Micromachines, Volume 14, Issue 10 (October 2023) – 167 articles

The high level of stress and dimension deviation induced by glass molding are the main causes of the low yield rate of large, irregular glass components on vehicles. To solve this issue, a numerical model of large glass component molding was established in this study, which aimed to analyze the dominant factors of molding quality and achieve a synergistic balance between quality characteristics and energy consumption. The results show that molding temperature is the dominant factor affecting the energy consumption and residual stress, and the molding pressure is the main factor affecting the dimension deviation. Furthermore, the NSGA-II optimization algorithm was used to optimize the maximum residual stress, dimension deviation, and energy consumption with the numerical results. The combination of a heating rate of 1.95 °C/s, holding time of 158 s, molding temperature of 570 °C, molding pressure of 34 MPa, and cooling rate of 1.15 °C/s was determined to be the optimized scheme. The predictive error of the numerical result, based on the optimized scheme, was experimentally verified to be less than 20%. It proved the accuracy of the model in this study. These results can provide guidance for the subsequent precision molding of large, irregular glass components. Full article

This article presents the results of an experimental investigation into the effect of process parameters in the precision hard turning of Ti-6Al-4V on chip morphology at both macro and micro levels. It also reports on the control of chip generation to improve chip evacuation and breakability at the macro level by varying the process parameters, namely, feed rate, cutting speed and depth of cut during turning tests. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to examine the chips produced for a better understanding of chip curling mechanisms at the micro level. Surface roughness of the machined specimens was measured to assess the effect of chip evacuation on obtainable surface quality. From the results, it was found that the interaction of process parameters has a significant effect on the control of chip formation. In particular, the interaction of higher cutting speeds and greater depths of cut produced chip entanglement with the workpiece for all values of feed rates. Using relatively higher feed rates with a low depth of cut showed good results for chip breaking when machining at higher cutting speeds. Different chip curling mechanisms were identified from the SEM results. Chip side-curl formation showed different segmentation patterns with an approximately uniform chip thickness along the chip width, while chip up-curl occurred due to variations in chip thickness. Finally, it was found that the tangling of the chip with the workpiece has a significant effect on the final surface quality. Full article

This work investigates the primary and secondary resonances of an electrostatically excited double-clamped microbeam and its feasibility to be used for sensing applications. The sensor design can be excited directly in the vicinity of the primary and secondary resonances. This excitation mechanism would portray certain nonlinear phenomena and it would certainly lead in increasing the sensitivity of the device. To achieve this, a nonlinear beam model describing transverse deflection based on the Euler–Bernoulli beam theory was utilized. Then, a reduced-order model (ROM) considering all geometric and electrical nonlinearities was derived. Three different techniques involving time domain, fast Fourier transforms (FFTs), and frequency domain (FRCs) were used to examine the appearance of subharmonic resonance of order of one-half under various excitation waveforms. The results show that higher forcing levels and lower damping are required to activate this resonance. We note that as the forcing increases, the size of the instability region grows fast and the size of the unstable region increases rapidly. This, in fact, is an ideal place for designing bifurcation inertia MEMS sensors. Full article

In this research, a comparison between two methods of grinding and WEDM and the chip formation of each form tool was studied through a set of designs of experiments. A multi-functional form tool with different cutting-edge shapes was designed to compare different production methods, and a grinding machine and a five-axis wire-cutting machine were made. The form tools by the wire cutting method were made with three different machining states, rough, semi-finish, and finish. The results of the experimental test showed that the chip formation of the finished surface of the wire cut tool was close to the ground tools. Additionally, the tool life in wear generation was assessed, revealing that the tool generated through the wire-cutting method with three passes exhibited superior performance compared to alternative approaches. Furthermore, employing the wire-cutting technique with high surface finishing yielded optimal outcomes for producing form-cutting tools featuring complex profiles. Full article

