Nanovation

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

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 • Su

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Eric Furst from the University of Delaware is an expert in self-assembly -- the Harry Potter-esque ability of materials to assemble themselves into well-defined structures. We talk about where we are, where we are going, and what makes controlling self-assembly so hard. A variety of topics make cameos, including M&Ms, NASA's Vomit Comet, flying solar cells, and more.Show details: • Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon) • Recorded on April 19, 2017 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/30 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Lynn Loo from Princeton University joins the podcast to talk about organic semiconductors -- Si and GaAs's far more tunable and flexible siblings -- and the applications where they shine. We also touch on the value of industry/academic partnerships and the challenges faced by minorities in technical fields.Show details: • Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon) • Recorded on February 16, 2017 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/29 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Dennis Hess from the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech joins the podcast to talk about the early days of the semiconductor industry. We discuss the birth of Fairchild Semiconductor, the so-called "traitorous eight," and their groundbreaking process innovations that still underlie integrated circuit manufacturing.Show details: • Hosted by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Edited by Andrew Cannon (@andrewhcannon) • Recorded on January 31, 2017 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/28 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Bara Cola makes an encore appearance on the podcast to chat about Carbice, a company he founded to commercialize next generation heat transfer materials for cooling electronic devices. We discuss the value and challenge of maintaining business relationships, how competition from abroad is changing the playing field for technology start-ups, and the excitement surrounding a number of carbon nanotube-based products now making their way to the market.Show details: • Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Recorded on January 26, 2017 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/27 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Jen Dionne from Stanford University is the first guest of 2017! We focus on optical metamaterials -- engineered materials whose nanoscale architecture enables exotic interactions with light. We explore technological possibilities ranging from improved drug manufacturing to computing with photons (instead of electrons). We also learn what motivates Jen, how she picks scientific problems, and whether or not she's a superhero.Show details: • Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Recorded on December 6, 2016 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/26 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

On this quadranscentennial episode of Nanovation, Vivian Ferry from the University of Minnesota joins the podcast to talk about nanophotonics -- the ability to squeeze light into and manipulate it with nanoscale objects. We talk about the use of nanophotonics in applications ranging from solar energy harvesting to catalysis and cover the litany of materials and manufacturing challenges.Show details: • Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Recorded on November 17, 2016 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/25 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Jim Pfaendtner is a chemical engineer at the University of Washington in Seattle. He joined the podcast to talk about data — the flood of it from modern experiments and simulations, the challenge of dealing with it, and its potential to transform the practice of science and engineering. Other critical topics include the Tacoma Aroma, Swiss army knives, the meaning of life, the dangers of Microsoft Excel, and SkyNet.Show details: • Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Recorded on November 15, 2016 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/24 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Eray Aydil from the University of Minnesota joins the podcast to discuss surfaces — the boundaries between two phases. We talk about what they are, how they're interrogated, and why they’re important. Along the way, we touch on the changing relationship between academia and industry, the importance of serendipity in scientific discovery, and how maintaining enthusiasm during early college courses is surprisingly indicative of future success in science and engineering. Show details: • Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Recorded on November 10, 2016 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/23 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

John Reifenberg, Jeff Weisse, and Tapan Patel from the start-up company Alphabet Energy join the podcast to discuss something all around us: heat. Alphabet Energy is trying to harvest waste heat and, in doing so, increase the energy efficiency of cars, chemical plants, refrigerators, and much more. We focus on thermoelectrics — devices that convert heat into electrical energy. We discuss what’s needed for thermoelectrics to become mainstream products, what’s missed when peak materials performance is overemphasized, and the difficulty of translating laboratory-based fabrication techniques into large-scale manufacturing.Show details: • Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Recorded on October 18, 2016 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/22 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback

Chris Toumey is an anthropologist who specializes in the societal and cultural issues surrounding nanotechnology. We cover a lot of ground in our discussion, including the origins of nanotechnology, how its potential to fundamentally impact the human condition make it ripe for individual interpretation, how different religious groups view nanotechnology, and much more.Show details: • Hosted and edited by Michael Filler (@michaelfiller) • Recorded on September 27, 2016 • Show notes are available at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/archive/21 • Submit feedback at http://www.fillerlab.com/nanovation/feedback