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The paper studies reading in the digital age and grounds characteristic reading features on paper and the screen. We studied various scientific points on the uniqueness of reading activities in various formats, effectiveness, and perception of readers about printed and electronic texts. The study concludes that screen-reading practices keep evolving. Digital reading dynamically changes the communication environment, speeding up and simplifying access to information. The new reading format has many opportunities and advantages, and it transforms the reading skills and habits of society. Although it revives social reading, it intensifies the digital divide, leading to a secondary mental cognitive digital divide, and modifies the personal reading experience of contemporaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-performance electronics demand extremely sensitive piezo-resistive sensors with important features such as low-fabrication cost, easy implementation, low power consumption and high-pressure sensitivity over broad pressure range. Herein, we report a flexible piezo-resistive paper-based device functionalised by WSe2 nanosheets. An efficient and low-cost fabrication strategy using Whatman filter paper and tissue paper is adopted for versatile sensing applications. The WSe2 nanosheets were synthesized by high-yield and size-controlled liquid phase exfoliation technique. The flexible WSe2 nanosheets-paper sensor shows excellent response in broad pressure range of 1 Pa–100 kPa with exceptionally high sensitivity of 29.24 kPa−1, current responsivity of 70 and response time of 100 ms. The pressure sensor is also employed to recognize the pressure generated due to finger tapping. Encouragingly, the piezo-resistive sensors can also sense extremely small pressure differences of about 1.4 Pa generated by water drops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-based sensors offer an affordable yet powerful platform for field and point-of-care (POC) testing due to their self-pumping ability and utility for many different analytical measurements. When combined with electrochemical detection using small and portable electronics, sensitivity and selectivity of the paper devices can be improved over naked eye detection without sacrificing portability. Herein, we review how the field of electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (ePADs) has grown since it was introduced a decade ago. We start by reviewing fabrication methods relevant to ePADs with more focus given to the electrode fabrication, which is fundamental for electrochemical sensing. Multiple sensing approaches applicable to ePADs are then discussed and evaluated to present applicability, advantages and challenges associated with each approach. Recent applications of ePADs in the fields of clinical diagnostics, environmental testing, and food analysis are also presented. Finally, we discuss how the current ePAD technologies have progressed to meet the analytical and practical specifications required for field and/or POC applications, as well as challenges and outlook. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pencils and papers are ubiquitous in our society and have been widely used for writing and drawing, because they are easy to use, low-cost, widely accessible, and disposable. However, their applications in emerging skin-interfaced health monitoring and interventions are still not well explored. Herein, we report a variety of pencil-paper-based on-skin electronic devices, including biophysical (temperature, biopotential) sensors, sweat biochemical (pH, uric acid, glucose) sensors, thermal stimulators, and humidity energy harvesters. Among these devices, pencil-drawn graphite patterns (or combined with other compounds) serve as conductive traces and sensing electrodes, and office-copy papers work as flexible supporting substrates. The enabled devices can perform real-time, continuous, and high-fidelity monitoring of a range of vital biophysical and biochemical signals from human bodies, including skin temperatures, electrocardiograms, electromyograms, alpha, beta, and theta rhythms, instantaneous heart rates, respiratory rates, and sweat pH, uric acid, and glucose, as well as deliver programmed thermal stimulations. Notably, the qualities of recorded signals are comparable to those measured with conventional methods. Moreover, humidity energy harvesters are prepared by creating a gradient distribution of oxygen-containing groups on office-copy papers between pencil-drawn electrodes. One single-unit device (0.87 cm²) can generate a sustained voltage of up to 480 mV for over 2 h from ambient humidity. Furthermore, a self-powered on-skin iontophoretic transdermal drug-delivery system is developed as an on-skin chemical intervention example. In addition, pencil-paper-based antennas, two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) circuits with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and batteries, reconfigurable assembly and biodegradable electronics (based on water-soluble papers) are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant attention is focused on paper electronics (PEs) for developing flexible and recyclable devices. These devices use paper as the substrate on which electrode materials are successively patterned. Among various conductive materials used for PEs, nanosilver ink is the most commonly used material due to its low cost and easy printing process. However, nanosilver electrodes tend to fracture when a paper substrate is bent or folded, leading to disconnections in printed circuits. To maintain the integrity of the circuit pattern during folding, a novel Kirigami fabrication method for PEs is proposed, in which a paper substrate is prepared by cutting along the edge of the printed electrode