Abstract: Provided is a method of ion beam processing based on optical microscopy imaging, including: marking a surface of a sample using the ion beam, so as obtain a registration reference pattern; performing a three-dimensional optical imaging on the sample to obtain a first three-dimensional light microscopy image; projecting the first three-dimensional light microscopy image to a cutting angle of the ion beam, and determining a first position of a to-be-researched target in the first three-dimensional light microscopy image based on the registration reference pattern; performing an ion beam imaging on the sample to obtain an image excited by the ion beam, and determining, according to the first position, a second position of the to-be-researched target in the image excited by the ion beam; and thinning the sample according to the second position to obtain a first slice containing the to-be-researched target.

Abstract: A system for optimizing a dynamic system including controllable working units. The system includes a processor of a controller node connected to a plurality of working units; a memory on which are stored machine-readable instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: acquire real-time response coefficients data from the plurality of the working units associated with corresponding working points, construct a response matrix based on response coefficients data, generate a tangent plane at each of the working points based on the associated working unit response coefficient, and determine an optimal working point in an area adjacent to the working point within the tangent plane for each of the plurality of the working units.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a microfluidic pump for generating forced traveling waves that can directly drive liquid. A surface traveling wave-driven microfluidic pump comprises a channel with two opposing channel walls. Two symmetric traveling waves are generated on the surface of two opposite channel walls. The channel contains liquid that becomes trapped inside the cavities and is pumped along the direction of the traveling wave at the same speed as the traveling wave.

Abstract: A Langmuir-Blodgett trough comprising a middle barrier, configured for creating two different layers of material over the surface of a single subphase liquid. The first layer of material is located on a first side of the middle barrier, while the second layer of material is located on a second side of the middle barrier. The through comprises an adjustment apparatus which comprises a first grooved edge, a second grooved edge, a first side barrier, and a second side barrier. The first side barrier and a second side barrier extend between the first grooved edges. The motion of the first and second side barriers is configured to adjust the surface areas of the first and second materials.

Abstract: The field of the invention relates to systems and methods for surface treatments, and more particularly to systems and methods for surface treatments, modifications or coatings using micro- and nano-structure particles for both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties. In one embodiment, a method of treating surfaces to impart both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties includes the steps of pre-treating a substrate surface; assembling dual-scale nanoparticles onto the surface of the substrate; and treating the dual-scale nanoparticle coated surface with SiCl4 to cross-link the nanoparticles to each other and to the surface of the substrate creating a robust nano-structured topographic surface having both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties.

Abstract: The field of the invention relates to systems and methods for surface treatments, and more particularly to systems and methods for surface treatments, modifications or coatings using micro- and nano-structure particles for both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties. In one embodiment, a method of treating surfaces to impart both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties includes the steps of pre-treating a substrate surface; assembling dual-scale nanoparticles onto the surface of the substrate; and treating the dual-scale nanoparticle coated surface with SiCl4 to cross-link the nanoparticles to each other and to the surface of the substrate creating a robust nano-structured topographic surface having both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties.

Abstract: In order to provide the high sensitivity SERS active substrates needed for rapid and sensitive chemical/biological agent detection, the present invention provides a Plasmonic Nano-antenna Array (PNA) substrate with large local electromagnetic field enhancements; a controllable and repeatable nano-fabrication process for creating the PNA surface; and a system design for a compact, portable device capable of using the PNA technology to acquire and analyze target molecular samples. Both 2D and 3D systems are provided.

Abstract: The field of the invention relates to systems and methods for surface treatments, and more particularly to systems and methods for surface treatments, modifications or coatings using micro- and nano-structure particles for both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties. In one embodiment, a method of treating surfaces to impart both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties includes the steps of pre-treating a substrate surface; assembling dual-scale nanoparticles onto the surface of the substrate; and treating the dual-scale nanoparticle coated surface with SiCl4 to cross-link the nanoparticles to each other and to the surface of the substrate creating a robust nano-structured topographic surface having both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophobic properties.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention consists of a system of small, interconnected cubes, each containing interior walls made from a highly sensitive multi-layer piezoelectric material and each having heavy mass, such as stainless steel, inside the cube interior. An elastic material layer covers the heavy internal mass that is in contact with the piezoelectric cube walls. As the system moves with the water, the heavy mass inside each cube exerts varying inertial forces on the cube walls causing a piezoelectric current to be generated. However, the cell walls may also be constructed using commercially available piezoelectric materials. This approach is a second embodiment of the current invention and includes the same system design as the first embodiment except that the internal cubic cell walls are fabricated in a unique manner using commercially available piezoelectric materials, rather than the non-central symmetric LB poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) multilayer piezoelectric material.

Abstract: In order to provide the high sensitivity SERS active substrates needed for rapid and sensitive chemical/biological agent detection, the present invention provides a Plasmonic Nano-antenna Array (PNA) substrate with large local electromagnetic field enhancements; a controllable and repeatable nano-fabrication process for creating the PNA surface; and a system design for a compact, portable device capable of using the PNA technology to acquire and analyze target molecular samples. Both 2D and 3D systems are provided.

Abstract: In a first embodiment, a wind to energy conversion system is constructed out of a number of modular power units (110), each modular power unit (110) comprised of 36 air jet tunnels (106). Each air jet tunnel (106) is constructed using a cantilever array mounted in a cascaded frame (104) with each cantilever (102) attached on one edge to a window edge of the frame (104). The cantilever (102) is constructed of a brass (130) layer sandwiched between two layers, each layer composed of an electrode (126) attached to a Poly Vinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) (128) layer. Each modular power unit (110) is mounted in a case (108), and a set of cases are mounted in a panel (114) attached to a pedestal (116). The cantilever arrays (117) are wired together into electrical regulating circuits that generate power with a high wind to power conversion efficiency. Other embodiments are presented.

Abstract: In a first embodiment, a wind to energy conversion system is constructed out of a number of modular power units (110), each modular power unit (110) comprised of 36 air jet tunnels (106). Each air jet tunnel (106) is constructed using a cantilever array mounted in a cascaded frame (104) with each cantilever (102) attached on one edge to a window edge of the frame (104). The cantilever (102) is constructed of a brass (130) layer sandwiched between two layers, each layer composed of an electrode (126) attached to a Poly Vinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) (128) layer. Each modular power unit (110) is mounted in a case (108), and a set of cases are mounted in a panel (114) attached to a pedestal (116). The cantilever arrays (117) are wired together into electrical regulating circuits that generate power with a high wind to power conversion efficiency. Other embodiments are presented.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention consists of a system of small, interconnected cubes, each containing interior walls made from a highly sensitive multi-layer piezoelectric material and each having heavy mass, such as stainless steel, inside the cube interior. An elastic material layer covers the heavy internal mass that is in contact with the piezoelectric cube walls. As the system moves with the water, the heavy mass inside each cube exerts varying inertial forces on the cube walls causing a piezoelectric current to be generated. However, the cell walls may also be constructed using commercially available piezoelectric materials. This approach is a second embodiment of the current invention and includes the same system design as the first embodiment except that the internal cubic cell walls are fabricated in a unique manner using commercially available piezoelectric materials, rather than the non-central symmetric LB poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) multilayer piezoelectric material.