The Kynix Blog

For the first time, researchers have created light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on lightweight flexible metal foil.Engineers at The Ohio State University are developing the foil based LEDs for portable ultraviolet (UV) lights that soldiers and others can use to purify drinking water and sterilize medical equipment.In the journal Applied Physics Letters, the researchers describe how they designed the LEDs to shine in the high-energy "deep" end of the UV spectrum. The university will license the technology to industry for further development.Deep UV light is already used by the military, humanitarian organizations and industry for applications ranging from detection of biological agents to curing plastics, explained Roberto Myers, associate professor of materials science and engineering at Ohio State.The problem is that conventional deep-UV lamps are too heavy to easily carry around."Right now, if you want to make deep ultraviolet light, you've got to use mercury lamps," said Myers, who is also an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. "Mercury is toxic and the lamps are bulky and electrically inefficient. LEDs, on the other hand, are really efficient, so if we could make UV LEDs that are safe and portable and cheap, we could make safe drinking water wherever we need it."He noted that other research groups have fabricated deep-UV LEDs at the laboratory scale, but only by using extremely pure, rigid single-crystal semiconductors as substrates—a strategy that imposes an enormous cost barrier for industry.Foil-based nanotechnology could enable large-scale production of a lighter, cheaper and more environmentally friendly deep-UV LED. But Myers and materials science doctoral student Brelon J. May hope that their technology will do something more: turn a niche research field known as nanophotonics into a viable industry."People always said that nanophotonics will never be commercially important, because you can't scale them up. Well, now we can. We can make a sheet of them if we want," Myers said. "That means we can consider nanophotonics for large-scale manufacturing."In part, this new development relies on a well-established semiconductor growth technique known as molecular beam epitaxy, in which vaporized elemental materials settle on a surface and self-organize into layers or nanostructures. The Ohio State researchers used this technique to grow a carpet of tightly packed aluminum gallium nitride wires on pieces of metal foil such as titanium and tantalum.The individual wires measure about 200 nanometers tall and about 20-50 nanometers in diameter—thousands of times narrower than a human hair and invisible to the naked eye.In laboratory tests, the nanowires grown on metal foils lit up nearly as brightly as those manufactured on the more expensive and less flexible single-crystal silicon.The researchers are working to make the nanowire LEDs even brighter, and will next try to grow the wires on foils made from more common metals, including steel and aluminum.Reference:KY59-LM324MMKY59- LM2710KY59- LM3080  

The world's most precise clock has been fine-tuned to boost radar and GPS capabilities.The Cryogenic Sapphire Oscillator, or Sapphire Clock, has been enhanced by researchers from the University of Adelaide in South Australia to achieve near attosecond capability.The oscillator is 10-1000 times more stable than competing technology and allows users to take ultra-high precision measurements to improve the performance of electronic systems.Increased time precision is an integral part of radar technology and quantum computing, which have previously relied on the stability of quartz oscillators as well as atomic clocks such as the Hydrogen Maser.Atomic clocks are the gold-standard in time keeping for long-term stability over months and years. However, electronic systems need short-term stability over a second to control today's devices.The new Sapphire Clock has a short-term stability of better than 1x10-15, which is equivalent to only losing or gaining one second every 40 million years, 100 times better than commercial atomic clocks over a second.The original Sapphire Clock was developed by Professor Andre Luiten in 1989 in Western Australia before the team moved to South Australia to continue developing the device at the University of Adelaide.Lead researcher Martin O'Connor said the development group was in the process of modifying the device to meet the needs of various industries including defence, quantum computing and radio astronomy.The 100cm x 40cm x 40cm clock uses the natural resonance frequency of a synthetic sapphire crystal to maintain a steady oscillator signal.Associate Professor O'Connor said the machine could be reduced to 60 per cent of its size without losing much of its capability."Our technology is so far ahead of the game, it is now the time to transfer it into a commercial product," he said. "We can now tailor the oscillator to the application of our customers by reducing its size, weight and power consumption but it is still beyond current electronic systems."The Sapphire Clock, also known as a microwave oscillator, has a 5 cm cylinder-shaped crystal that is cooled to -269C.Microwave radiation is constantly propagating around the crystal with a natural resonance. The concept was first discovered by Lord Rayleigh in 1878 when he could hear someone whispering far away on the other side of the church dome at St Paul's Cathedral.The clock then uses small probes to pick up the faint resonance and amplifies it back to produce a pure frequency with near attosecond performance."An atomic clock uses an electronic transition between two energy levels of an atom as a frequency standard," Associate Professor O'Connor said."The atomic clock is what is commonly used in GPS satellites and in other quantum computing and astronomy applications but our clock is set to disrupt these current applications."The lab-based version already has an existing customer in the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST Group) in Adelaide, but Associate Professor O'Connor said the research group was also looking for more clients and was in discussion with a number of different industry groups.The research group is taking part in the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation's (CSIRO's) On Prime pre-accelerator program, which helps teams identify customer segments and build business plans.Reference:KY163-ECS-2200B-500KY163-ECS-2100A-061KY163- ECS-2100A-640 