prior to use. The Kirigami method is experimentally proven to turn the deformation mode of nanosilver electrodes from bending to twisting, which effectively prevents electrodes from fracture. Experimental measurements reveal that the electrical resistance of the Kirigami electrode increases by merely 30% under full folding. Conductivity is maintained after full folding for 100 cycles. Finally, the Kirigami strategy is applied to different foldable PEs including angle sensors, electrostatic actuators, and locomotion robots. The successful implementation of the Kirigami strategy demonstrates high potential for use in diverse PEs with complicated foldable 3D architectures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper-based pressure/strain sensors could have potential wide applications with wearable features in disposable products. In this study, molybdenum carbide-graphene (MCG) composites with porous and stacking micro-structures are fabricated on top of the paper substrate to act as piezo-resistivity strain/pressure sensors. As a strain sensor, this paper-based device can detect not only the amplitude and frequency of applied strain but also the direction as tensile or compressive deformation. The gauge factors are 73 and 43 for tensile and compressive strain, respectively, with demonstration example in detecting and recognizing human body motions. As a pressure sensor, this MCG-based paper device has high sensitivity to weak pressure signals such as sounds by distinguishing the seven piano notes. Our study provides a simple strategy for developing paper-based electronics with unique properties toward practical applications. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) can evolve in a viable technology if environmentally sound materials are developed and became available at low cost for these devices. This is especially important not only for the designing of large wastewater treatment systems, but also for the fabrication of low-cost, single-use devices. In this work we synthesized membranes by a simple procedure involving easily-biodegradable and economic materials such as poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA), chitosan (CS) and the composite PVA:CS. Membranes were chemical and physically characterized and compared to Nafion®. Performance was studied using the membrane as separator in a typical H-Type MFCs showing that PVA:CS membrane outperform Nafion® 4 times (power production) while being 75 times more economic. We found that performance in MFC depends over interactions among several membrane characteristics such as oxygen permeability and ion conductivity. Moreover, we design a paper-based micro-scale MFC, which was used as a toxicity assay using 16 μL samples containing formaldehyde as a model toxicant. The PVA:CS membrane presented here can offer low environmental impact and become a very interesting option for point of need single-use analytical devices, especially in low-income countries where burning is used as disposal method, and toxic fluoride fumes (from Nafion®) can be released to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Nowadays, point-of-care testing (POCT) techniques have achieved flourishing development in human health monitoring, where paper-based POCT platforms have exhibited superior properties of low cost, easy accessibility and eco-friendliness. For fabrication of paper-based POCT platforms, the pen-on-paper (PoP) strategies through directly writing desired functional materials on paper have been creatively developed in recent years. The PoP strategies are characterized by simplicity, rapid prototyping and do-it-yourself capability, and are also likely to realize scalable manufacturing through integration with software-controlled plotter. In this review, we firstly introduce various kinds of papers and pens employed in the PoP strategies, and then summarize the state-of-art advances of PoP strategies for making paper-based POCT platforms. Subsequently, we discuss the representative applications of PoP strategies for human health monitoring. Conclusions, current challenges and future perspectives of the PoP strategies for human health related POCT uses are finally given. Highlights • A variety of pens and papers involved in pen-on-paper (PoP) strategies are summarized. • The state-of-art of PoP strategies in realizing key steps involved in construction of POCT platforms are reviewed. • Representative applications of PoP strategies in human health monitoring are discussed. • Possible roadmaps can be oriented to move PoP strategies a giant step forward for human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High frequency paper-based electronics is developing fast, with smart yet low cost applications in view. However, the dielectric losses of paper remain a difficult hurdle to overcome. First, the literature on the topic is reviewed and the contributions from moisture, air, mineral filler, and wood constituents to dielectric losses are highlighted. Then, the guidelines for future research are defined, including the need for systematic comparisons in controlled moisture conditions. In an effort to produce low loss materials for paper-based electronics, it is proposed here to impregnate paper with a low loss substance, after removing residual water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Inkjet printed electronic devices, as a new kind of thin film electronics, have got much attention due to their advantages of fast manufacturing, flexibility and cost saving. The challenge of this field is efficient sintering at low temperature, which is necessary for the wearable and flexible electronic application, especially on heat-sensitive substrates, e.g. papers and plastics. To solve the cracking phenomenon at high-temperature sintering which is a common problem for photo paper substrate, we