Chad S. Korach delivered talk on the Mechanics of Dental Enamel and Mineralized Bio-Nanocomposites at INL

«Mechanics of Dental Enamel and Mineralized Bio-Nanocomposites» is the title of the talk delivered by Dr Chad S. Korach, June 28th, at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), in Braga. Dr Chad S. Korach is Assistant Professor and the Director of the Laboratory for Nanotribology and Wear Mechanics in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Stony Brook University. Abstract Enamel, the hardest substance in the human body, takes the form of a protective crown on teeth and is a human’s only exposed hard tissue. Though enamel is a robust biological composite with high hardness and rigidity, it is susceptible to significant localized wear in the form of cervical lesions. The aetiology of the lesions is attributed to high mechanical stresses in the cervical region and the abrasion of the surface combined with erosive. The unique hierarchical microstructure of enamel plays an important role in the wear process. Here, the mechanics of enamel is studied by instrumented micro scratching and atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) to observe the effects of erosive application on surface damage formation. Relationships between applied stress and enamel erosion are developed. In addition, quantitative AFAM is used to measure the nanomechanical properties of enamel associated with microstructural […]

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Nobel Laureate Harold Kroto gave lecture at INL

Nobel Laureate Harold Kroto gave lecture at INL

Sir Harold Kroto, one of the co-recipients of the 1996 Nobel Prize in Chemistry delivered (June 1st) at INL, in Braga (Portugal) a lecture entitled «Carbon in Nano and Outer Space». The Nobel laureate stressed the importance of improving the general level of scientific understanding and awareness worldwide. «Acceptance of the truth» should go hand in hand with «understanding the truth». Harold Kroto invited the young scientists in the audience to address present challenges and to think out of the box, to focus their creativity and commitment in the subject they feel genuinely passionate about. Referring to the importance of the discovery of penicillin and anaesthetics and its impact on the improvement of human well-being, Kroto directed the attention to a present challenge: the decreasing effectiveness of antibiotics. Prof. Kroto began his lecture telling the story of his and his colleagues’ odyssey towards the discovery of C60. In 1970 his research group conducted laboratory began spectroscopic studies on long linear carbon chain molecules with colleague David Walton. This research led to radio astronomy searches with Takeshi Oka and Canadian astronomers (Lorne Avery, Norman Broten and John McLeod) at the National Research Council in Canada which made the surprising discovery that […]

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The Princes of Asturias visited INL

The Princes of Asturias visited INL

Their Royal Highnesses the Princes of Asturias, Felipe de Borbón y Grécia, and Letizia Ortiz Rocasolano visited the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory on the 31st of May. The visit was part of the official tour of the Royal Couple to the Republic of Portugal, from May 30th to June 1st, 2012.

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More than 160 students applied for the 2012 INL Summer Scholarships

More than 160 students applied for the 2012 INL Summer Scholarships

More than 160 students applied for an opportunity to work closely with INL researchers. Starting late June, the second edition of INL summer courses will offer 20 students from Portugal and Spain hands-on training in advanced research projects with INL scientists for two months. Scholars will have the opportunity of sharing the initial research steps of an international and multidisciplinary community working on nanotechnology projects, formed by scientists and engineers from all over the world. All candidates will be informed before the end of May about the outcome of their scholarship application.

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FINLAND OPEN TO ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRIAL COLABORATION IN NANOTECHNOLOGY

FINLAND OPEN TO ACADEMIC AND INDUSTRIAL COLABORATION IN NANOTECHNOLOGY

The Director-General of the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL), José Rivas, was pleased with the interest shown by the Finish academic and industrial institutions visited during the stay organized by the President of the Republic of Portugal, Aníbal Cavaco Silva, to Helsinki, last week. Erkki Ormala, Vice-President for Business Environment at Nokia, one of the world leaders in communication technologies, showed interest in visiting the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, with its headquarters in Braga. The future visit of Nokia representatives will allow establishing collaborations in strategic areas like electronic devices and sensors. INL also visited Micronova, the Centre for Micro and Nanotechnology Nanofabrication, on the Otaniemi Campus of Aalto University, where the delegation was hosted by Ilkka Niemela, Dean of the School of Science. The Research, Technology and Development activities of the finish nanotechnology cluster were made known through several presentations. From these presentations, Prof. Rivas concluded that there are groups of excellence working on nanomedicine and materials research. «The academic quality is remarkable and the way research and industry are connected in an example to be considered», said José Rivas. One of the strategic goals of INL is to stand out as a scientific organization of excellence, with an […]

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INL installs LPX Pegasus ASE, a Deep Silicon Etch (DRIE) with a broad range of challenging applications

INL installs LPX Pegasus ASE, a Deep Silicon Etch (DRIE) with a broad range of challenging applications

Advanced Silicon Etch (ASE) is a deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technique used to rapidly etch deep and high aspect ratio structures in silicon. LPX Pegasus is the continuation of STS’ Advanced Silicon Etch (ASE) technology. Through an in-depth understanding of the Bosch process and with the required hardware, Pegasus is able to provide excellent profile control and selectivity. The increased etch rate and improved uniformity lead to higher throughput and device yield, resulting in increased productivity. This inductively de-coupled plasma (IDP) system uses fluorine-based gases for anisotropic deep silicon trench etching. The 13.56 MHz RF power supply produces high-density, low-pressure, low-energy plasma. This type of plasma allows high selectivity and aspect ratio etching for depths greater than 150 microns and has an expected etch rate better than 15 microns/ min. Used primarily for MEMs devices, the typical materials used in this etcher are silicon wafers covered with photoresist and thin films of silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. The performance improvements that Pegasus brings have numerous benefits for research as well as for end-users. At the moment, the tool is being installed in the INL’s facilities and it is expected that the final validation process will take place the first […]

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