Uranium is known as the heavy metal with an intricate chemistry and diverse bonding behaviors, as well as being radioactive. Now, an international team of scientists have utilized synchrotron light at the Rossendorf Beamline (ROBL) to explore the unique properties of low-valent uranium compounds. At the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) in Grenoble, France, the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) runs four experimental stations for radiochemical experiments.

Researchers at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia) developed a new open-source software package that aims to significantly streamline the study of materials using scanning tunneling microscopes (STMs). The software, named Scanbot, automates the time-consuming probe optimization and data acquisition processes essential for STM experiments, helping to accelerate 2D materials research by enabling detailed investigation after the STM tip has been automatically optimized and sharpened.

QuantumDiamonds GmbH, Germany, a pioneer in quantum sensing technology, released the QD m.0, the first commercial quantum device designed specifically for semiconductor chip failure analysis, using diamond-based quantum microscopy to detect and localize faults in integrated circuits with high precision.

A team of academic and enterprise researchers at Penn State has developed a synthesis process to produce a “rust-resistant” coating with additional properties ideal for creating faster, more durable electronics.

Cornell University researchers, Ithaca, N.Y., in collaboration with a team at the Polish Academy of Sciences, have developed the first dual-sided – or “dualtronic” – chip that combines photonic and electronic functions simultaneously, an innovation that could shrink the size of functional devices, make them more energy efficient and reduce manufacturing costs.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign discovered that ordered defect pairs in solution-deposited semiconductors lead to record-high transistor performance, challenging conventional wisdom in semiconductor manufacturing.