proposed an effective multiple-step method combining acetone washing with LED-assisted low-temperature heating. The sintering temperature was reduced dramatically through using this method, with the resistivity of silver tracks treated at 70 °C equal to that treated by thermal sintering at 150 °C. Thus, we broke through the bottleneck resulting from high-temperature sintering of cracking of long conductive tracks. The mechanisms of the capping agents' removal and LED-assisted low-temperature sintering were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS). Besides, the size of silver nanoparticles (NPs) was well controlled by adjusting the dropping speed of the solution, which helped improve the electrical performance of the ink. The surface properties including morphologic roughness, bonding strength and flexibility were also investigated. By combining inkjet-printing and post-processing method, we showed exemplary applications of paper electronics with fast-manufactured, no-mask-required, pattern-programmable and precisely-controlled characteristics. Our results provide a simple and convenient approach for developing high-performance flexible thin-film electronic devices based on inkjet printing technology. Highlights • Substrate-harmless low-temperature sintering for paper electronics • High-yield silver nanoparticles with controlled size • Applications of flexible electronic circuits, 3D RFID antenna and strain sensor • Good mechanical performance of printed tracks withstanding 1000 bending cycles [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projected image on a screen is not always vivid enough when it is projected in a bright room. We generally have to choose either vivid image in a cark room or dull image in a bright room. We have suggested a new projection system which can realize high contrast image projection in a bright room. It is consisted of electronic paper screen, projector, and light-emitting diode room light. The electronic paper (e-Paper) screen alternates its whole surface white/black with 120 Hz. Room lights are controlled with the same frequency of 120 Hz with the opposite phase as that of the e-Paper screen. We have confirmed that our new system has achieved higher contrast than the conventional projection system and also enough readability of paper documents in the room simultaneously. We have thus confirmed that our new system can bring an ideal condition, for audience, which can realize a vivid image projection in a bright room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is widely recognised that paper remains a pervasive resource for collaboration and yet there has been uncertain progress in developing technologies that aim to enhance paper documents with computational capabilities. In this article, we discuss the design of a technology that interweaves developments in hardware and materials, electronics and software, and seeks to create new affinities between digital content and paper. The design of the technology drew from findings from naturalistic studies of the uses of paper, particularly when considering how ‘users’ might ‘interact’ with the augmented technology. We briefly review these studies and discuss the results of an evaluation of the emerging technology. Analysis of the fine details of the conduct of participants in these assessments suggest how, even when we design simple forms of interaction with a device, these can be shaped and transformed by the participation and collaboration of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses one of the key issues in using paper electronics at microwave frequencies. As paper is hygroscopic, the varying moisture content can lead to differing dielectric and even conductive properties of paper electronics and must be taken into consideration in any device design. In this work, coplanar waveguides (CPWs) have been screen printed using silver ink on matt paper. Increasing the relative humidity between 40 and 90% is shown to increase the losses, decrease the propagation velocity and decrease the characteristic impedance of CPWs. The effect of water on both silver flake ink and the matt paper used in this work are considered, and it is shown that the change in permittivity of the substrate as a result of absorbed water within paper is the most dominant factor on the microwave characteristics. The reported findings should be considered in paper‐based applications at microwave frequencies, as the changes in transmission‐line parameters can lead to drastic variations in device and system operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper electronics pave the way to a new generation of cheap and flexible gadgets. In this paper, we present a paper variable resistor by repeated folding completely using commercially available commodity materials, such as paper, brush pen, and electronic paint. The working principle of the variable paper resistor is investigated. Based on the mechanism of contact resistance, a strain sensor is developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyocyanin is a toxin produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Here we describe a novel paper-based electrochemical sensor for pyocyanin detection, manufactured with a simple and inexpensive approach based on electrode printing on paper. The resulting sensors constitute an effective electrochemical method to quantify pyocyanin in bacterial cultures without the conventional time consuming pretreatment of the samples. The electrochemical properties of the paper-based sensors were evaluated by ferri/ferrocyanide as a redox mediator, and showed reliable sensing performance. The paper-based sensors readily allow for the determination of pyocyanin in bacterial cultures with high reproducibility, achieving a limit of detection of 95 nM and a sensitivity of 4.30 μA/μM in standard