The performance and lifespan of cutting tools are significantly influenced by their surface quality. The present report highlights recent advances in enhancing the surface characteristics of tungsten carbide and high-speed steel cutting tools using a novel micro-machining technique for polishing and edge-honing. Notably, the main aim was to reduce the surface roughness while maintaining the hardness of the materials at an optimal level. By conducting a thorough analysis of surfaces obtained using different techniques, it was found that the micro-machining method effectively decreased the surface roughness of the cutting tools the most effectively out of the techniques investigated. Significantly, the surface roughness was reduced from an initial measurement of 400 nm to an impressive value of 60 nm. No significant change in hardness was observed, which guarantees the maintenance of the mechanical properties of the cutting tools. This analysis enhances the comprehension of surface enhancement methodologies for cutting tools through the presentation of these findings. The observed decrease in surface roughness, along with the consistent hardness, exhibits potential for improving tool performance. These enhancements possess the capacity to optimise manufacturing processes, increase tool reliability, and minimise waste generation. Full article

Polymeric microgels, fabricated via microfluidic techniques, have garnered significant interest as versatile drug delivery carriers. Despite the advances, the loading and release of hydrophobic drugs such as curcumin from polymeric microgels is not trivial. Herein, we report that effective drug loading can be achieved by the design of porous particles and the use of supramolecular cyclodextrin-based curcumin complexes. The fabrication of porous microgels through the judicious choice of chemical precursors under flow conditions was established. The evaluation of the curcumin loading dependence on the porosity of the microgels was performed. Microgels with higher porosity exhibited better curcumin loading compared to those with lower porosity. Curcumin-loaded microgels released the drug, which, upon internalization by U87 MG human glioma cancer cells, induced cytotoxicity. The findings reported here provide valuable insights for the development of tailored drug delivery systems using a microfluidics-based platform and outline a strategy for the effective delivery of hydrophobic therapeutic agents such as curcumin through supramolecular complexation. Full article

Traditional centrifuges, extensively employed in biology, chemistry, medicine, and other domains for tasks such as blood separation and pathogen extraction, have certain limitations. Their high cost, substantial size, and reliance on electricity restrict their range of application. Contemporary centrifuges, inspired by everyday items like paper trays and egg beaters, boast characteristics such as ease of operation, independence from electricity, and portability. These features offer unique advantages in specific situations, such as electricity shortages, inadequate infrastructure, and challenging medical conditions. Consequently, we designed a hand-powered portable centrifuge driven by pulling a rope. Our experiments revealed significant performance factors, including load capacity, rope length, and frequency of rope pulling. The results demonstrated that the revolutions per minute (RPM) of a hand-powered portable centrifuge were directly proportional to the length of the rope and the frequency of pulling, up to a certain limit, while inversely proportional to the load. When used for separating and washing polystyrene microspheres, the portable centrifuge’s performance equaled that of traditional centrifuges. According to relevant calculations, this centrifuge could be capable of meeting the application of blood separation. Therefore, we believe this portable centrifuge will find meaningful applications in similar areas, particularly in resource-poor settings. Full article

This paper presents a compact stacked RF energy harvester operating in the WiFi band with multi-condition adaptive energy management circuits (MCA-EMCs). The harvester is divided into antennas, impedance matching networks, rectifiers, and MCA-EMCs. The antenna is based on a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrate using the microstrip antenna structure and a ring slot in the ground plane to reduce the antenna area by 13.7%. The rectifier, impedance matching network, and MCA-EMC are made on a single FR4 substrate. The rectifier has a maximum conversion efficiency of 33.8% at 5 dBm input. The MCA-EMC has two operating modes to adapt to multiple operating conditions, in which Mode 1 outputs 1.5 V and has a higher energy conversion efficiency of up to 93.56%, and Mode 2 supports a minimum starting input voltage of 0.33 V and multiple output voltages of 2.85–2.45 V and 1.5 V. The proposed RF energy harvester is integrated by multiple-layer stacking with a total size of 53 mm × 43.5 mm × 5.9 mm. The test results show that the proposed RF energy harvester can drive a wall clock (30 cm in diameter) at 10 cm distance and a hygrometer at 122 cm distance with a home router as the transmitting source. Full article

In this paper, we propose a pneumatic double-joint soft actuator based on fiber winding and build a dexterous hand with 11 degrees of freedom. Firstly, soft actuator structural design is carried out according to the actuator driving principle and gives the specific manufacturing process. Then, an experimental analysis of the bending performance of a single soft actuator, including bending angle, speed, and force magnitude, is carried out by building a pneumatic control experimental platform. Finally, a series of dexterous robotic hand-grasping experiments is conducted. Different grasping methods are used to catch the objects and measure the objects’ change in height, length, and rotation angle during the experiment. The results show that the proposed soft actuator is more consistent with the bending rule of human fingers, and that the gestures of the dexterous hand are more imaginable and flexible when grasping objects. The soft actuator can carry out horizontal and vertical movements, and rotation of the object in the dexterous hand, thus achieving better human–computer interaction. Full article

