Electronics

Prof. Bayram from the University of IL has developed a method of depositing (growing) GaN on silicon substrates with complete surface coverage of cubic phase GaN. 

This technology provides a new method of integrating GaN photonics with silicon electronics. 

Applications are in light emitting diodes and transistors. 

Publication: Richard Liu and Can Bayram, "Aspect Ratio Optimization of cubic phase GaN on patterned silicon substrate using phase transition", Appl.Phys. Lett. To be submitted.

A necessary function for microfluidic devices used in biology is the ability to "hold" a cell or other object (e.g., embryo) in a known physical location while maintaining the flow around it. This is particularly useful in bioproduction and applications such as incubation/maturation, infection, fertilization, or chemical treatment of a biological object. Although lithographic etching can be used to construct the holding areas (i.e., constriction regions), this method is expensive and complex. This technology uses a simple and inexpensive method -- polymerization -- to construct flow constriction regions. A prepolymer mixture if flowed into the microfluidic channel and polymerized using an ultraviolet source. As it is polymerized, the polymer shrinks, creating a small gap at the top of the channel. This gap allows the fluid flow to continue while the cell/object is held in place. Thus, this technology enables microfluidic devices to be constructed more cost-efficiently.

The graphene-on-diamond on-chip power inductor is made though a self-rolled-nanomembrane technology. It has a small footprint along with high power inductance and high heat dissipation. This structure can be arranged into arrays to meet specific power converting needs in a smaller size than current methods.

Professor Pavan Kumar Hanumolu from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has developed a clocking strategy for efficient clock generation, recovery, and distribution in flexible-rate transceivers. This is particularly useful in FPGAs.