output current. The LTC3246 uses multimode switched capacitor conversion to maintain regulation over a wide 2.7V to 38V input voltage ra
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06/12/2017
Significant Addition to the NFC Ecosystem Provides a New IoT Growth Vector
As co-inventor of NFC technology, NXP Semiconductors is excited about the expanding number of users of NFC applications: brand owners can connect and engage directly with consumers pre- and post-sale, leverage social connectivity, drive omnichannel sales, build loyalty, protect products and their distribution ch
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06/09/2017
Finnish Demo Plant Produces Renewable Fuel From Carbon Dioxide Captured From the Air
The unique Soletair demo plant developed by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Lappeenranta University of Technology (LUT) uses carbon dioxide to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. The pilot plant is coupled to LUT's solar power plant in Lappeenranta. The aim of the project is to demonstrate the techni
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06/09/2017
There might be a better way to use wind power, according to a recent paper in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica (JAS), a joint publication of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) and the Chinese Association of Automation. Scientists from the University of Rhode Island, Florida Atl
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06/09/2017
Researchers Compute their way Toward Cleaner Coal Plants

Using the HLRS Hazel Hen machine, RWTH Aachen University researchers were able to run a DNS simulation on a system of 45,000 particles at the Kolmogorov scale. To the team's knowledge, this is the direct-particle simulation for the largest number of particles at this scale to date, and serves as a benchmark for how other researchers studying this process can get more realistic simulation results.

When you think of turbulence, you might think of a bumpy plane ride. Turbulence, however, is far more ubiquitous to our lives than just air travel. Ocean waves, smoke from fire, even noise coming from jet engines or wind turbines are all related to turbulence. A team of researchers at RWTH Aachen Universit
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06/09/2017
Chinese scientists have made good use of waste while finding an innovative solution to a technical problem by transforming rusty stainless steel mesh into electrodes with outstanding electrochemical properties that make them ideal for potassium-ion batteries. As reported in the journal Angewandte Chemie, the rust is
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06/09/2017
Cool-Power ZVS Buck Regulator Extends 48V Direct-to-Point of Load Product Family
Vicor’s new PI3526-00-LGIZ is the latest addition to the Cool-Power ZVS Buck Regulator portfolio supporting a 48V (30-60Vin) input. The PI352x is a higher current offering compared to Vicor’s existing PI354x portfolio, enabling scalable power options for 48V Direct to Point of Load (PoL) applications. The PI
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06/08/2017
IO-Link Master Transceiver Ensures Robust Communications
San Jose, CA—June 7, 2017—Designers of Industry 4.0 applications can now achieve robust communications and reduce power dissipation by 50% with the MAX14819 dual-channel, IO-Link master transceiver from Maxim Integrated Products, Inc. Today's fanless programmable logic controller (PLC) and IO-Link gateway sy
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06/08/2017
Qualcomm Technologies Inc. announced support for Amazon Web Services (AWS) Greengrass in select system-on-chips (SoCs) designed to help manufacturers accelerate development of IoT products with edge processing capabilities using the new AWS Software Solution. Manufacturers expected to commercialize solutions runn
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06/08/2017
Improving the Performance of Tin Electrocatalysts for CO2 Reduction

The (110) surface of rutile tin oxide with tin atoms marked in purple and oxygen atoms marked in red. Labels denote the catalytically active sites that were considered in this study. H and CO2 adsorbates prefer binding to the Obr site.