This article presents a new design of supporting tethers through the concept of force distribution. The transmitted force applied on tethers will be distributed on the new tether design area, resulting in low acoustic energy transferred to anchor boundaries and stored energy enhancement. This technique achieves an anchor quality factor of 175,000 compared to 58,000 obtained from the conventional tether design, representing a three-fold enhancement. Furthermore, the unloaded quality factor of the proposed design improved from 23,750 to 27,442, representing a 1.2-fold improvement. Full article

Microfluidics is a highly interdisciplinary field where the integration of deep-learning models has the potential to streamline processes and increase precision and reliability. This study investigates the use of deep-learning methods for the accurate detection and measurement of droplet diameters and the image restoration of low-resolution images. This study demonstrates that the Segment Anything Model (SAM) provides superior detection and reduced droplet diameter error measurement compared to the Circular Hough Transform, which is widely implemented and used in microfluidic imaging. SAM droplet detections prove to be more robust to image quality and microfluidic images with low contrast between the fluid phases. In addition, this work proves that a deep-learning super-resolution network MSRN-BAM can be trained on a dataset comprising of droplets in a flow-focusing microchannel to super-resolve images for scales ×2, ×4, ×6, ×8. Super-resolved images obtain comparable detection and segmentation results to those obtained using high-resolution images. Finally, the potential of deep learning in other computer vision tasks, such as denoising for microfluidic imaging, is shown. The results show that a DnCNN model can denoise effectively microfluidic images with additive Gaussian noise up to $\sigma$ = 4. This study highlights the potential of employing deep-learning methods for the analysis of microfluidic images. Full article

The development of sensor technology enables the creation of DNA-based biosensors for biomedical applications. Herein, a quartz tuning fork (QTF) sensing system was employed as a transducer for biomedical applications to address indirect DNA damage associated with gold nanoparticles (GNPs) and enhance the effectiveness of low-dose gamma radiation in radiation therapy. The experiment included two stages, namely during and after irradiation exposure; shift frequencies (Δf) were measured for 20 min in each stage. During the irradiation stage, the QTF response to DNA damage was investigated in a deionized aqueous solution with and without 100 nm GNPs at different concentrations (5, 10, 15, and 20 µg/mL). Upon exposure to gamma radiation for 20 min at a dose rate of 2.4 µGy/min, the ratio of Δf/ΔT indicates increased fork displacement frequencies with or without GNPs. Additionally, DNA damage associated with high and low GNP concentrations was evaluated using the change in the resonance frequency of the QTF. The results indicate that GNPs at 15 and 10 µg/mL were associated with high damage-enhancement ratios, while saturation occurred at 20 µg/mL. At 15 µg/mL, significant radiotherapy enhancement occurred compared to that at 10 µg/mL at 10 min after exposure. In the post-irradiation stage, the frequency considerably differed between 15 and 10 µg/mL. Finally, these results significantly depart from the experimental predictions in the post-radiation stage. They exhibited no appreciable direct effect on DNA repair owing to the absence of an environment that promotes DNA repair following irradiation. However, these findings demonstrate the potential of enhancing damage by combining GNP-mediated radiation sensitization and biosensor technology. Thus, QTF is recommended as a reliable measure of DNA damage to investigate the dose enhancement effect at various GNP concentrations. Full article

A novel super-junction (SJ) double-trench metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (DT-MOS) is proposed and studied using Synopsys Sentaurus TCAD in this article. The simulation results show that the proposed MOSFET has good static performance and a longer short-circuit withstand time (t_sc). The super-junction structure enables the device to possess an excellent compromise of breakdown voltage (BV) and specific on-resistance (R_on,sp). Under short-circuit conditions, the depletion of p-pillar, p-shield, and floating p regions can effectively reduce saturation current and improve short-circuit capability. The proposed device has minimum gate-drain charge (Q_gd) and gate-drain capacitance (C_gd) compared with other devices. Moreover, the formation of floating p regions will not lead to an increase in process complexity. Therefore, the proposed MOSFET can maintain good dynamic and static performance and short-circuit ability together without increasing the difficulty of the process. Full article