Industrial design researchers at Brunel University London have solved two of the major challenges which prevent everyday items of clothing being turned into power sources for smartphones, tablets and other personal tech.Technology to produce super capacitor thread capable of being made into cloth has been around for some time. But until now scientists have been unable to make it provide sufficient voltage for most devices or devise a method to produce it economically outside the lab.Now patented breakthroughs made by colleagues Professors David Harrison and John Fyson, Dr Yanmeng Xu, Dr Fulian Qiu and Ruirong Zhang of Brunel's Department of Design mean thread capable of storing and supplying enough power for common devices and of being manufactured at industrial scale are a reality.Explained Prof Harrison: "Supercapacitors are already ubiquitous as back-up power in phones, PCs and tablets."They store energy without a chemical reaction so can be charged and discharged almost indefinitely. But in thread form they have never before been able to break the 1V barrier."What we have done is show we can produce a multi-layered structure with two sequential capacitive layers capable of producing up to 2V. Breaking the 1V threshold is important as in the real world we work on the voltage of common batteries – 1.5V."We also wanted to address mass production issues so developed a process to semi-automatically coat stainless steel wire the thickness of a human hair with eight separate layers."The work at Brunel is part of the EU-sponsored Powerweave programme which brings together researchers from seven countries to produce textiles which can both generate and store power.Reference:KY36-F17724102900KY36-MKP1841410254KY36-BFC246816474

An ultra-compact implantable image sensor using body channel communication has been demonstrated in Japan. The body channel approach allows the sensor-transmitter device to be much smaller and use less power than an RF wireless unit.  Fundamental limitsInterest in implantable medical sensors is on the rise as developments in established technologies and new concepts are making more and more applications feasible. One thing that all such sensors share is the need to be able to get the information they gather within the body, out of the body.RF communication is widely used for such applications, however, with implantable devices size reduction is generally desirable to reduce invasiveness, and in some applications there are also specific size limitations, owing to where and how the sensors are to be implanted. For example, sensors intended for use inside the brain need to be very compact.Using smaller antennas generally means using higher frequencies, and that in turn leads to attenuation problems with biological tissues. To compensate for increased attenuation more power is needed, which is also a serious issue for an implantable device.Conductive communicationAn alternative wireless approach to sending the data is body channel communication, in which an electrical signal is transmitted by conduction through the tissues of the body. In this issue of Electronics Letters, researchers from the Nara Institute of Science and Technology's Graduate School of Materials Science report using this approach to transmit and receive image data from a CMOS sensor fully implanted in a simulated body environment.Their sensor design, using body channel as the transmission method, will allow data to be read from the device by attaching an electrode to the surface of the body near the implantation site, as well as allowing the sensor unit itself to be low-power and small."Our implantable CMOS image sensor is intended for biomedical applications such as brain functional imaging," explains team member Hajime Hayami. "It can be planted with minimum invasiveness. Its features enable implantation of a number of sensors in a brain to investigate collaborative neural activities."In their experiments, the team at Nara have transmitted images from a CMOS sensor submerged in phosphate buffer saline (PBS), a body simulant material, to a receiver electrode 2 mm away. The experiments prove the principle of operation for this form of communication and even this small distance is enough to allow in vivo use in smaller animals."We are planning to apply our device to brain functional imaging of a mouse brain in the near future. Because the size of a mouse brain is only a few mm thick, the transmission distance of 2 mm is sufficient. Even in the case of signal transmission through a longer distance with a larger animal, the experimental results indicate that this method can be applied by adjusting the sensitivity of the receiver circuit," said Hayami.Neural arraysBefore the team can proceed with implantation in an animal, they need to integrate all of their PCB based devices into a single chip. This chip has already been designed and they are now working on the fabrication, with the goal of beginning implantation experiments by the end of 2014.Meanwhile, the Nara researchers have also been working to develop the design and say that relatively long distance transmission is now possible through improvements to the receiver circuit. On the sensor/transmitter side, they have also shown that they can use pulse-width modulation rather than an ADC output from the image sensor.The central goal of their work is creating tools for research into the human brain. "Our research group aims to elucidate the cooperative neural activity with distributed ultra-small sensors in the brain. We think we can achieve the goal by designing more intelligent chips based on the proposed communication method," said Hayami.The team believe that current sociological trends, including aging societies, will continue to drive demand for implantable devices, and that the applications of this kind of technology may develop to include more natural interaction between users and technology. Hayami commented that "I hope we will create an epoch where one can unconsciously use implantable devices by developing a brain-machine interface."Reference:KY45-OVM7695-RAEAKY45- OV09726-A40A-1DKY45- MT9P001I12STC 