PITTSBURGH (June 8, 2017) ... The Journal of Materials Chemistry A, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, included University of Pittsburgh researcher John Keith in its list of Emerging Investigators in 2017. The journal's themed issue highlighted "rising stars" of materials chemistry research rec
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06/08/2017
– Silego Technology announces the introduction of SLG46580, further expanding the GreenPAKTM (GPAK) family of Programmable Mixedsignal Integrated Circuits (CMICs). This newest GPAK is targeted to support power systems in wearable and handheld market segments. This device is both highly integrated and highly fl
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06/07/2017
Scientists from the University of Geneva are using the rules of genetics to better understand how to incorporate wind and solar power into the current electrical grid to produce a renewable power system. The researchers published their study in IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica Sinica (JAS), a joint publication of the IEEE
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06/07/2017
N-Channel MOSFET Driver Provides 100% Duty Cycle Capability
MILPITAS, CA & NORWOOD, MA - June 7, 2017 - Analog Devices, Inc., which recently acquired Linear Technology Corporation, announces the LTC7000/-1, a high speed, high side N-channel MOSFET driver that operates up to a 150V supply voltage. Its internal charge pump fully enhances an external N-channel MOSFET swi
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06/07/2017
Power Supplies Feature Remote Sense without Wires
Campbell, CA—Versatile Power introduces its BENCH XR line of 600W programmable supplies. BENCH XR power supplies are the industry’s first to provide accurate point-of-load voltage regulation over a wide range of load conditions – without the use of an auxiliary remote sense circuit. Remote sense is implemented ut
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06/06/2017
Wind is powerful, but it doesn't always blow where and when it's needed. To make it more reliable and widely available, scientists have developed a two-prong approach to ensure wind-generated power doesn't die down as a renewable resource. The collaborative team includes scientists from the University of Connectic
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06/06/2017
Keeping the Hydrogen Coming

A high-resolution electron microscope image (right) of the platinum electrocatalytic layer coated with molybdenum. The platinum catalyzes the hydrogen-evolution reaction (left) in acidic medium from protons in the electrolyte while the molybdenum layer inhibits water-forming reactions.

A novel molybdenum-coated catalyst that can efficiently split water in acidic electrolytes has been developed by researchers at KAUST and could help with efficient production of hydrogen. When burned, hydrogen is converted into water and heat to make an entirely clean power source. Thus, in the quest for green
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06/06/2017
New Millimeter-Wave Technology Could Make Future Vehicles Much Safer

Millimeter-wave radars covering several tens of meters could be on cars, bikes, and smartphones. This might create a lot of new applications including games.

Higashihiroshima and Yokohama, Japan, June 5, 2017--Hiroshima University and Mie Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited (MIFS) today announced the development of a low-power millimeter-wave amplifier that feeds on 0.5 V power supply and covers the frequency range from 80 GHz to 106 GHz. It was fabricated using MIFS's Dee
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06/05/2017
Chemical 'Dance' of Cobalt Catalysis Could Pave way to Solar Fuels

Argonne chemists Dugan Hayes, Lin Chen, and Ryan Hadt have identified a rapid electronic process that could aid the water-splitting reaction in cobalt-containing catalysts. Cobalt catalysts are relatively inexpensive and could replace more expensive precious metal catalysts in the production of clean energy, most notably solar fuels.

By splitting a water molecule into two atoms of hydrogen and one of oxygen, scientists can use the boundless energy of the sun to make a clean fuel. In a new study from the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory and Harvard University, scientists have for the first time been able to see an
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06/05/2017
Acopian Power Supplies modified-standard and custom power supplies, today announced that it has received the 4-Star Supplier Excellence Award for 2017 from Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) business. Of Raytheon’s more than 3,500 supplier partners participating in the annual event, only 84 were granted 4-Star ho
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06/03/2017
  It is with great pleasure that we are announcing the appointment of Ally Winning as European Editor, PSD. Ally’s background brings a wealth of knowledge and experience relevant to PSD and our market position. Click image to enlarge Ally W
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Date:
06/03/2017
We tend to focus on the efficiency and aesthetics of rooftop solar panels, but as it turns out, placing giant, potentially electrified devices on top of your home impedes a very specific group – firefighters. Wired has more…. Solar panels can “get in the way of cutting ventilation holes ... first responder
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06/01/2017
Recently, solar steam and vapor generation is attracting a lot of attention with promising prospect in desalination, sterilization and chemical purification. Tremendous progress has been achieved as absorber designs (PNAS, 110, 11677-11681 (2013), Nature Comm. 6, 10103, (2015), Nature Photonics, 10, 393-398, (2016)) and ther
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06/01/2017
Ultra-Stable Perovskite Solar Cell Remains Stable for More Than a Year

This is a schematic representation of the findings of this study.

Perovskite solar cells promise cheaper and efficient solar energy, with enormous potential for commercialization. But even though they have been shown to achieve over 22% power-conversion efficiency, their operational stability still fails market requirements. Despite a number of proposed solutions in fabrication te
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Date:
06/01/2017
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