To improve the machining quality of the non-resonant elliptical vibration cutting (EVC) device, a compound control method for trajectory error compensation is proposed in this paper. Firstly, by analyzing the working principle of non-resonant EVC device and considering the elliptical trajectory error caused by piezoelectric hysteresis, a dynamic PI (Prandtl-Ishlinskii) model relating to voltage change rate and acceleration was established to describe the piezoelectric hysteresis characteristics of EVC devices. Then, the parameters of the dynamic PI model were identified by using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. Secondly, based on the dynamic PI model, a compound control method has been proposed in which the inverse dynamic PI model is used as the feedforward controller for the dynamic hysteresis compensation, while PID (proportion integration differentiation) feedback is used to improve the control accuracy. Finally, trajectory-tracking experiments have been conducted to verify the feasibility of the proposed compound control method. Full article

Silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics are widely used as structural materials for various applications. However, the extraordinarily high hardness, brittleness, low material removal rate, and severe tool wear of these materials significantly impact the performance of conventional mechanical processing techniques. In this study, we investigated the influence of different parameters on the material removal rate, surface quality, and surface oxidation during the laser processing of SiC ceramic samples using a high-repetition-frequency femtosecond laser at a wavelength of 1030 nm. Additionally, an experimental investigation was conducted to analyze the effects of a burst mode on the material removal rate. Our results demonstrate that the surface oxidation, which significantly affects the material removal rate, can be effectively reduced by increasing the laser scanning speed and decreasing the laser scanning pitch. The material removal rate and surface quality are mainly affected by laser fluence. The optimal material removal rate is obtained with a laser fluence of 0.4 J/cm² at a pulse width of 470 fs. Full article

The lattice metamaterial has attracted extensive attention due to its excellent specific strength, energy absorption capacity, and strong designability of the cell structure. This paper aims to explore the functional nickel plating on the basis of biomimetic-designed lattice structures, in order to achieve higher stiffness, strength, and energy absorption characteristics. Two typical structures, the body-centered cubic (BCC) lattice and the bioinspired hierarchical circular lattice (HCirC), were considered. The BCC and HCirC lattice templates were prepared based on DLP (digital light processing) 3D printing. Based on this, chemical plating, as well as the composite plating of chemical plating followed by electroplating, was carried out to prepare the corresponding nickel-plated lattice structures. The mechanical properties and deformation failure mechanisms of the resin-based lattice, chemically plated lattice, and composite electroplated lattice structures were studied by using compression experiments. The results show that the metal coating can significantly improve the mechanical properties and energy absorption capacity of microlattices. For example, for the HCirC structure with the loading direction along the x-axis, the specific strength, specific stiffness, and specific energy absorption after composite electroplating increased by 546.9%, 120.7%, and 2113.8%, respectively. The shell–core structure formed through composite electroplating is the main factor for improving the mechanical properties of the lattice metamaterial. In addition, the functional nickel plating based on biomimetic structure design can further enhance the improvement space of mechanical performance. The research in this paper provides insights for exploring lighter and stronger lattice metamaterials and their multifunctional applications. Full article

In recent years, the penetration of wind power generation has been growing steadily to adapt to the modern trend of boosting renewable energy (RE)-based power generation. However, the dynamic power flow of wind turbine generators (WTGs) is unpredictable and can have a negative impact on existing power grids. To solve this problem efficiently, this paper presents a multifunctional WTG intelligent compensator (WTGIC) for the advanced power management and compensation of power systems embedded with WTGs. The proposed WTGIC consists of a power semiconductor device (PSD)-based bidirectional three-phase inverter module and an energy storage unit (ESU). In order to reduce system costs and improve reliability, efficiency, and flexibility, various control functions and algorithms are integrated via a modularized all-digital control scheme. In this paper, the configuration of the proposed WTGIC is first introduced, and then the operating modes and related compensation and control functions are addressed. An online efficiency optimization algorithm is proposed, and the required controllers are designed and implemented. The designed functions of the proposed WTGIC include high-efficiency charging/discharging of the ESU, real-time power quality (PQ) compensation, and high-efficiency power smoothing of the WTGs. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed WTGIC are verified using case studies with simulations in the Powersim (PSIM) environment and the implementation of a small-scale hardware experimental system with TI’s digital signal processor (DSP) TI28335 as the main controller. Full article

