RESEARCH
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A snapshot of CRANN research
CRANN is home to a number of internationally renowned scien- tific researchers, and their work is leading to a diverse range of innovations.
Layers for better batteries, lighter plastics More efficient batteries and greener plastics could be on the way thanks to a discovery by CRANN PI Prof Jonathan Cole- man. He and his teamat Trinity have been developing ways to ‘exfoliate’ ultra-thin nanolayers fromvariousmaterials so their properties can enablemore efficient energy storage and lighter, stronger plastics. In 2010, Prof Coleman was named in the top 100materials researchers worldwide based on scientific cita- tions and in 2011 he was awarded SFI Researcher of the Year.
Simulating thematerials of the future If you have enough computing power and know-how, you can predict the rightmaterials for the right job. Prof Stefano San- vito and his teamat Trinity have developed software to simulate the behaviours ofmaterials at the nanoscale, and they are working with groups around the world to apply the technology to problems in sustainable energy, ICT and life sciences.
Detecting disease, nano-syle Diagnosing cancer early in its development canmake a differ- ence to the outcome, so CRANN is leading a European consor- tiumto develop new ways of picking up cancer-related biomolecules in small pinpricks of blood, by using nanowires. Through the project, Prof Yuri Volkov at Trinity links in with part- ners across nine European countries, including hi-tech SMEs andmultinationals.
Aspringboard to better diagnostics What do diving boards have to do with detectingmolecules or contaminants in a fluid? CRANN PI ProfMartin Hegner has de- velopedmicro-cantilevers that look like tiny diving boards. They can be coated to ‘bait’ the specificmolecule or entity you want to detect in a fluid – perhaps a contaminating bug growing in eye drops. If you put the cantilevers into the fluid and the entity binds to the ‘diving board’, the vibration tells you it’s there.
Patterning on a tiny scale As kids,most of us got to play with clay or plasticine. So we’re familiar with how thematerial deforms under the pressure of a thumb or stamp. But what happens at the nano level when you are imprinting patterns into device structures at that tiny scale? Dr GrahamCross and Prof John Pethica at CRANN have
made important insights into how the nanomaterials deform, and they have also developed a new way of imprinting nanopat- terns into diamond, which has a range of industrial applications.
CRANN and Intel
As consumers, we like our electronic devices small and fast, so the drive is on for ever smaller chips that crammore transis- tors into a tiny space in a cost-efficientmanner. CRANN has been engaging with Intel on its technology road
map in this process, identifying potential ways tomeet the de- mands of industry several years down the road. “Intel posed half a dozen high-level questions and we have
provided themwith some learnings around those questions,” says CRANN’s executive director Dr Diarmuid O’Brien. “So when they begin to invest their internal R&D dollar, they
can focus down into one or two areas so they get a greater bang for their buck in R&D investment by having partnered early on.” One of the key challenges is to engineer chips with tinier
gaps between transistors, and CRANN researcher ProfMichael Morris fromUCC has been researching a type ofmolecular as- sembly using chemical rather than optical etching. Trinity ProfMichael Coey at CRANN is also investigating the
magnetic properties of electrons to develop largermemory ca- pacities on tiny devices. The wider CRANN teamliaises with Intel’s R&D facility in
Oregon and also with the facility at Leixlip in Ireland. Generally, Intel seeks to engage with universities to tap into
their knowledge and expertise of research groups around the world so it can learn about new topics and emerging technolo- gies in the field, according to Leonard Hobbs, researchman- ager at Intel Ireland. CRANN’s involvement in this global process adds value to
Intel thanks to its deep understanding ofmaterial capabilities, he notes. “When you hit the right topic and you get the timing right
and you are at the right place with your knowledge around that subject for Intel, then it works.” Locally, CRANN has also forged a strong relationship with
Intel Ireland at Leixlip over the years, and Intel staff have been seconded to CRANN to learn about advanced technologies. “It creates a reputation for Ireland that’s important,” says
Hobbs. “In the last few years the work being done between CRANN and Intel Ireland is now of interest to Intel’s internal re- search in the US as well; it’s a good story.”
Issue 3 Autumn/Winter 2011 INNOVATION IRELAND REVIEW 31
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