Euro Nano Tech News

July, 22, 2005

Top European Stories :

1. One-atom-thick materials promise a ‘’new industrial revolution’’
2. INVENT: a US nanolitography project, with a German company
3. Tegal delivers etch systems in Europe
4. iCurie UK becoms a subsidiary of iCurie US

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1. One-atom-thick materials promise a ‘’new industrial revolution’’
A team of British and Russian scientists led by Professor Geim (Director of Manchester Centre for Mesoscience and Nanotechnology, CMN) have discovered a whole family of previously unknown materials, which are one atom thick and exhibit properties which scientists had never thought possible. Not only are they ultra-thin, but depending on circumstances they can also be ultra-strong, highly-insulating or highly-conductive, offering a wide range of unique properties. The materials have been created by extracting individual atomic planes from conventional bulk crystals by using micromechanical cleavage technique. Depending on a parent crystal, their one-atom-thick counterparts can be metals, semiconductors, insulators, magnets, etc. Previously, it was thought that such thin materials could not exist in principle, but the research team have demonstrated that they are not only possible but fairly easy to make. They found that the atomically thin sheets they extracted were not only stable under ambient conditions but also exhibited extremely high crystal quality, which is what gives them their unique properties. Althought some of the applications are probably decades away, the research team expects to see nano-sensors based on the discovered one-atom-thick crystals already in a few years time.
The University of Manchester - CMN

2. INVENT: a US nanolitography project, with a German company
University at Albany-SUNY’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE, USA) has announced the launch of an International Venture for Nanolithography (INVENT) dedicated to R&D, education and technology deployment for nanolithography applications. The project will get $200 million in funding and equipment from three US Companies, plus German-based Infineon Technologies, the only european company to participate in the initiative. Infineon designs and markets semiconductors and system solutions targeted at selected industries (wireless and wireline communications, automotive, industrial, computer…). The State will participate in the funding with a $180 million contribution. $200 million will come from companies that provide the materials and equipment used to make semiconductors.
CNSE - Infineon

3. Tegal delivers etch systems in Europe
Tegal Corporation, US designer and manufacturer of plasma etch and deposition systems used in the production of integrated circuits and nanotechnology devices, announced that a European integrated device manufacturer that had previously placed a multiple system order with Tegal has increased the order to include additional 6540 advanced etch systems. The systems will be used in the production of high-K decoupling capacitors incorporated into cell phones and other wireless devices. The name of the client was not disclosed. In an unrelated announcement, Tegal said that they had installed a second process module to a 6500 advanced plasma etch system at the Instituto per la Ricerca Scientifica e Tecnologica (ITC-IRST), an Italian R&D institute working in the area of micro electrical mechanical systems (MEMS) devices. The 6500 advanced etch system will be used for R&D and for the production of small lots of prototype devices.
Tegal

4. iCurie UK becoms a subsidiary of iCurie US
iCurie Lab Holdings ("iCurie UK"), a UK company with a Korean operating subsidiary, is now a wholly owned subsidiary of iCurie, Inc. ("iCurie US"), a company formerly known as Cedar Mountain Distributors, through a share exchange with the former shareholders of iCurie UK. iCurie develops and commercializes next generation cooling solutions for the PC, personal communication and display industries. The cooling solutions are built on iCurie patents in thermofluid nanotechnology.
iCurie - Overview of iCurie thermofluid nanotechnology

- Surface treatment on titanium and titanium alloys
Samo is an Italian SME which designs, produces and commercialises implantable hip and knee prostheses and other high technology bio-medical products. Samo, which employs 45 people (8 of whom are dedicated to R&D), started new activities, operated through the controlled NanoSurfaces, the Politecnico di Milano spin off company. Such activities, moreover orthopaedic products, are committed to research, development, industrialisation and exploitation of innovative surface treatments on titanium and its alloys, with the intention of developing innovative surface treatments, especially by Anodisation and Anodic Spark Deposition techniques. Samo currently seeks to participate to a project in this field.
Contact - Samo - Source: Cordis

- Project coordinator in Denmark
Nano Øresund, a project aimed at bringing together nanotechnology strengths in Denmark-Sweden region, is looking for an experienced coordinator, to be placed at the Technical University of Denmark.
Nano Øresund

- Nano photocatalyst coating procedure
A Taiwanese scientist invented a nano photocatalyst coating procedure of forming a nano photocatalyst coating on the surface of a workpiece by: a). applying a nano photocatalyst solution of nano titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to the surface of the workpiece to form a nano photocatalyst coating, b). heating the workpiece to melt zinc oxide of the nano photocatalyst coating without melting nano titanium dioxide, and c). polishing the coating to press nano titanium dioxide into recesses at the surface of the workpiece and to let nano titanium dioxide be bonded to recesses at the surface of the workpiece by molten zinc oxide.
EPO data sheet

- Flow sensing apparatus
A method for monitoring and controlling the nano-scale flow rate of fluid in the operating flow path of a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system was invented by US scientists. Three US companies applied for the patent.
EPO fact sheet

- Engineering Nanoscience, a Master of Science in Sweden
Lund University (Sweden) proposes a four and a half year program culminating with a Master of Science degree in Engineering Nanoscience. The first three years of the program are conducted in Swedish. The final year and a half are conducted similar to a Master program and given mainly in English.
Details here

- International Master in Nanotechnologies: admissions started
Admission process has started for the third edition of the International Master in Nanotechnologies (IMN). The IMN is organized by CIVEN (Coordinamento Interuniversitario Veneto per le Nanotecnologie, Italy) and awarded by two Italian Universities: Università degli Studi di Padova, and Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia The goal of the IMN is to form international students, graduated in chemistry, physics, material science or engineering, in scientists and managers eager to pursue a career in nanotech. 2006 programme: 330 hours on nanotechnology, 150 hours on management, and 3-months long internship.
Presentation of IMN

- Fuji Photo Film nanotech-based tape drive commercialy avalaible

- Samsung to produce 1 Gb DDR2 DRAM Using 90 nm process

- Nanobiotechnology in drug delivery: the market finally emerges (source: Pharmalicensing)

- ORNL mirrors powerful tools for studying nano-materials

- Agilent and Asylum partner on nanotechnology measurements applications

- Biosensors: Nano-Proprietary and Funai Technology on a joint research project (pdf)

Euro Nano Tech News is a bi-weekly email service covering the european nano market and technologies.
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