The MEMS gyroscope is one of the basic units of inertial navigation, whose performance and accuracy is noteworthy. Because of the limitations of processing technology and other factors, the relative manufacturing error of MEMS gyroscopes is usually large. Errors directly lead to a frequency mismatch of resonant structures and consequently restrict the performance improvement of the gyroscope. This study proposes a mechanical trimming technique combining the addition and removal of gold in a ring MEMS gyroscope. Firstly, the analysis of the gyroscope dynamics and error model and trimming theory provides theoretical guidance for the trimming process. Secondly, the method of adjusting the mass is investigated, and the ablation threshold of femtosecond laser parameters on gold is analyzed, which provides the process with parameters for the trimming experiment. Finally, the frequency trimming process is conducted in three steps, including the addition of gold spheres and the removal of gold spheres and gold film, which are applicable to the trimming process at different rates of frequency split. The results shows that the proposed method can reduce the frequency split of the gyroscope from 4.36 to 0.017 Hz. Full article

MEMS gyroscopes are widely applied in consumer electronics, aerospace, missile guidance, and other fields. Reliable packaging is the foundation for ensuring the survivability and performance of the sensor in harsh environments, but gas leakage models of wafer-level MEMS gyroscopes are rarely reported. This paper proposes a gas leakage model for evaluating the packaging reliability of wafer-level MEMS gyroscopes. Based on thermodynamics and hydromechanics, the relationships between the quality factor, gas molecule number, and a quality factor degradation model are derived. The mechanism of the effect of gas leakage on the quality factor is explored at wafer-level packaging. The experimental results show that the reciprocal of the quality factor is exponentially related to gas leakage time, which is in accordance with the theoretical analysis. The coefficients of determination (R²) are all greater than 0.95 by fitting the curves in Matlab R2022b. The stable values of the quality factor for drive mode and sense mode are predicted to be 6609.4 and 1205.1, respectively, and the average degradation characteristic time is 435.84 h. The gas leakage time is at least eight times the average characteristic time, namely 3486.72 h, before a stable condition is achieved in the packaging chamber of the MEMS gyroscopes. Full article

The skin has emerge as a compelling subject for investigation owing to its accessibility and the relatively straightforward application of optical procedures to it. Diffusive reflection spectroscopy (DRS) was employed to study the influence of probe pressure on human skin. A comprehensive non-invasive study was conducted, which covers almost all the important body parts for in vivo measurements. Reflection spectra were measured for the fingertip, forearm, forehead, neck, and foot under a set of probe pressures (0–265 kPa). Importantly, each tissue type’s unique composition and morphology influenced the shape, size, intensity, and position of the recorded peak, highlighting the tissue-specific responses to pressure. In addition, time-based reflection spectroscopy was also performed on the forearm under blood occlusion for 5 min to study the effect. DRS measurements were performed on volunteers of different skin tones, including dark, medium, and fair. Later, a change in the intensity of the oxyhemoglobin peak was confirmed using a green laser light of a wavelength of 532 nm. Besides the dermal studies, diffusive reflection spectroscopy was also employed to investigate the probe pressure effect on human nails. A probe pressure ranging from 0 to 385 kPa was applied for nail spectroscopy. The same trend of intensity change was observed following the previous measurements. The suggested sensing system may be crucial in applications requiring pressure sensing when the human body is subjected to varying pressures, such as exercise, weightlifting, and other sports. Full article

This paper introduced a novel approach to enhance the vertical scanning angle of a large aperture 2D electromagnetic micromirror through the utilization of a cascaded torsional beam design. The primary objective was to increase the vertical scanning angle without compromising the robustness, which was achieved by optimizing the trade-off between the rotation angle and the first mode of resonant frequency. The cascaded design provides flexibility to either increase the outer frame’s rotation angle without sacrificing torsional stiffness or enhance the torsion beam’s stiffness while maintaining the same rotation angle, thus elevating the first-mode resonant frequency and overall robustness. The effectiveness of the cascaded design was demonstrated through a comparative study with a non-cascaded 2D micromirror possessing the same aperture size, torque, and mass moment of inertia. Theoretical analysis and finite-element simulation are employed to determine critical parameters such as the stiffness ratio between the cascaded torsion beams, and to predict improvements in the scanning angle and primary resonant frequency brought by the cascaded design. Prototypes of both cascaded and non-cascaded designs are fabricated using a flexible printed circuit board combined with Computer numerical control (CNC) machining of a Ti-alloy thin film, confirming the superior performance of the cascaded 2D micromirror. The cascaded design achieved vertical scanning angles up to 26% higher than the traditional design when both were actuated at close resonance frequencies. Additionally, the micromirror was successfully integrated into a 3D LiDAR system. The light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system was modelled in Zemax OpticStudio to find the optimized design and assembly positions. Full article

