Printed Electronics Europe 2014

The only event focused on the commercialisation of printed, organic and flexible electronics.

1-2 April 2014 / Berlin, Germany

http://www.idtechex.com/printed-electronics-europe/pe.asp

Crete Center for Quantum Complexity and Nanotechnology

The Crete Center for Quantum Complexity and Nanotechnology (“the Center” for short) is a research structure that is composed currently of twenty faculty members of the Department of Physics of the University of Crete. The research personnel is originating mostly from the Condensed Matter Physics area but it also contains several researchers from the Applied Physics, High Energy Physics and Atomic Physics whose interests overlap with those of the Center.

The Center consists of researchers of the Physics Department, each having an intense research activity in their own area of expertise and are linked together in order to advance interdisciplinary topics in contemporary condensed matter physics. Several members of the Center have long mutual collaboration history together, while others, with related as well as distant interests, are currently collaborating or will collaborate in order to advance research capabilities in the physics of complex materials, strongly correlated systems, nonlinearity, nanotechnology, conventional, quantum and superconducting metamaterials, topological insulators, graphene, biological physics, as well as applications.

Under the Center the three groups of researchers (Condensed matter, Quantum Field Theory and Applied Physics) aim at

1. advancing their individual as well as collective research through means provided by the funding,
2. perform collaborative work in specific areas to be outlined in the following,
3. advance the level of education through research for local as well as foreign researchers,
4. transform the Quantum Complexity and Nanotechnology unit into a world class, competitive Center focusing on Complex Physics and Materials applications.

The Center will upgrade significantly its already good experimental low temperature and micro-nanoelectronics facilities while, additionally, it will establish a state of the art computational facility where competitive computational research work may be performed. The large number of young experienced researchers to be hired will facilitate as well as advance collaborative research work in the focus areas.
The linkage of Centre with major European research institutions will advance significantly local know how and expertise.

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Supported  by  the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7-REGPOT-2012-2013-1) under grant agreement n° 316165

http://qcn.physics.uoc.gr/

VASSILIS BINAS ONE OF THE 20 YOUNG RESEARCHERS OF THE WORLD IN THE "FORUM FOR NEXT GENERATION RESEARCHERS"

Dr Vassilis Binas was selected as one of the 20 young researchers of the World and participated in the Forum for Next Generation Researchers which took place in 12-13 October at Strasburg. The main objectives of the forum were to develop a dialog between the present and future generations of researchers on the needs to manage future scientific development and to generate innovation for the benefit of a sustainable development of the world society.
To contribute to the generation of seeds to stimulate further international communication / collaboration designed to solve the major energy related problems facing the world. Dr Binas gave a talk titled "Innovative Materials for a sustainable Future, Improving Quality of Life" & summarized  CCQCN project and objectives.

4th WORLD MATERIALS SUMMIT

5th International Symposium on Transparent Conductive Materials

12 - 17 October, 2014 Platanias - Chania, Crete, Greece

Over the past few years, there has been an explosive growth of interest in both fundamental research and device applications based on Transparent Conductive Materials (TCMs).
This unique class of fascinating wide band-gap materials is gaining a variety of cutting-edge applications in the fields of, among others, solar cells, gas sensors, electrochromic, thermochromic and smart windows, in architectural coatings as well as in organic light-emitting diodes, liquid crystal and high definition displays in which they are regarded as the main candidates for the forthcoming “post-Si” electronics era.

Driven by the tremendous worldwide research activities that range from fundamental physics to materials fabrication and TCM-based device development, the International Board Members of TCM (former TCO), following the success of TCO2006, TCO2008, TCM2010 and TCM2012, have decided on the organization of the follow-up TCM2014 Conference at the same attractive location of Crete in October 12-17, 2014.

TCM 2014 Committee

George Kiriakidis	University of Crete and IESL/FORTH, GREECE
Bruno Meyer	Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, GERMANY
Martyn Pemble	Tyndall National Institute and University College Cork, IRELAND
Alex Zunger	University of Colorado, USA
Hee Young Lee	Yeungnam University, KOREA

http://www.tcm2014.org/

Transparent Electronics: From Materials & Devices to Devices & Systems

Welcome to the Web-Pages of the ERASMUS – IP Programme

“Transparent Electronics: From Materials & Devices to Devices & Systems

Seven Universities and Higher Education Institutions from six European countries with strong activities in the field of electronics devices and circuits based on transparent and flexible materials consists a consortium to organize this IP-ERASMUS Summer School
Professors, scientists and researchers from these Institutions will offer to their students a unique opportunity to be together in Chania, the beautiful city in Western Crete and in a multinational and multicultural environment to attend a course in the very promoting area of transparent electronics.
I would like to welcome you in our website and I am remaining to meet you in Chania next July for this very important event.
The Target group of TRANSELECT ERASMUS-IP are a: undergraduate students from Physics, Chemistry, Electronics, Material Science and Electrical Engineering and b: postgraduate students that have just started their research in the field of transparent electronics.
Students from the participating Institutions (up to 5 per Institution) will get a grant from ERASMUS Program but any student interesting on this field is welcomed
As the coordinator of the hosting Institution I would like to express my warmest thanks to my colleagues, Elvira, Thomas, George, Marcus, Stefan, Kostas and George who coordinate the program on behalf of their Institutions, and Popi and my students for their invaluable help for the organization of this Program.
I have also thank the European Lifelong Learning Programme, the National Greek Agency (IKY), T.E.I. of Crete and our Sponsors for their financial support

