Article Digest

The article digests provided by the Advanced Optical Metrology Knowledge Hub are a valuable resource for staying up-to-date with the latest research findings in the field. They are selected by Wiley editors, who choose the most relevant and impactful articles from recent peer-review publications.

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3D‑Printed Multi‑Channel Metal Lattices Enabling Localized Electric‑Field Redistribution for Dendrite‑Free Aqueous Zn Ion Batteries

A novel 3D Zn metal anode with multi‑channel lattice structures employing the combined 3D printing and electroless plating/electroplating techniques is reported.

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Using X‐ray Fluorescence to Examine Ancient Maya Granite Ground Stone in Belize

Discover a portable XRF technique for on-site whole rock analysis, matching lab XRF accuracy. Applied to Maya sites in Belize, it assesses granite ground stone with reliability.

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Geochemical Clues to Ancient Chinese Manufacturing and Supply Chain Management

Non-invasive analysis of Emperor Qin Shihuang’s Terracotta Army statues revealed clay paste differences. This sheds light on production, logistics, and the two workshops behind this Qin Empire project in the third century BCE.

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Unlocking Ancient Secrets: Geochemical Study Reveals Ceramic Production Techniques in Iran's Kur River Basin

The integration of portable XRF and thin-section petrography facilitated the reconstruction of manufacturing technology and the primary material origins for pottery samples dating to the mid to late second millennium BCE.

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Engineering dislocation-rich plastic zones in ceramics via room-temperature scratching

This study proposes a method involving cyclic scratching to induce a plastic zone with increased dislocation density in ceramics at room temperature, providing a potential method for enhancing mechanical and functional properties in various ceramics.

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Multi-Objective Optimization during Magnetic Field Assisted ECDM of Alumina-Zirconium Dioxide Ceramic Composite using Battle Royale Optimization

Here, electrochemical discharge machining is explored for efficient CCM machining, leveraging a magnetic field to boost the material removal rate.

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Local and high-strength joining of transparent glass and glass-ceramics by femtosecond Bessel beam

This study explores Bessel beam laser welding of phosphate glass and spinel-based glass-ceramic, investigating the dependencies of weld geometry on pulse energy and scanning speed.

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Phase Separation-Controlled Assembly of Hierarchically Porous Aramid Nanofiber Films for High-speed Lithium-Metal Batteries

This study shows that hierarchically porous aramid nanofiber separators effectively inhibit lithium dendrite growth, ensuring stable high-rate cycle performances, and addressing Li-metal battery lifespan and safety.

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In Situ Derived Mixed Ion/Electron Conducting Layer on Top of a Functional Separator for High-Performance, Dendrite-Free Rechargeable Lithium-Metal Batteries

Rechargeable lithium-metal batteries (RLBs) face cycling and safety challenges due to reactive Li and uncontrolled dendrite growth. This study introduces an Mg3N2-decorated separator for Li-metal surfaces to enhance anode electrochemistry. This scalable approach promises high-energy RLBs with extended cycles and improved safety, offering new battery manufacturing possibilities.

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The Impact of Zinc Ion Addition on the Corrosion of Steel in Natural Seawater

This article digest describes the impact of zinc ion addition on the corrosion of EH40 steel commonly utilized for building ships and offshore platforms. It was found that EH40 steel corrosion was inhibited with the addition of zinc ions, and corrosion inhibition efficiency increased with the concentration added.

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Channel-Length Independent Electrical Characteristics of Oxide Thin-Film Transistors

The quality and dimensions of the fabricated devices were assessed through an MX61 optical microscope from Olympus.

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Thin Films with Embedded Microspheres for Super-Resolution Microscopy

Microspheres of barium titanate with high refractive index were embedded in thin polydimethylsiloxane films. These films, which adhere to the surface of the nanoplasmonic structures, were used to observe the plasmonic structures providing a tool for high-resolution microscopy.

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Application of Confocal Microscopy for 3D Visualization of Tracks in Solid-state Nuclear Track Detectors

This paper reviews recent research in 3D imaging of solid-state nuclear track detectors using confocal microscopy.

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Application of Confocal Microscopy for Surface and Volume Imaging of Solid-state Nuclear Track Detectors

Researchers investigated particle tracks in nine solid-state nuclear track detectors using surface and volume visualization from confocal microscope imaging.

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A New Method of Imaging Particle Tracks in Solid-state Nuclear Track Detectors

In this article, a new method for rapid, high-resolution 3D imaging of solid-state nuclear track detectors is described.