culture media. Compared to the similar commercial ceramic based sensors, it is a 2.3-fold enhanced performance. The simple in-house fabrication of sensors for pyocyanin quantification allows researchers to understand in vitro adaptation of P. aeruginosa infections via rapid screenings of bacterial cultures that otherwise are expensive and time-consuming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper is a widely used packaging material and is nowadays regaining importance, e.g., as bio-based and biodegradable material. Moreover, new technologies such as polymer-fiber composites, printed electronics and the deep drawing of paper are developing. The process stability and also the resulting quality of paper converting processes such as coating, metallization, printing, and the printing of electronics are highly affected by the hygroexpansion of paper. In order to reduce production instability and to choose and develop paper substrates with ideal characteristics, critical parameters need to be known. This paper offers an extensive overview of those parameters, starting at a molecular and microscopic level with the effect of the constituents and morphology of single fibers, before moving on to paper contents, chemical modifications and additives and finally concluding with paper production and fiber network modification. It was found that the major influences are single fiber sorption, inter-fiber contacts, microfibril angle, fiber morphology (length, width, curliness) and fiber orientation. This review gives new ideas and insights for technologists working in research, development and production optimization of paper-based products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smart healthcare management is one of the frontier research directions. It is vital to achieve life assistance through data science, innovative technology, and wearable devices for residents who age at home. This paper analyzes 42 aids of intelligent communities in residents' physical, psychological, and medical aspects to understand the demand factors for health-assisted public products and services. The results show that: (1) the importance of intelligent assistance technology is significant; (2) the demand for medical monitoring is the highest, especially for an emergency button, fall detection, sleep drop detection, electronic fence, and medication management; (3) remote nursing and telemedicine has the most significant direct and indirect effect on the need for elderly assistance respectively; and (4) health monitoring affects the need for aging assistance by affecting emergency assistance and psychological assistance. Finally, this paper proposes construction strategies for the space design and the elderly care system of communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene paper has attracted considerable attention because of its impressive electrical and mechanical properties, which endow it with the great potential for applications in future flexible electronics. Therefore, developing a high-efficiency route to fabricate large-area and foldable graphene paper with good electrical and mechanical properties is quite necessary. In this work, a facile in-situ chemical reduction method for the preparation of graphene paper was successfully developed. The in-situ chemical reduction process involves simultaneous film formation and reduction, and the produced graphene paper has high integrity and good foldability. The thickness and area of graphene paper can also be readily regulated by adjusting the experimental parameters. Furthermore, the dissipation of reductant air stream (HI/CH 3 COOH air stream) can “push up” the graphene nanosheets to form a loose layered structure. This inside-out reduction process gives the produced graphene paper a sheet resistance as low as 17.8 Ω sq −1 , verifying the advantages of this in-situ chemical reduction method. For the application of the obtained graphene paper, a flexible solid-state supercapacitor based on the graphene paper was fabricated, which had a device areal capacitance of 44 mF cm −2 (device volumetric capacitance of 858 mF cm −3 ) and excellent electrochemical stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conductive textiles (c-textiles) allow a significant advancement in wearable technology, offering new opportunities for mobile devices. Silver nanowires (AgNWs) with exceptional electrical conductivity, flexibility, and stretchability have been studied as the most promising conductive materials to provide electrical conductivities to insulating textiles. In this paper, an overview of the recent advancements in the synthesis and application of AgNWs and their integration into textile materials are discussed, highlighting their applications to various electronic devices. The diverse applications of AgNWs to transparent conducting electrodes; and multifunctional fabrics capable of sensing, heating, and providing electromagnetic interference shielding are introduced underscoring the versatility and potential of AgNW-based textiles. Based on the overview, challenges of AgNW-based c-textiles including low durability and difficult scalability of production processes are discussed which help readers to understand the future direction of the research of AgNW-based c-textiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan plans to rapidly increase its industrial production capacity of electronic components while concurrently setting policies for its ecological transition. Given that the island is responsible for the manufacturing of a significant part of worldwide electronics components (including the most advanced CMOS technology nodes), the sustainability of the Taiwanese electronics industry is of critical interest. In this paper, we survey the environmental footprint of 16 Taiwanese electronic components manufacturers (ECMs) using