Prof. Yiannis Kaliakatsos
Deputy President of TEI Crete Council
Coordinator of TRANSELECT-IP
  
http://transelect.chania.teicrete.gr/

Using Nanotechnology to Improve Air Quality

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=oaleZS63m10

TCM 2012: 4th symposium on transparent conductive materials

Zoom

Heraklion, Crete, Greece

Over the past few years, there has been an increase in interest in research and applications for transparent conductive materials (TCMs). Whether work is focused on optimization or even replacement in some cases of material platforms such as ITO, or the realization of a variety of cutting-edge applications in the fields of, among others, solar cells, sensors, electrochromic, thermochromic and smart windows, architectural coatings as well as in display technologies, innovative TCMs are regarded as the main candidates for the forthcoming "post-Si" electronics era. Following three successful prior events, the 4th instalment of the conference, TCM2012 took place in Crete in October 21-26, 2012. Over the course of the event, 300 attendees gathered and attended seminars, workshops and high quality presentations and poster sessions highlighting worldwide activities on the topic.

Titania: a truly versatile material

One of the most interesting points highlighted in the event was the tremendous interest in the properties of titanium oxide (TiO2, also known as titania). With a large range of applications, from paint to sunscreen or even food colouring, it is also used in several electronics applications. Some examples include:

•  It is the main nano-material choice in dye sensitized solar cells; sintered titania nanoparticles have been extensively used in these third generation photovoltaic technologies, forming the network of particles through which charge carriers are transported to the solar cell's electrodes.
• The fabrication of a microfluidics cholesterol sensor based on nanocrystalline anatase-titanium dioxide film deposited onto indium tin oxide glass has been demonstrated.

During the TCM 2012 conference, several other uses of titania were highlighted, including research that demonstrated how the use of titania nanoparticles in wet-processed ITO optimized performance and increased conductivity until a specific level of titania loading after which, the effect diminished. All that because nanoparticles of titania can fill the gaps between ITO nanoparticles and thus, optimize conductivity paths.

The importance of titania in photocatalysis was also discussed at the conference , with invited talks discussing how modified titanium oxide coatings can be utilized for photocatalytic applications of seld-cleaning devices and how many of the photocatalysts currently being developed utilize TiO2 as a key compound. With uses that could be applied in the disinfection of water, oxidation of organic comtaminants, self-cleaning surfaces where free radicals oxidize organic matter or even the decomposition of crude oil, we are bound to see the utilization of titanium oxide dramatically increase over the next few years, especially since it's also a very low cost material that's readily available. As a matter of fact, specialist chemicals and materials will reach over $50 billion in 2023 and titanium compounds are in the list of the most commonly used chemicals in the electronics industry, as described in the IDTechEx report "Most-Needed Chemicals for New Disruptive Electronics and Electrics" (www.idtechex.com/chemicals).

 

Commercialization considerations

The conference also included an afternoon of sessions on commercialization efforts and the status of different TCMs being developed not just in academic research institutes but also in company research programmes. Applied Materials for instance talked at the event, discussing their work on IGZO thin film transistors and how interface engineering between semiconductor and dielectric layers is critical, more than 70% of research effort.

Clark Bright with 3M also discussed his company's advances in the field of transparent conductors and highlighted the work on 3M's patented stack for increased transparency : ITO stacked with polymer SiO2 layers giving as a result an increase in transparency, lower reflectance and better sheet resistance. Mr Bright also commented on an interesting difference between current directions in the electronics industry and academia According to him, industry seems more focused on metal nano-structures and continuous metal films rather than graphene, carbon nanotubes or polymer TCs which are still at research stage and are attracting a lot of attention in academic research facilities. The most obvious reason for this differentiation of focus is the fact that metal nanostructures and metal films are currently better understood and closer to successful commercialization whereas other material systems need more basic research before being successfully transferred into commercial applications.

 

For more information on the topics of transparent conductive materials, attend IDTechEx's Printed Electronics USA 2012 in Santa Clara, CA, the biggest event in the world on the topic of printed electronics and allied technologies. For more information on the event, please visit www.idtechex.com/peUSA