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Microstructure Analysis of Corrosion Resistance of Cast AlCu4Mg1 Alloy

This article discusses the evaluation of corrosion resistance of cast rods from alloy EN AW 2024. Experimental samples were laboratory subjected to a standard corrosion test according to CSN ISO 4287.

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Stress Corrosion Cracking of Tempered 7xxx Alloys

This article compares and critically analyzes various test methods used to assess stress corrosion cracking susceptibility of the alloy EN AW-7075 (Al-Zn-Mg-Cu) in various temper conditions.

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Cathodic Polarization and Bacteria-accelerated Corrosion of X65 Steel

In this study, a fluorine‐doped tin oxide electrode is used to study the effect of cathodic current on sulfate‐reducing bacteria cells.

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Metal Friction and Wear Reduction: Effect of Graphene

In this study, the influence of the mixing compound with different amounts of graphene on the friction and wear of the metal end face was analyzed, and the ratio of the corrosion wear to abrasive wear was calculated for the first time.

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Semiquantitative Evaluation of Secondary Carbonates via Portable X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry

This study used portable X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry to determine the Ca concentration of 75 soil samples to obtain semiquantitative information on the carbonate development stage. Portable XRF‐determined Ca content in both intact aggregates and ground soil samples increased steadily with the carbonate development stage (I–VI).

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Impact of Sample Preparation Methods for Characterizing the Geochemistry of Soils and Sediments by Portable X‐Ray Fluorescence

The impact of three different sample preparation methods on bulk soil geochemistry data obtained from a portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometer was examined.

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Portable X‐Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry Analysis of Soils

Portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry is a proximal sensing technique whereby low‐power X‐rays are used to make elemental determinations in soils. The technique is rapid, portable, and provides multi‐elemental analysis with results generally comparable to traditional laboratory‐based techniques.

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Using EMI and pXRF to Characterize the Magnetic Properties and the Concentration of Metals in Soils Formed over Different Lithologies

Two sites located in the Northern Piedmont of Pennsylvania were examined using electromagnetic induction (EMI) and portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF). One site is underlain by micaceous schist and serpentinite; the other site by micaceous schist only.

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Mechanical Properties and Slurry Erosion Resistance of a Hybrid Composite SiC Foam/SiC Particles/EP

A novel composite, SiC foam/SiC particles/EP (SiCfoam/SiCp/EP), was prepared, consisting of an E‐51 epoxy resin (EP) as the matrix and SiC foam/SiC particles as the reinforcements.

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In Situ Integration of SERS Sensors for On‐Chip Catalytic Reactions

A graphene-based catalytic chip with surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensors was fabricated by laser scribing of a graphene oxide (GO)–silver nanoparticle (AgNP) composite (AgNPs@GO).

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Micro‐Structuration of Piezoelectric Composites Using Dielectrophoresis: Toward Application in Condition Monitoring of Bearings

A piezoelectric composite was fabricated for use as an aerospace and aeronautical monitoring sensor. The designed piezoelectric element integrated into an aircraft ball bearing could detect local vibrations indicative of imminent bearing failure.

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Wettability of Low Weight Borides by Commercial Aluminum Alloys − A Basis for Metal Matrix Composite Fabrication

The wetting behavior of five boride substrates by liquid pure aluminum (99.5%) and and an aluminum alloy was investigated.

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Spray-Coated Polymer Solar Cells Based on Low-Band-Gap Donors Processed with ortho-Xylene

A low-band-gap material blend was dissolved in the non-chlorinated solvent ortho-xylene for both spin-coating and spray-coating of active layers for polymer solar cells. The results open the way to the use of spray-coating to scale up the deposition of active layers.

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Native Oxide Barrier Layer for Selective Electroplated Metallization of Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

An alternative low-silver approach for low-temperature metallization of SHJ solar cells through selectivity of etchants and plating processes was demonstrated. The NOBLE approach saves processing steps and consumables with encouraging results.

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Nanodiamond‐Based Separators for Supercapacitors Realized on Paper Substrates

Herein, a scalable, low-cost, and easy-to-process approach for the preparation of supercapacitors using large area techniques like spray and blade coating is presented.

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Assessment of Possibilities of Ceramic Biomaterial Fracture Surface Reconstruction Using Laser Confocal Microscopy and Long Working Distance Objective Lenses

The roughness of an alumina surface on an aluminum alloy was analyzed using confocal laser scanning microscopy using various objective lenses with different working distances. It was found that the confocal microscope provides an advantage over conventional optical microscopy in terms of image quality and resolution.

