Nanovation

Latest Episodes:

40: Swami Rajaraman - Electroactive and excitable Aug 24, 2018

Show notes

Swami Rajaraman from the University of Central Florida joins the podcast to talk MEMS. MEMS, or microelectromechanical systems, combine miniaturized structures, sensors, actuators, and microelectronics into a single device. Swami’s laboratory develops new MEMS fabrication methods for the advancement of human health and personalized medicine. In this episode, Swami takes us on a journey from his days as a graduate student at Georgia Tech, to his time as an early employee of the start-up Axion Biosystems, and now as an assistant professor at UCF. Along the way, he provides great primers on the state-of-the-art in MEMS and 3-D printing technology.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on May 17, 2018
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/40
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

39: Lars Pleth Nielsen - Why not try something new and better? Jul 28, 2018

Show notes

Lars Pleth Nielsen is the director of the Tribology Centre at the Danish Technological Institute. His team works with customers to invent, advance, and industrially deploy coating technologies. Coatings are thin layers that cover most of the materials made today. They can offer protection from the environment, impart different surface properties, and more. On this episode of Nanovation, Lars recounts a variety of stories from his research career, ranging from his exploration of the reaction of hydrogen and oxygen as a child to the “super slip” coating he’s currently working to bring to market. We also discuss his outstanding two-volume book titled Advanced Surface Technology that he co-authored with his colleague and friend Per Møller, and which is considered by many to be the Bible of coating technology.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on May 3, 2018
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/39
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

38: Emily Weiss - When they’re smushed, they get mad Jun 17, 2018

Show notes

Emily Weiss from Northwestern University joins the podcast for a wide ranging discussion. We start by asking a deep question: "What is good science?" The answer takes us from the discovery of Neptune to the marriage of basic and applied science that made Bell Labs so great. We then discuss her lab's interest in the interactions between light and quantum dots, tiny crystalline particles with diameters less than about 5 nm. We also find time for Emily to share her vision of a future where biology can be investigated not only on extremely short length scales, but also on extremely short time scales. Stick around for a brief after show if you've ever wondered about making poached eggs. This episode has it all.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on April 25, 2018
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/38
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

37: Victor Breedveld - That's why they pay chemical engineers the big bucks May 21, 2018

Show notes

Victor Breedveld from Georgia Tech joins the podcast to discuss "Process Principles for Large-Scale Nanomanufacturing," a perspective piece that he and I co-authored with Sven Behrens and graduate student Maritza Mujica. We overview the state-of-the-art in terms of nanomanufacturing, the pros and cons of modular and integrated manufacturing paradigms, why we think the chemicals industry is a good model for a future nanomanufacturing industry, the physical phenomena that complicate the processing of "nanoparts," and what science and engineering will be required before the real potential of nanotechnology will be felt by the average person.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on April 2, 2018
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/37
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

36: Anna Fontcuberta i Morral - I’m grateful that I am naïve Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

Anna Fontcuberta i Morral from École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Lausanne, Switzerland joins the podcast to talk about compound semiconductors and their nanostructures. These more exotic relatives of silicon excel in charge transport and light emission/absorption, which makes them useful in technologies ranging from wireless communications to solid-state lighting. We also talk about the differences between academic research in Europe and the United States. We discuss how laboratories are structured, where funding comes from, and how that can influence the resulting research.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on March 26, 2018
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/36
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

35: Elizabeth Nance - Why I’m fascinated by diffusion Mar 16, 2018

Show notes

Elizabeth Nance from the University of Washington talks about the use of nanoparticles to treat neurological diseases. We discuss what makes nanoparticles such interesting vehicles for delivering drugs to the brain, how her lab interrogates this process, and why laboratory success so often fails to translate into people. Elizabeth also shares her perspective on how to train future scientists and engineers to operate in a complex, interdisciplinary world. When a conversation begins with a story of a stolen brain, you know it's going to be good!
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on February 5, 2018
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/35
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

34: Matt McDowell - Fancy Latin words Feb 20, 2018

Show notes

Matt McDowell is an expert in electrochemical materials and devices. On this episode, we talk about everything batteries — how they work, the state-of-the-art, what still needs to be improved, and what options are on the table for future technologies. We also discuss Matt and his students’ use of in situ experiments — those able to make measurements of a device while it is operating — and how they use this capability to understand the atomic scale details that govern battery performance and failure. We also ponder if batteries will ever be used as the main source of energy in airplanes and, if so, what it will take to get there.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on February 1, 2018
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/34
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

33: Andrew Cannon - He's one of those scientists Jan 26, 2018

Show notes

Andrew Cannon started 1900 Engineering to commercialize a microcontact printing-based technology to map strain in high performance materials. His technology helps engineers understand when and how parts fatigue, knowledge that is critically important for industries ranging from aerospace to automotive. We talk about how 1900 Engineering's technology works and how the stamps are fabricated, but also discuss a number of the long-standing challenges to precision patterning at the micrometer and nanometer length scale.
This episode is dedicated to Lorrie Michele Parson.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on December 5, 2017
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/33
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

32: Stacey Bent - A Ph.D. thesis in Russia Nov 28, 2017

Show notes

Stacey Bent from Stanford University joins the podcast to talk about Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), a technique used to modify the composition and properties of surfaces. Since a large fraction of the atoms in nanostructures exist on the surface, ALD has become a quintessential tool for nanotechnologists. In this micro-episode, Stacey explains how ALD got its start, how it works, how the semiconductor industry accelerated its development, and what opportunities lie ahead.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on October 25, 2017
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/32
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

31: John Randall - The way I ended up being a nanofabricator Nov 12, 2017

Show notes

John Randall, the President of Zyvex Labs, joins the podcast to discuss his far reaching vision for nanotechnology and nanomanufacturing. We discuss what he calls Digital Atomic Scale Fabrication, the future products it might enable, the critical need for error correction, and why today's semiconductor manufacturers are unlikely to lead the way. John also shares a number of captivating stories from his career.
Show details:
• Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller)
• Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon)
• Recorded on September 14, 2017
• Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/31
• Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

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