corporate sustainability responsibility reports. Based on data from 2015 to 2020, we find out that the sample of ECMs in this study increased its greenhouse gas emissions by 7.5% per year, its final energy and electricity consumption by 8.8% and 8.9%, and its water usage by 6.1%. We show that the volume of manufactured electronic components and the environmental footprint compiled in this study are strongly correlated, which suggests that relative efficiency gains are not sufficient to curb the overall environmental footprint of ECMs on the island. Given the critical nature of the electronics industry for Taiwan's geopolitics and economics, the observed increase of energy consumption, and the slow renewable energy roll‐out, Taiwan could face a carbon lock‐in situation which will most likely prevent the achievement of carbon reduction goals and sustainability policies on the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presently, we contemplate the merger of paper and electronics in different forms. There is a great desire to further explore this twinning of the information displaying features of printed papers and electronic inks. Here, we report a full-color paperboard display technology comprised of thermochromic and static inks combined with a patterned heater foil. Black and full-color thermochromic ink dots were screen-printed adjacent to, and on top of, static ink dots using a zero-angle mesh and template pattern orientation. As the heater is turned on and off, the display alter its content in between two predefined four-color pictures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

B Paper Electronics b In article number 1900891, Tilo H. Yang, Jun Shintake, and co-workers report a method to fabricate paper electronics incorporating Kirigami, which enables complete folding without electrode fracture. The proposed method shows great potential for realizing paper electronic devices with complicated architectures and advanced functionalities. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Recent progress in both low pretilt and high pretilt defect-free C1 surface stabilized ferroelectric liquid crystal (SSFLC) devices for e-paper application is reviewed. First, by using numerical calculation to investigate the balance between surface azimuthal anchoring energy and bulk elastic energy within the confined chevron layer geometry of C1 and C2, we found it is possible to achieve a zigzag-free C1 state by low azimuthal anchoring alignment with a low pretilt angle. The critical azimuthal anchoring coefficient for defect-free C1 state is calculated. Its relationship with elastic constants, chevron angle, and surface topography effect are also discussed. Second, by using 5° oblique SiO deposition alignment, a defect-free, large memory angle, high contrast ratio, and bistable C1 SSFLC display, which has potential for electronic paper applications has also been developed. The electro-optical properties and bistability of this device have been investigated. Various aspects of defect control are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper discusses a λ/4-type wave absorber for the microwave band made with conductive paper, which is paper with a coating of conductive material. A simplified wave absorber of this type is first designed and constructed for the X band and Ku band. Using the resulting absorption characteristics, experimental formulas are derived for the relative permittivity and surface resistance. These formulas are then used to design and construct a more practical wave absorber, whose absorption characteristics are measured. Excellent absorption characteristics, better than 20 dB, are verified in the intervals from 8.2 to 10.6 GHz and from 14.1 to 17.2 GHz for wave absorption in the X band and Ku band, respectively, although there is a difference of approximately 0.4 dB between the designed matching frequency and the measured value. Design guidelines for such a microwave absorber using a conductive coating are then presented. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electron Comm Jpn Pt 1, 86(10): 100–107, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/ecja.1180 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel microelectromechanical-systems (MEMS)- controlled paper-like transmissive flexible display device wasmodeled by a combination of a cantilever with a flat plate and was realized by roll-to-roll printing process for the first time. This model provides predictions as well as improvement suggestions to both mechanical and electrical designs. A newly developed roll-to-roll printing process which was composed of flexography, gravure, lift-off, and lamination techniques used to manufacture this device was proved applicable on flexible electronics with high-volume, low-cost, and large-area solutions. This 20 V-driven device provided distinguishable three primary colors with averaged transmittance of 50% in visible region for full color flexible display applications and showed commercialization compatibility. Its electrical, mechanical, and optical characteristics excelled previous similar works. The proved major advantages of mechanical reliability, low operation voltage, and process simplicity done by this work made the MEMS flexible display an important alternative to electrophoretic, electrowetting, and electrochromic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simple scheme that achieves the capacity and the reliability function of the wideband Costa dirty-paper channel is proposed. The scheme can be interpreted as an opportunistic version of pulse position modulation (PPM). This interpretation suggests a natural generalization of the scheme which we show to achieve the capacity per unit cost of Gel'fand-Pinsker channels with a zero-cost input letter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years, it