Abstract: A microheater performs a self measurement of its own temperature. The microheater has an electrically resistive element which generates heat when a voltage has been applied across the resistive element. The resistive element has an electrical conductivity that is a function of its temperature. A measurement device is positioned within the microheater body and is configured to measure conductivity of the resistive element. An electronic processor, that may be incorporated into the microheater, controls brief interruption of the heating voltage and application of a lower voltage for measuring conductivity. The lower voltage is insufficient to increase the heat output of the microheater, and is applied for too short of a period to allow excessive cooling of the microheater. A microprocessor receives and processes the data obtained from measuring conductivity.

Abstract: A horizontal vacuum channel transistor is provided. The horizontal transistor includes a substrate, horizontal emitter and collector electrodes formed in a layer of semiconductor material of the substrate, and a horizontal insulated gate located between the emitter and collector electrodes. The emitter electrode includes multiple horizontally-aligned emitter tips connected to a planar common portion, and the collector electrode includes a planar portion. The gate includes multiple horizontally-aligned gate apertures passing through the gate that each correspond to one of the emitter tips of the emitter electrode. The minimum distance between the emitter and collector electrodes is less than about 180 nm. Also provided are a vertical vacuum channel transistor having vertically-stacked emitter and collector electrodes, and methods for fabricating vacuum channel transistors.

Abstract: A self-healing microchip comprising a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) microchip lacking radiation shielding. The self-healing microchip includes one or more microheaters that are integrated directly upon a surface of the COTS microchip, a self-test circuit which detects a degradation in the COTS microchip, and one or more temperature sensors. The one or more microheaters may be formed directly upon a backside surface of the COTS microchip using tungsten sputtered shadow mask patterning or by lithography and etching, for example. In response to a detected degradation in the COTS microchip, a temperature control configures an output temperature generated by the one or more microheaters and an amount of time at which the output temperature is maintained to cause annealing in the microchip responsive to the detected degradation in the COTS microchip.

Abstract: An all-printed physically unclonable function based on a single-walled carbon nanotube network. The network may be a mixture of semiconducting and metallic nanotubes randomly tangled with each other through the printing process. The unique distribution of carbon nanotubes in a network can be used for authentication, and this feature can be a secret key for a high level hardware security. The carbon nanotube network does not require any advanced purification process, alignment of nanotubes, high-resolution lithography and patterning. Rather, the intrinsic randomness of carbon nanotubes is leveraged to provide the unclonable aspect.

Abstract: A single input multiple output nanomaterial based gas sensor having multiple terminals situated on a single sensor device, providing a N(N?1)/2 measurements for a single device. Resistance is measured from any arbitrary pair of electrodes; repeating the measurements for all combinations of electrode pairs creates the data set. The gas sensor response is the ratio of resistance shift over the initial resistance (Rt?Ro)/Ro, where Rt and Ro are resistance upon gas exposure and initial resistance, respectively. The sensor response time is the time needed to reach a stable output signal when an external stimulus is introduced.

Abstract: Disclosed are methods and systems of providing carbon nanotubes decorated with polymer coated metal nanoparticles. Then, annealing the metal coated carbon nanotubes to reduce a quantity of hydrophilic components of the polymer coating.

Abstract: A device produces an electrical signal in response to a stimulus. The device is formed of a flexible substrate including a layer of fibers, for example, paper, and a solution of dispersed carbon nanotubes coated onto and within the fibers, the solution evaporated to leave carbon nanotubes intertwined within the layer of fibers. The carbon nanotubes are functionalized to be optimized for producing an electrical signal for a particular stimulus, where the stimulus includes exposure of the device to a particular gas or vapor. A number of such devices, some or all of which can be different, are housed together, for producing a complex electronic signal, or for sensing any of a wide variety of stimulus.

Abstract: A metal oxide vertical graphene hybrid supercapacitor is provided. The supercapacitor includes a pair of collectors facing each other, and vertical graphene electrode material grown directly on each of the pair of collectors without catalyst or binders. A separator may separate the vertical graphene electrode materials.

Abstract: Systems and methods for highly reproducible and focused plasma jet printing and patterning of materials using appropriate ink containing aerosol through nozzles with narrow orifice and tubes with controlled dielectric constant connected to high voltage power supply, in the presence of electric field and plasma, that enables morphological and/or bulk chemical modification and/or surface chemical modification of the material in the aerosol and/or the substrate prior to printing, during printing and post printing.

Abstract: A device and method for printing 3D articles including electronic and functional elements including 3D printer and a plasma jet printer based on a dielectric barrier atmospheric pressure plasma jet system in which both printing and in-situ treatment and post-deposition treatment can be carried out to tailor the materials characteristics. Plasma jet printer comprising of electrodes in the nozzle/print head for applying electric field and generating atmospheric plasma that could be used for non- gravity based highly directional printing in any direction. Integration of dielectric barrier plasma printer and plasma treatment jets with the 3D printer increases the capability of embedding high performance electronics in a 3D printed structure aiding in additive manufacturing of functional devices. Ability to use a range of materials for print head assembly including micro machined silicon increases the resolution of the plasma jet printer to sub-micron level.

