materials

A simple surface coating could make it easier to reliably make parts of next-generation computer chips using silicon and a promising new class of materials called transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD).

Physicists love simplifying idealizations , and this is especially true in the physics of materials.  The simplest decent model for metals, for example, is the ideal Fermi gas , where we neglect the existence of atoms entirely and just model the electrons as noninteracting particles in some box.  One step up from there, the Sommerfeld model , assumes that the electrons are in a perfectly periodic…

Nature Chemistry, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41557-026-02174-x Phonon engineering of zero thermal expansion materials faces a trade-off between open frameworks, which can enable negative thermal expansion through transverse vibrations but can suffer from thermal instability, and closed frameworks, which are more robust yet exhibit weaker negative thermal expansion. Now, fraction…

Achieving the 2nm node demands more than advanced lithography — it requires coordinated ecosystem collaboration across tool suppliers, materials companies, research institutions, and government investment to address interconnected scaling barriers. The post Meeting 2nm Node Challenges: Overcoming Scaling Limits Through High NA EUV and Ecosystem Collaboration appeared first on Semiconductor Digest…

A recent study published in Nature Communications demonstrates precise control over electron spatial arrangement in two directions simultaneously—without any applied voltage—through interface engineering between semimetal bismuth (Bi) thin films and two-dimensional semiconductor MoS₂ Researchers found that in the horizontal direction, the Moiré potential generated by small-angle twisted bilayer M…

The ability to control the movement of negatively charged particles (i.e., electrons) is central to the functioning of all modern electronic devices. This control is typically attained using a gate, an electrode via which an applied electric field alters a material’s electrical properties. In many electronic devices, the effectiveness of electrical gating depends on a […]

Instead of heating metals, Foundation Alloy beats them into submission. The startup has raised $22 million to scale up production of its alloys.

BackgroundHispidulin is a bioactive flavonoid with promising antioxidant and anticancer properties; however, its poor aqueous solubility and stability limit its usage in therapeutic application. This study aimed to develop a suitable nanocarrier system to enhance its bioavailability and biological efficacy.MethodsHispidulin-loaded sodium carboxymethyl cellulose nanoparticles (HIS-CMC NPs) were sy…

Lithium-metal batteries are widely regarded as one of the most promising routes toward cell-level energy densities beyond the limit of conventional graphite-based lithium-ion batteries. However, the practical energy delivered by a lithium-metal cell is not determined only by the theoretical capacity of the cathode or the low potential of lithium metal. In many cases, the accessible energy is grad…

Nature Communications, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41467-026-74399-w Using transmission electron microscopy, this study reveals the 3D structure of partially intercalated graphite, showing breakdowns in conventional staging behavior and highlighting how lattice defects govern early-stage intercalation.

In his second year of graduate school, Dane deQuilettes thought something was wrong with his microscope. He had just returned to the University of Washington from the University of Oxford, where he had learned to make perovskites—polycrystalline solar materials that can be printed like ink—and he was eager to see what the film would reveal. But the image looked wrong. He was convinced he had botc…

Single-Step Plasma Process Produces Optoelectronic Synapse for 3D Stackable Neuromorphic Vision

Storing energy, moving robots, detecting vibrations: The innovative silicon materials developed by Empa researcher Dorina Opris can do all this - and much more. She has now received a Proof of Concept Grant from the European Research Council (ERC) to bring the materials from the laboratory to market.

Metallurgy has always been about control. For centuries, getting metals to blend predictably was the difference between a reliable tool and a brittle failure. Today, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) are tackling that challenge in a modern form: high-entropy alloys (HEAs), a class of materials developed over the last two…

A research team led by Dr. Muhammad Talha Junaid at the University of Sharjah tested cement mortar beams reinforced with FDM-printed PLA profiles. The study found that surface geometry was the dominant variable, with the best-performing configuration reaching nearly 80% of steel’s bending strength and matching its ductility. Concrete on its own handles compression well…

Scientific Reports, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-57754-1 Benchmarking machine learning approaches for polarization mapping in ferroelectrics using 4D-STEM

Scientific Reports, Published online: 16 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41598-026-57639-3 Effective charge saturation in ferritin cages