was thought that passive matrix addressing of electrophoretic image displays (EPIDs) was impossible due to the absence of a threshold. We proved that there are ways to bypass this [Proc. 22nd Int. Display Res. Conf. (2002) 251]. However, the physical basis was not fully understood. This article presents new insights in the physics of EPIDs. By applying the theory of dielectrophoresis (DEP), several discrepancies between theory and measurement, that occurred in explaining properties of EPIDs, are solved. We introduce a new terminology: DEPIDs. For the first time the theory of DEP is applied to model the movement of pigments in electronic paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Electronic death certification was established in France in 2007. A methodology based on intrinsic characteristics of death certificates was designed to compare the quality of electronic versus paper death certificates. Methods: All death certificates from the 2010 French mortality database were included. Three specific quality indicators were considered: (i) amount of information, measured by the number of causes of death coded on the death certificate; (ii) intrinsic consistency, explored by application of the International Classification of Disease (ICD) General Principle, using an international automatic coding system (Iris); (iii) imprecision, measured by proportion of death certificates where the selected underlying cause of death was imprecise. Multivariate models were considered: a truncated Poisson model for indicator (i) and binomial models for indicators (ii) and (iii). Adjustment variables were age, gender, and cause, place, and region of death. Results: 533,977death certificates were analyzed. After adjustment, electronic death certificates contained 19% [17%-20%] more codes than paper death certificates for people deceased under 65 years, and 12% [11%-13%] more codes for people deceased over 65 years. Regarding deceased under and over 65 respectively, the ICD General Principle could be applied 2% [0%-4%] and 6% [5%-7%] more to electronic than to paper death certificates. The proportion of imprecise death certificates was 51% [46%-56%] lower for electronic than for paper death certificates. Conclusion: The method proposed to evaluate the quality of death certificates is easily reproducible in countries using an automatic coding system. According to our criteria, electronic death certificates are better completed than paper death certificates. The transition to electronic death certificates is positive in many aspects and should be promoted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of preparing paper-based writing electronics, a kind of conductive pen was made with nano-silver ink as the conductive component and a rollerball pen as the writing implement. This was used to direct-write conductive patterns on Epson photo paper. In order to decrease the sintering temperature, pressure was introduced to enhance the driving forces for sintering. Compared with hot sintering without pressure, hot-pressure can effectively improve the conductivity of silver coatings, reduce the sintering time and thus improve productivity. Importantly, pressure can achieve a more uniform and denser microstructure, which increases the connection strength of the silver coating. At the optimum hot-pressure condition (sintering temperature 120 °C/sintering pressure 25 MPa/sintering time 15 min), a typical measured resistivity value was 1.43 × 10-7 Ω m, nine greater than that of bulk silver. This heat treatment process is compatible with paper and does not cause any damage to the paper substrates. Even after several thousand bending cycles, the resistivity values of writing tracks by hot-pressure sintering stay almost the same (from 1.43 × 10-7 to 1.57 × 10-7 Ω m). The stability and flexibility of the writing circuits are good, which demonstrates the promising future of writing electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the advent of modern electronics technology, heat transfer science and engineering has served in the development of computer technology. The computer as an object of heat transfer research has a unique aspect; it undergoes morphological transitions and diversifications in step with the progress of microelectronics technology. Evolution of computer's hardware manifests itself in increasing packing density of electronic circuits, modularization of circuit assemblies, and increasing hierarchical levels of system internal structures. These features are produced by the confluence of various factors; the primary factors are the pursuit of ever higher processing performance, less spatial occupancy, and higher energy utilization efficiency. The cost constraint on manufacturing also plays a crucial role in the evolution of computer's hardware. Besides, the drive to make computers ubiquitous parts of our society generates diverse computational devices. Concomitant developments in heat generation density and heat transfer paths pose fresh challenges to thermal management. In an introductoiy part of the paper, I recollect out-experiences in the mainframe computers of the 1980s, where the system's morphological transition allowed the adoption of water cooling. Then, generic interpretations of the hardware evolution are attempted, which include recapturing the past experience. Projection of the evolutionary trend points to shrinking space for coolant flow, the process commonly in progress in all classes of computers today. The demand for compact packaging will rise to an extreme level in supercomputers, and present the need to refocus our research on microchannel cooling. Increasing complexity of coolant flow paths in small equipment poses a challenge to a user of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation code. In highly integrated circuits the paths of