Probing the Intersection of Nanotechnology and Biology
Presenter at NanoScientific Symposium at SUNY Polytechnic Nov. 19-20, 2019
Dr. Nathanial Cady, Professor of NanoBioscience, SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Prof. Cady obtained his Ph.D. in Microbiology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. He is currently a professor of nanobioscience in the College of Nanoscale Science (SUNY Polytechnic Institute). Prof. Cady has active research interests in the development of novel biosensor technologies and biology-inspired nanoelectronics, including novel hardware for neuromorphic computing.
Figure 1. Integrated confocal microscopy / atomic force microscopy based measurement of bacterial biofilms (Mosier, Cady et al. Journal of Microbiological Methods, 2012).
Biology and nanotechnology may appear to exist at distant ends of the spectrum, within the world of science and technology. At its core, however, biology is a nanoscale science, one in which molecular events govern how cells grow, how organisms function, and how organisms interact with each other. On the other hand, we can gain helpful insights and inspiration from the biological world as we develop engineering solutions at the nano, micro and macro size scale. In my research group, we leverage nanotechnology to improve our understanding of biological systems, and leverage biological innovations to design and fabricate unique nanotechnologies. As part of this work, we often need to measure the size, shape, and mechanical properties various systems. In the field of microbiology, we have developed microfluidic platforms that enable us to grow cells in controlled environments and then monitor their morphological and physical properties using integrated confocal microscopy and atomic force microscopy. We have extended this technology to the study of higher organisms, including measuring the mechanical properties of mammalian tissues and tissue development. These projects demonstrate the power of using nano and micro technologies for the study of biological phenomena. Beyond this work, we are also exploring how biological systems can be emulated in nanoelectronics. We are developing nanoscale electronic devices called memristors that mimic the function of neural synapses in the human brain. As part of that work, we perform extensive characterization of materials and devices, including cutting edge metrology techniques.
Presenter at NanoScientific Symposium at SUNY Polytechnic Nov. 19-20, 2019
Nanoscale Vacuum Channel Transistor on Silicon and Silicon Carbide
Dr. Jin-Woo Han, Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Nanotechnology, NASA Ames Research Center
Jin-Woo Han is a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for Nanotechnology, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, USA. He currently leads a research team composed of USRA personnel responsible for developing nanoscale vacuum transistor for next generation nanoelectronics and printed electronics. He has received the NASA Ames Honor Award, the IEEE Electron Device Society Early Career Award, Outstanding Engineering Achievement Merit Award from Engineers’ Council, the 2015 Mike Sargeant Award from the Institute of Engineering and Technology, IET, UK), IEEE Nanotechnology Council Early Career Award and the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Award in 2016. He has published over 140 articles in peer-reviewed journals and given numerous invited talks on his subject areas in national and international conferences and universities. He is also active in the IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) serving in various technical committees including IEDM.
Nanoscale Vacuum Channel Transistor on Silicon and Silicon Carbide
Long-term operation in the harsh environment becomes increasingly less sustainable due to several device aging mechanisms. Total ionizing dose (TID) and displacement damage (DD) degradation limits the new class of missions including long term (> 20 years) deep-space exploration, nano-spacecraft, Europa mission, and so on. In order to tackle such challenges, in this talk, we propose a nanometer scale vacuum channel transistor that combines the advantages of both vacuum and solid-state electronics, providing compactness as well as high performance.
Our fabricated vacuum channel transistor is introduced and the radiation immunity is experimentally assessed. Incident radiation needs to traverse some distance in the channel to release its energy and liberate electrons from the semiconductor for device degradation to occur. Therefore, the only approach to completely avoid the radiation effects is to utilize a vacuum channel. Unfortunately, as long as the electron emitter and collector structures exist, the vacuum transistor faces mechanical reliability issue associated with the electrode material rupture and degradation in the long term. Our latest results on SiC-based nanoscale vacuum channel transistor suggest them to be a robust alternative to silicon-based vacuum devices.
NanoScientific Symposium Abstract Awards
Announcing Cash Awards for the Best Abstract Presentations PLUS – All Accepted Abstracts Will Be Awarded $100!
Join our program by submitting your abstract and not only will you present alongside our Featured Speakers and receive coverage in an upcoming NanoScientific Magazine issue – but you’ll win $100! Plus, all those chosen to present will be eligible for these additional NanoScientific Abstract Awards, voted on by the symposium attendees:
1) Best overall presentation – $300 award
2) Most innovative use of SPM – $300 award
3) Best industrial or commercial application – $300 award
4) Best scientific research paper – $300 award
For Details on how to submit your abstract go to: https://live.parksystems.com/us/abstract/