Abstract: Method for providing a nanopipette array for biosensing applications. A thin substrate of anodizable metal (“AN-metal,” such as Al, Mg, Zn, Ti, Ta and/or Nb) is anodized at temperature T=20-200° C., chemical bath pH=4-6 and electrical potential 1-300 Volts, to produce an array of anodized nanopipette channels, having diameters 10-50 nm, with oxidized channel surfaces of thickness 5-20 nm. A portion of exposed non-oxidized AN-metal between adjacent nanopipette channels, of length 1-5 ?m, is etched away, exposing inner and outer surfaces of a nanopipette channel. A probe molecule, is deposited on one or both surfaces to provide biosensing capability for K(?1) target molecules. Target molecule presence, in an above-threshold concentration, in a fluid passed through or adjacent to a nanopipette channel, produces characteristic detection signals associated with the probe molecule site.

Abstract: Methods for forming variable diameter nanowires enable a variety of applications. The top of the nanowires can provide a surface area that is suitable for the deposition of an electrode. In addition variable diameter nanowires can have a frequency response that is dependent upon the nanowire diameter. Nanowires having multiple diameters can have a broader bandwidth of resonance frequencies than a uniform diameter nanowire.

Abstract: A vacuum field effect, nanostructure-based transistor (VFET) that operates at pressures as high as 101 kPa, with an operating voltage magnitude as low as about 2 Volts and has a cutoff frequency as high as 0.46 THz, and has an electrode separation gap distance of about 150 nm or less.

Abstract: A supercapacitor electrode mechanism comprising an electrically conductive, porous substrate, having one or more metallic oxides deposited on a first surface and a chemically reduced graphene oxide deposited on a second surface, to thereby provide an electrical double layer associated with the substrate. The substrate may be carbon paper or a similar substance. The layers of the supercapacitor are optionally rolled into an approximately cylindrical structure.

Abstract: A method of fabricating metallic Cu nanowires with lengths up to about 25 ?m and diameters in a range 20-100 nm, or greater if desired. Vertically oriented or laterally oriented copper oxide structures (CuO and/or Cu2O) are grown on a Cu substrate. The copper oxide structures are reduced with 99+ percent H or H2, and in this reduction process the lengths decrease (to no more than about 25 ?m), the density of surviving nanostructures on a substrate decreases, and the diameters of the surviving nanostructures have a range, of about 20-100 nm. The resulting nanowires are substantially pure Cu and can be oriented laterally (for local or global interconnects) or can be oriented vertically (for standard vertical interconnects).

Abstract: A supercapacitor system, including (i) first and second, spaced apart planar collectors, (ii) first and second arrays of multi-wall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) towers or single wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) towers, serving as electrodes, that extend between the first and second collectors where the nanotube towers are grown directly on the collector surfaces without deposition of a catalyst and without deposition of a binder material on the collector surfaces, and (iii) a porous separator module having a transverse area that is substantially the same as the transverse area of at least one electrode, where (iv) at least one nanotube tower is functionalized to permit or encourage the tower to behave as a hydrophilic structure, with increased surface wettability.

Abstract: Carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays can be used as a thermal interface materials (TIMs). Using a phase sensitive transient thermo-reflectance (PSTTR) technique, the thermal conductance of the two interfaces on either side of the CNT arrays can be measured. The physically bonded interface has a conductance ˜105 W/m2-K and is the dominant resistance. Also by bonding CNTs to target surfaces using indium, it can be demonstrated that the conductance can be increased to ˜106 W/m2-K making it attractive as a thermal interface material (TIM).

Abstract: A novel method for simultaneously forming and filling and decorating carbon nanotubes with palladium nanoparticles is disclosed. Synthesis involves preparing a palladium chloride (PdCl2) solution in a container, having two graphite electrodes, then immersing the graphite electrode assembly, into the PdCl2 solution; connecting the graphite electrodes to a direct current power supply; bringing the electrodes into contact with each other to strike an arc; separating the electrodes to sustain the arc inside the solution; putting the container with electrode assembly in a water-cooled bath; and collecting Pd-nanoparticles encapsulated in carbon nanotubes and carbon nanotubes decorated with Pd-nanoparticles. The temperature at the site of the arc-discharge is greater than 3000° C. At these temperatures, the palladium is ionized into nanoparticles and the graphite electrodes generate layers of graphene (carbon), which roll away from the anode and encapsulate or entrap the Pd-nanoparticles.

Abstract: Method and system for detecting presence of biomolecules in a selected subset, or in each of several selected subsets, in a fluid. Each of an array of two or more carbon nanotubes (“CNTs”) is connected at a first CNT end to one or more electronics devices, each of which senses a selected electrochemical signal that is generated when a target biomolecule in the selected subset becomes attached to a functionalized second end of the CNT, which is covalently bonded with a probe molecule. This approach indicates when target biomolecules in the selected subset are present and indicates presence or absence of target biomolecules in two or more selected subsets. Alternatively, presence of absence of an analyte can be detected.

Abstract: A method and system for evaluating status and response of a mineral-producing field (e.g., oil and/or gas) by monitoring selected chemical and physical properties in or adjacent to a wellsite headspace. Nanotechnology sensors and other sensors are provided for one or more underground (fluid) mineral-producing wellsites to determine presence/absence of each of two or more target molecules in the fluid, relative humidity, temperature and/or fluid pressure adjacent to the wellsite and flow direction and flow velocity for the fluid. A nanosensor measures an electrical parameter value and estimates a corresponding environmental parameter value, such as water content or hydrocarbon content. The system is small enough to be located down-hole in each mineral-producing horizon for the wellsite.