Electronics and Devices

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly used to analyze medical images, materials data and scientific measurements, but many systems struggle when real-world data do not match ideal conditions. Measurements collected from different instruments, experiments or simulations often vary widely in resolution, noise and reliability. Traditional machine-learning models typically assume those differences are negligible — an assumption that can limit accuracy and trustworthiness.

Wearable electronics could be more wearable, according to a research team at Penn State. The researchers developed a scalable, versatile approach to designing and fabricating wireless, internet-enabled electronic systems that can better adapt to 3D surfaces, like the human body or common household items, paving the path for more precise health monitoring or household automation, such as a smart recliner that can monitor and correct poor sitting habits to improve circulation and prevent long-term problems.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Sometimes, less really is more. By removing oxygen during synthesis, a team led by materials scientists at Penn State created seven new high-entropy oxides, or HEOs: a class of ceramics composed of five or more metals with potential for applications in energy storage, electronics and protective coatings.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A new twist on a classic material could advance quantum computing and make modern data centers more energy efficient, according to a team led by researchers at Penn State.   

Barium titanate, first discovered in 1941, is known for its powerful electro-optic properties in bulk, or three-dimensional, crystals. Electro-optic materials like barium titanate act as bridges between electricity and light, converting signals carried by electrons into signals carried by photons, or particles of light.  

China recently limited the export of gallium nitride, a type of semiconductor used to manufacture a variety of consumer power electronics, such as cellphones and computers, as well as medical devices, cars, wind turbines, solar farms, LED lightbulbs and more.

Butterflies can see more of the world than humans, including more colors and the field oscillation direction, or polarization, of light. This special ability enables them to navigate with precision, forage for food and communicate with one another. Other species, like the mantis shrimp, can sense an even wider spectrum of light, as well as the circular polarization, or spinning states, of light waves. They use this capability to signal a “love code,” which helps them find and be discovered by mates.

By Adrienne Berard

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today (Sept. 4) that it will continue to support Penn State’s Center for Three-Dimensional Ferroelectric Microelectronics Manufacturing (3DFeM) as an Energy Frontier Research Center.

Researchers explain how chip architecture and Penn State-led initiatives can help jump-start U.S. chip manufacturing

By Tim Schley

The phrase “advanced chip packaging” might conjure images of a fancy Pringles can. For those who manufacture semiconductors — also known as integrated circuits, chips or microchips — it represents a new frontier, a race to design and mass produce the next generation of semiconductors that use less energy while delivering more computing power.

By Jamie Oberdick

Systems in the Universe trend toward disorder, with only applied energy keeping the chaos at bay. The concept is called entropy, and examples can be found everywhere: ice melting, campfire burning, water boiling. Zentropy theory, however, adds another level to the mix.  

By Ashley WennersHerron

There’s a barrier preventing the advent of truly elastic electronic systems, the kind needed for advanced human-machine interfaces, artificial skins, smart health care and more, but a Penn State-led research team may have found a way to stretch around it.