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Super-Hydrophobic and Oleophobic Aluminum Alloy Surfaces via Chemical Etching and Functionalization

Super-hydrophobic and oleophobic surfaces, on aluminum alloy substrates, were achieved by engineered surface roughness using a chemical etching process followed by the deposition of an organically modified silicate coating.

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Effects of Multi-Scale Patterning on the Run-In Behavior of Steel – Alumina Pairings under Lubricated Conditions

Multi-scale surface roughness patterns were prepared on stainless steel substrates using micro-coining and direct laser interference patterning. The effects of hierarchical surface roughness on friction resistance were studied in steel-aluminum pairings.

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Flexible Micropillar Electrode Arrays for In Vivo Neural Activity Recordings

Flexible electronics that can form tight interfaces with neural tissues hold great promise for improving the diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders and advancing brain/machine interfaces. Here, the facile fabrication of a novel flexible micropillar electrode array (μPEA) is described based on a biotemplate method.

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Super-Resolution Microscopy by Movable Thin Films with Embedded Microspheres

Microsphere-assisted imaging has emerged as a simple technique to obtain optical super-resolution. This work addresses the methodology of the resolution measurements and the limited field-of-view provided by each sphere.

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Breathable and Flexible Polymer Membranes with Mechanoresponsive Electrical Resistance

Flexible low-resistance membranes that tolerate very high deformability, produce low joule heating, and allow the passage of gases for human comfort are desired for wearable devices. Herein, a network of silver nanowires
(AgNWs) between two highly porous electrospun thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) membranes is presented.

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Film Adhesion of Flexible Electronics Influenced by Interlayers

Compression-induced delamination is a technique that uses the buckling dimensions to evaluate the interfacial adhesion of materials on flexible substrates quantitatively. This study shows that spontaneous buckles are formed in gold (Au) films, which are deposited without an interlayer. Conversely, external loading is required to delaminate the Au film with the tantalum (Ta) adhesion layer indicating higher adhesion energy.

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Flexible Thin-Film Electronics

Fast-forward and electronics are ubiquitous throughout our lives. Most electronic devices are composed of rigid circuit boards containing electronic components (e.g., transistors, resistors, and capacitors), and printed metallic interconnects. Now, flexible electronics are currently being developed for next-generation devices.

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Boosted UV Photodetection Performance in Chemically Etched Amorphous Gallium(III) Oxide Thin-Film Transistors

Bottom-gate amorphous gallium oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) were fabricated to boost their UV photodetection properties. A simple chemical-etching solution was employed that is easy to use, low cost, and compatible with traditional lithographic processes to selectively etch a-Gallium(III) oxide films.

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A Novel Slicing Method for Thin Supercapacitors

Thin and flexible supercapacitors with low cost and uniform thicknesses were fabricated by a new and efficient slicing method. The morphology of the thin supercapacitors was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy, which revealed uniform thicknesses and well-formed interfaces between the electrode and the gel electrolyte.

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Multiscale and Uniform Liquid Metal Thin‐Film Patterning Based on Soft Lithography for 3D Heterogeneous Integrated Soft Microsystems: Additive Stamping and Subtractive Reverse Stamping

This paper demonstrates multiscale and uniform EGaIn thin‐film patterning by utilizing an additive stamping process for large‐scale soft electronics and a subtractive reverse stamping process for microscale soft electronics.

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The Use of Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy (LSCM) in Materials Science

Herein, several examples that exploit the laser scanning confocal microscope’s capabilities of pseudo-infinite depth of field imaging, topographic imaging, fluorescence imaging, and photo-stimulated luminescence imaging for the characterization of different materials are provided.

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In Operando Monitoring by Analysis of Backscattered Electrons during Electron Beam Melting

A comparison between the obtained intensity map and the as-built surface analyzed by (confocal) laser scanning microscopy shows a remarkable correlation, which might be suitable for process monitoring and quality control purposes.

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Laser‐Assisted, Large‐Area Selective Crystallization and Patterning of Titanium Dioxide Polymorphs

Herein, a qualitative method is presented for the processing of an amorphous photosensitive precursor to achieve high‐yield conversion to highly crystalline TiO2 at room temperature and in ambient environment using a low‐energy laser.

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Rapid Softlithography Using 3D‐Printed Molds

The feasibility of producing master molds suitable for rapid softlithography is demonstrated using a newly developed 3D‐printing resin.

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Stereolithography of SiOC Polymer‐Derived Ceramics Filled with SiC Micronwhiskers

Due to complicated manufacturing methods and lack of machinability, the use of...

Article Digest

Rapid Softlithography Using 3D‐Printed Molds

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a long‐standing material of significant interest in microfluidics due to its unique features.