The era of 20 nm integrated circuits has arrived. There exist abundant heterogeneous micro/nano structures, with thicknesses ranging from hundreds of nanometers to sub-microns in the IC back end of the line stack, which put stringent demands on the reliability of the device. In this paper, the reliability issues of a 20 nm chip due to chip–package interaction during the reflow process is studied. A representative volume element of the detailed complex BEoL structure has been analyzed to obtain mechanical properties of the BEoL stack by adopting a sub-model analysis. For the first time, semi-elliptical cracks were used in conjunction with J-integral techniques to analyze the failure caused by Chip-to-Package Interaction for a 20 nm chip. The Energy Release Rate(ERR)for cracks at various interfaces and locations in the BEoL stack were calculated to predict the most likely mode and location of failure. We found that the ERR of interfacial cracks at the bottom surface of the interconnects are, on average, more than double those at the sidewalls, which are in turn more than double the number of cracks in the low-k inter-layer dielectric. A total of 500 cycles of thermal shock were conducted, which verified the predictions of the finite element simulations. Full article

Measuring the running accuracy of aerostatic bearings is challenging because of the high-precision requirements in rotational motion. This paper presents an ultra-high precision measurement method for aerostatic bearings using atomic force microscopy (AFM) as the displacement sensor. The Donaldson reversal method was used to separate the artifact form errors from the measurement results. A measurement system was developed with the integration of an AFM module. The effects of sensor nonlinearity, environmental noise, and structural vibration on the measurement results were effectively suppressed in the system. The experimental results show that the measurement achieves up to subnanometer accuracy. Full article

Ferulic acid (FA), a monohydroxycinnamic acid, is an antioxidant with multiple beneficial effects on human health, presenting also importance in the food and cosmetics industry. Its electrochemical behavior was investigated at the disposable and cost-effective pencil graphite electrode (PGE). Cyclic voltammetry emphasized its pH-dependent, diffusion-controlled oxidation. Using the optimized conditions (HB type PGE, Britton Robinson buffer pH 4.56) differential pulse and square-wave voltammetric techniques were applied for its quantitative determination in the range 4.00 × 10⁻⁷–1.00 × 10⁻³ mol/L FA. The developed methods were employed for the rapid and simple assessment of the FA content from a commercially available powder designed for cosmetic use. Full article

The micro-arc oxidation process was used to apply a ceramic oxide coating on a pure titanium substrate using calcium acetate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate as an electrolyte. The influence of the current frequency and duty ratio on the surface morphology, phase composition, wear behavior, and corrosion resistance were analyzed by employing a scanning electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, ball-on-disk apparatus, and potentiodynamic polarization, respectively. Analyses of the surface and cross-sectional morphologies revealed that the MAO films prepared via a low current frequency (100 Hz) and a high duty ratio (60%) had a lower porosity and were more compact. The medium (500 Hz) and high (1000 Hz) frequencies at the higher duty ratios presented with better wear resistance. The highest film thickness (11.25 µm) was achieved at 100 Hz and a 20% duty ratio. A negligible current density was observed when the frequency was fixed at 500 Hz and 1000 Hz and the duty cycle was 20%. Full article