It's a summer night in 2025, and suddenly a power cut strikes. Naturally, you expect your ceiling fan to keep spinning, but instead, it slows to a halt. When you check your power backup system, you find the inverter body is excessively hot to the touch. Worse yet, the battery itself feels dangerously warm. This overheating issue is a common challenge in modern households with increasing energy demands. However, there is no need to panic; with the right maintenance strategies, you can resolve this heating problem and extend your system's lifespan.Here are some professional solutions for the inverter battery overheating problem:1. Monitor the maximum load capacity:Overloading is a primary cause of battery overheating. If your power draw exceeds the inverter's rated capacity, internal resistance spikes, generating excess heat. Read your instruction manual to note the optimum load capacity. In 2025, many "Smart Inverters" feature LCD displays or mobile apps that show real-time load percentage—use these tools to ensure your connected devices never exceed the maximum limit.2. Inspect your connections for resistance:Faulty wiring is a silent fire hazard. Loose connections between the inverter, the mains, and the battery terminals create electrical resistance, which manifests as heat. You must check these connections frequently. Ensure nuts and bolts are tightened securely and that current is flowing without obstruction to prevent unnecessary thermal buildup.3. Optimize charging cycles (Avoid Deep Discharge):Older advice suggested fully discharging batteries, but for modern Lead-Acid and Tubular batteries, frequent deep discharging significantly shortens their lifespan and increases heat during recharge. Instead, aim for shallow cycles. Ensure your battery is fully recharged after use. If you anticipate a long period of inactivity, reliable charging habits prevent the hardening of electrolytes (sulfation), which is a leading cause of overheating.4. Eliminate corrosion on battery terminals:Carbon buildup and rust on battery terminals act as insulators, forcing the system to work harder and generate heat. regularly inspect your terminals for white or greenish deposits. Clean any corrosion using a solution of hot water and baking soda with an old toothbrush. Once clean and dry, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly (Vaseline) to the terminals to seal them against future oxidation.5. Maintain electrolyte levels with distilled water:For Flooded Lead-Acid or Tubular batteries, electrolyte loss is natural over time. Low water levels expose the lead plates, causing rapid overheating and permanent damage. Check the water level indicators once a month. Top up *only* with distilled water to the specified mark. Note: Never use tap water, as impurities will damage the cells. If you use Sealed Maintenance Free (SMF) or Lithium batteries, this step does not apply.6. Ensure proper ventilation:Placement is critical. Batteries emit heat during charging and discharging. If they are stored in a closed cabinet or a room with poor airflow, that heat accumulates. The ideal operating temperature for most inverter batteries is around 25°C (77°F). Ensure there is at least 6 inches of clearance around the unit for air circulation to dissipate heat effectively.Leading manufacturers like Microtek have updated their technology for [Current Year] to include smart thermal management and high-efficiency designs. investing in these modern, sustainable power sources can provide a pocket-friendly solution that minimizes maintenance faults. 

The Internet of Things (IoT) describes devices and applications that gather and distribute data for everyday life. Sensor devices and processes that will underpin the IoT need to be small, versatile and energy efficient. Now A*STAR researchers have developed a sensor processor node that is capable of intelligent sensing while using ultra-low levels of power.IoT applications range from biomedical signal processing to uses in vehicle-status monitoring and environmental sensing. Most IoT devices are tiny in size, which means that they typically consume only a small amount of power. This is particularly challenging for processors that sample the information from sensors and analyze the data, as their power demands, in contrast, are intense, explains Xin Liu and Jun Zhou from the research team. "The limits on the space for power sources such as batteries leads to a critical power budget at the level of the micro Watt," says Liu. "At this level, processor design becomes extremely challenging if we are to achieve ultra-low power consumption whilst maintaining comprehensive functions."Typically, the lower the operating voltage, the lower is the overall power consumption. The Institute of Microelectronics research team adopted ultra-low voltage circuitry and system design techniques, and further developed diverse hardware accelerators for high-energy efficient signal processing of sensor information.A further key advance is possible by taking a more intelligent approach to the signal acquisition, by utilizing the knowledge about the specific sensor signals. In many applications, sensor signals take the form of sudden spikes, which are best-processed using cognitive sampling technologies. The advantage of those techniques is that they reduce the amount of data that needs to be processed by about 40 per cent which greatly reduces the power consumption.Using such techniques, the researchers were able to develop a sensor node processor design that can operate on ultra-low operating voltages as low as 0.5 volts, and that use only 29 to 39 pico Joule per operation cycle.The design represents a step toward a more comprehensive set of hardware systems, explains Liu."Emerging IoT devices play a key role to support the Singapore Smart Nation initiative in a wide range of applications," says Liu. "Our research team aims to develop high energy efficiency hardware circuits and systems, to achieve high performance, artificial intelligence, high energy efficiency, and a high security level."Reference:KY45-D7E-1KY45-BU-27135-000KY45-1005447-1