research News

Advances in computing power over the decades have come thanks in part to our ability to make smaller and smaller transistors, a building block of electronic devices, but we are nearing the limit of the silicon materials typically used. A new technique for creating 2D oxide materials may pave the way for future high-speed electronics, according to an international team of scientists.

Six new Penn State faculty members have joined the Institutes of Energy and the Environment (IEE). The researchers represent four Penn State colleges: the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences; the College of Engineering; the College of Health and Human Development; and the College of Medicine. 

The researchers in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences are Ida Djenontin, Nutifafa Yao Doumon and Stephanie Law.

Soft, elastic semiconductors and circuits could advance wearable medical devices and other emerging technologies, but the high-performance electronics are difficult and expensive to manufacture. A Penn State-led research team plans to make the process easier and cheaper with a new manufacturing method.

A team of researchers at Penn State is investigating how contaminants in power plant water cycles affect the integrity of steel pipes and tubing in power generation systems.

If glass and ceramics had a hall of fame, there’s a good chance that there would be a lifesize (glass, of course) statue of John Mauro at the entrance. The co-inventor of Gorilla Glass has already been named to the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Inventors, and has just been named as the editor in chief of the Journal of the American Ceramic Society. After a prolific 18-year stint at Corning Incorporated, Mauro decided to bring his expertise to Penn State six years ago. He said the university was a clear choice — no pun intended.

Three materials science and engineering doctoral students — representing six in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences — are among the 21 new National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recipients for the 2022-23 academic year.

The Penn State Materials Research Institute (MRI) will hold its marquee annual event, Materials Day, on Oct. 20-21 on the University Park campus. This year’s theme is "Materials Impacting Society" and interested parties can register at the event site.  

Five faculty in Penn State’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE) are members of research teams selected for two recently funded Energy Frontier Research Centers. The awards, announced on Aug. 25, are part of a $540 million initiative by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to invest in clean energy technologies and low-carbon manufacturing to help the U.S. achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

A team of researchers have observed and reported for the first time the unique microstructure of a novel ferroelectric material, enabling the development of lead-free piezoelectric materials for electronics, sensors, and energy storage that are safer for human use. This work was led by the Alem Group at Penn State and in collaboration with research teams at Rutgers University and the University of California, Merced.

Susan Sinnott, head and professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State, has been selected to receive the 2022 Medard W. Welch Award, the top research award from the American Vacuum Society (AVS).