The process of the aqueous synthesis of nanomaterials has gained considerable interest due to its ability to eliminate the need for complex organic solvents, which aligns with the principles of green chemistry. Fabricating nanostructures in aqueous solutions has gained recognition for its potential to develop ultrasensitive, low-energy, and ultrafast optoelectronic devices. This study focuses on synthesizing lead iodide (PbI₂) nanoplates (NPs) using a water-based solution technique and fabricating a planar photodetector. The planar photodetectors (ITO/PbI₂ NPs/Au) demonstrated a remarkable photosensitivity of 3.9 × 10³ and photoresponsivity of 0.51 mA/W at a wavelength of 405 nm. Further, we have carried-out analytical calculations for key performance parameters including open-circuit voltage (V_oc), short-circuit current (I_sc), on-off ratio, responsivity (R), and specific detectivity (D*) at zero applied bias, while photodetector operating in self-powered mode. These values are as follows: V_oc = 0.103 V, I_sc = 1.93 × 10⁻⁸, on-off ratio = 10³, R = 4.0 mA/W, and D* = 3.3 × 10¹¹ Jones. Particularly, the asymmetrical output properties of ITO/PbI₂ NPs/Au detector provided additional evidence of the effective creation of a Schottky contact. Therefore, the photodetector exhibited a photo-response even at 0 V bias (rise/decay time ~1 s), leading to the realization of self-powered photodetectors. Additionally, the device exhibited a rapid photo-response of 0.23/0.38 s (−5 V) in the visible range. This study expands the scope of aqueous-phase synthesis of PbI₂ nanostructures, enabling the large-area fabrication of high-performance photodetectors. Full article

A GaN high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) was simulated using the semiconductor simulation software Silvaco TCAD in this paper. By constructing a two-dimensional structure of GaN HEMT, combined with key models such as carrier mobility, the effects of a different state, different incidence position, different drain voltage, different LET values, and a different incidence angle on the single-event transient effect of GaN HEMT are simulated. LET stands for the linear energy transfer capacity of a particle, which refers to the amount of energy transferred by the particle to the irradiated substance on the unit path. The simulation results show that for GaN HEMTs, the single-event transient effect is more obvious when the device is in off-state than in on-state. The most sensitive location of GaN HEMTs to the single-event effect is in the region near the drain. The peak transient current increases with the increase in the drain bias and incident ion LET values. The drain charge collection time increases with the angle of incidence of heavy ion. Full article

This paper presents a waveguide–slot antenna to generate a radiation beam with high gain fed by a low-loss feeding network at 110 GHz. The proposed antenna consists of a compact eight-way power divider and a waveguide–slot array. The eight-way power divider provides equal-amplitude and alternative-phase excitation for the slot array, and each of them supports two waveguides. The integral structure is implemented by two layers with a channeled substratum and a slotted superstratum. To verify the proposed slot array, the designed array is fabricated with computer numerical control (CNC) milling and measured. The measured peak gain of the designed antenna is 32 dBi at 110 GHz. The proposed antenna with a simple structure provides a promising solution to develop high gain antenna in upper millimeter-wave and sub-terahertz (THz) applications. Full article

The development of highly sensitive diagnostic systems for the early revelation of diseases in humans is one of the most important tasks of modern biomedical research, and the detection of the core antigen of the hepatitis C virus (HCVcoreAg)—a protein marker of the hepatitis C virus—is just the case. Our study is aimed at testing the performance of the nanoribbon biosensor in the case of the use of two different types of molecular probes: the antibodies and the aptamers against HCVcoreAg. The nanoribbon sensor chips employed are based on “silicon-on-insulator structures” (SOI-NR). Two different HCVcoreAg preparations are tested: recombinant β-galactosidase-conjugated HCVcoreAg (“Virogen”, Watertown, MA, USA) and recombinant HCVcoreAg (“Vector-Best”, Novosibirsk, Russia). Upon the detection of either type of antigen preparation, the lowest concentration of the antigen detectable in buffer with pH 5.1 was found to be approximately equal, amounting to ~10⁻¹⁵ M. This value was similar upon the use of either type of molecular probes. Full article

Given the shortage of spectrum resources and the demand for communication systems of diminutive size, multi-function, and adaptive characteristics, this paper proposes an L-slot frequency reconfigurable antenna based on the MEMS switch. The antenna size is 4.07 × 5.27 mm² and is suitable for the U-band. The antenna structure consists of two RF MEMS switches, a Rogers RT5880 dielectric substrate, an L-slot patch, and a full-coverage ground. The switch is of a series contact structure and is arranged at the corner of an L-slot. By controlling the on and off state of the switch, the antenna can switch between four states of 42.36, 47.65, 53.13, and 56.72 GHz. According to the simulation results in CST STUDIO SUITE 2018, the maximum gain of the antenna is 7.90 dB, the impedance bandwidth of each state is above 1 GHz, and the direction is mainly consistent. The antenna can meet the demand for multi-frequency millimeter wave communication. Full article