electric current and heat become coupled, and coupled paths make the electrical/thermal codesign an extremely challenging task. These issues are illustrated using the examples of a consumer product, a printed circuit board (PCB), and a many-core processor chip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The widespread usage of paper and board offer largely unexploited possibilities for printed electronics applications. Reliability and performance of printed devices on comparatively rough and inhomogenous surfaces of paper does however pose challenges. Silver nanoparticle ink has been deposited on ten various paper substrates by inkjet printing. The papers are commercially available, and selected over a range of different types and construction. A smooth nonporous polyimide film was included as a nonporous reference substrate. The substrates have been characterized in terms of porosity, absorption rate, apparent surface energy, surface roughness and material content. The electrical conductivity of the resulting printed films have been measured after drying at 60°C and again after additional curing at 110°C. A qualitative analysis of the conductivity differences on the different substrates based on surface characterization and SEM examination is presented. Measurable parameters of importance to the final conductivity are pointed out, some of which are crucial to achieve conductivity. When certain criteria of the surfaces are met, paper media can be used as low cost, but comparably high performance substrates for metal nanoparticle inks in printed electronics applications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The authors discuss the report which examines evidence on electronic cigarettes commissioned by the World Health Organization (WHO). They mention that the significant issue to regard is the role of marketing in urging smokers to move away from smoking while not drawing in non-smokers. They say that there is proof that smokers tries electronic (e)-cigarettes due to their desire for safer alternatives and a concern on the health risks of smoking.

High thermal conductivity and a high breakdown field make diamond a promising candidate for high-power and high-temperature semiconductor devices. Diamond also has a higher radiation hardness than silicon. Recent studies show that diamond has exceptionally large electron and hole momentum relaxation times, facilitating compact THz and sub-THz plasmonic sources and detectors working at room temperature and elevated temperatures. The plasmonic resonance quality factor in diamond TeraFETs could be larger than unity for the 240–600 GHz atmospheric window, which could make them viable for 6G communications applications. This paper reviews the potential and challenges of diamond technology, showing that diamond might augment silicon for high-power and high-frequency compact devices with special advantages for extreme environments and high-frequency applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of rigid electronic components into stretchable materials is a complex challenge due to contrary material properties. This paper shows a novel approach for the embedding of electronic components into flexible and stretchable polymer substrates using a stereolithographic process that leads to stress reduction during stretching. The key factor is the multi-material printing with various elastic material properties. The paper shows a miniaturized packaged component (e.g. 0201 LED) in a flexible and stretchable substrate based on three different materials. The first material has rigid properties (stiffness 42.25 N/mm) and surrounds a small area of the LED with about 500 µm peripheral frame. The main purpose of this material is to round up the sharp edges of the LED to the next material. The second material is more elastic (stiffness 0.11 N/mm) and surrounds the first embedded LED. The purpose of the implementation of the second intermediate material is to spread the load between the LED and stretchable substrate caused by stretching. The third material has even higher elastic properties (stiffness 0.05 N/ mm) and builds up the main part of the stretchable substrate (size of (4.5x34) mm2). After the fabrication of the multi-material substrate with the embedded LED, horseshoe conductive traces are screen printed with conductive paste. Finally, the embedded LED substrate with the conductive traces is cured at 125 °C. The final stretchable substrate with the embedded LED was able to stretch up to about 25 % for 30 cycles without disturbing the electrical function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complete characterization of the inkjet printing process using metallic nanoparticle inks on a paper substrate for microwave frequencies up to 12.5 GHz as well as its application to low-cost, high gain and wideband antenna design are demonstrated in this work. Laser and heat sintering of metallic nanoparticles are compared on paper substrate for the first time which demonstrate immense cost and time benefits of laser sintering. The antennas fabricated using the characterized process include a Vivaldi for the UWB band which exhibits a significantly higher gain of up to 8 dBi as compared to the currently published inkjet printed antennas, and a novel slow-wave log periodic dipole array which employs a new miniaturization technique to show 20% width reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Progress on the development and commercialisation of electrochromic displays that have comparable optical qualities to paper-based display media relies on several factors. The electronic display must meet key requirements of paper-based media in readability, switching speed, power consumption, and stability to seriously be considered as a replacement. In addition, broadening of the colour range of electrochromic pixels is a factor that is compelling to the commercial uptake and usage of electrochromic “paper-quality” displays. We report the progress that has been made in increasing the colour range and in assessing the lifetime of electrochromic displays based on modified mesoporous electrodes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A multi-purpose printing method for the fabrication of microelectrodes on various flexible substrates, such as conventional polymer films and paper, is required to satisfy diverse user needs for flexible electronics. We report a novel method to fabricate thin or thick micro-electrodes on disposable and flexible substrates, including polyimide and paper. This method involves laser selective sintering of metallic precursors with different viscosities followed by heat-activated separation transfer. High-conductivity and high-resolution metal electrodes, which were created on a glass donor substrate via laser sintering of metallic nanoparticles, were transferred in parallel onto thermally releasable adhesive films due to the strong adhesion of the film at room temperature. The electrodes were re-transferred to target substrates, including copy paper and polymer films, by applying heat and a contact force to the film to instantaneously remove the interfacial adhesion. It is expected that this method will contribute to the digital fabrication of disposable and flexible electronics. Unlabelled Image • Multi-purpose digital printing method of microelectrodes on polymer films and paper sheets • Heat-activated separation transfer process of laser-printed nanoparticle structures • Fast, flexible, and cost-effective laser printing method • Alternative fabrication technology for the disposable and flexible electronics without restriction on the types of substrate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how to review student papers electronically in the U.S. It provides a solution on the review of student work in the traditional method by using the revision and automation tools in Microsoft Word 2007 including Comments, Tracking and Changes. Technical Editor Carolyn D. Rude notes the importance of using electronic editing in accelerating the editing process and semi-automate uninteresting tasks.

The Korea superconducting tokamak advanced research (KSTAR), which is under construction at the National Fusion R&D Center, Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, Korea, has the mission to develop a steady-state capable advanced superconducting tokamak to establish the scientific and technological bases for a fusion reactor. After an intensive R&D program, substantial progress of the KSTAR tokamak engineering had been made on major tokamak structures, superconducting magnets, in-vessel components, diagnostic system, heating system, and power supplies with industrial manufacturers by May 2002. The engineering design has been elaborated to the extent necessary to allow a realistic assessment of its feasibility, performance, and cost. Since May 2003, the project has been in the phase of procurement. The fabrication of main tokamak structure such as vacuum vessel, cryostat, and supporting structures is well progressed. The manufacturing work of superconducting coils is also proceeding favorably. The tokaniak assembly started in July 2003 after site preparation and assembly jig. The start of commissioning is scheduled for June 2006. This paper describes the key features and engineering progress of the KSTAR tokamak and elaborates the work currently underway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This chapter describes the different types of paper and electronic surveys currently available and their costs and benefits in terms of equipment and printing costs, demands on staff time, and ease of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discusses the present day capabilities of vector non-linear microwave measurements. It starts off with a historical review on the development of such instrumentation. Next, the author elaborates on how vector non-linear measurements changed the way in which models for non-linear microwave devices are validated and constructed, how they broadened physical understanding, and how they have impacted microwave circuit design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While previously published experimental results have shown that the step-free (0 0 0 1) 4H-SiC mesa growth surface uniquely enables radical improvement of 3C-SiC and 2H-AlN/GaN heteroepitaxial film quality (>100-fold reduction in extended defect densities), important aspects of the step-free mesa heterofilm growth processes and resulting electronic device benefits remain to be more fully elucidated. This paper reviews and updates recent ongoing studies of 3C-SiC and 2H-AlN/GaN heteroepilayers grown on top of 4H-SiC mesas. For both 3C-SiC and AlN/GaN films nucleated on 4H-SiC mesas rendered completely free of atomic-scale surface steps, TEM studies reveal that relaxation of heterofilm strain arising from in-plane film/substrate lattice constant mismatch occurs in a remarkably benign manner that avoids formation of threading dislocations in the heteroepilayer. In particular, relaxation appears to occur via nucleation and inward lateral glide of near-interfacial dislocation half-loops from the mesa sidewalls. Preliminary studies of homojunction diodes implemented in 3C-SiC and AlN/GaN heterolayers demonstrate improved electrical performance compared with much more defective heterofilms grown on neighbouring stepped 4H-SiC mesas. Recombination-enhanced dislocation motion known to degrade forward-biased 4H-SiC bipolar diodes has been completely absent from our initial studies of 3C-SiC diodes, including diodes implemented on defective 3C-SiC heterolayers grown on stepped 4H-SiC mesas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]