Heat conduction record with tantalum nitride

"For the chip industry, tantalum nitride is a highly promising material"

07-Apr-2021 - How can we remove heat from computer chips as fast as possible? At TU Wien, a metal compound has now been identified that is particularly well suited for this purpose. A thermos bottle has the task of preserving the temperature – but sometimes you want to achieve the opposite: Computer chips ...

Moiré effect: How to twist material properties

2D materials have triggered a boom in materials research. Now it turns out that exciting effects occur when two such layered materials are stacked and slightly twisted

24-Mar-2021 - The discovery of the material graphene, which consists of only one layer of carbon atoms, was the starting signal for a global race: Today, so-called "2D materials" are produced, made of different types of atoms. Atomically thin layers that often have very special material properties not found in ...

How do good metals go bad?

New measurements have solved a mystery in solid state physics: How is it that certain metals do not seem to adhere to the valid rules?

16-Mar-2021 - We all have a clear picture in mind when we think of metals: We think of solid, unbreakable objects that conduct electricity and exhibit a typical metallic sheen. The behaviour of classical metals, for example their electrical conductivity, can be explained with well-known, well-tested physical ...

Magnetic effect without a magnet

Surprise in solid-state physics: The Hall effect, which normally requires magnetic fields, can also be generated in a completely different way – with extreme strength

23-Feb-2021 - Electric current is deflected by a magnetic field – in conducting materials this leads to the so-called Hall effect. This effect is often used to measure magnetic fields. A surprising discovery has now been made at TU Wien, in collaboration with scientists from the Paul Scherrer Institute ...

Two-phase material with surprising properties

10-Feb-2021 - Microstructure and macroscopic electro-mechanical properties are closely coupled in so-called ferroelectric polymers. An explanation for the high temperature dependence of this coupling has now been found at TU Wien. In certain materials, electrical and mechanical effects are closely linked: for ...

Optimal information about the invisible

How do you measure objects that you can't see under normal circumstances?

27-Jan-2021 - Laser beams can be used to precisely measure an object’s position or velocity. Normally, however, a clear, unobstructed view of this object is required – and this prerequisite is not always satisfied. In biomedicine, for example, structures are examined, which are embedded in an irregular, ...

Single atoms as a catalyst: Surprising effects ensue

For years, the metal nanoparticles used in catalysts have been getting smaller and smaller. Now, a research team have shown that everything is suddenly different when you arrive at the smallest possible size: a single atom

26-Jan-2021 - Metals such as gold or platinum are often used as catalysts. In the catalytic converters of vehicles, for example, platinum nanoparticles convert poisonous carbon monoxide into non-toxic CO2. Because platinum and other catalytically active metals are expensive and rare, the nanoparticles involved ...

Why do metal oxide surfaces behave differently?

New research method answers important questions

15-Jan-2021 - Metal surfaces play a role as catalysts for many important applications - from fuel cells to the purification of car exhaust gases. However, their behaviour is decisively affected by oxygen atoms incorporated into the surface. This phenomenon has been known for a long time, but until now it has ...

Stable Catalysts for New Energy

Crucial new technologies such as hydrogen production or carbon capture require new catalysts. Experiments show: It's not just the material that matters, but also its atomic surface structure

26-Nov-2020 - On the way to a CO2-neutral economy, we need to perfect a whole range of technologies - including the electrochemical extraction of hydrogen from water, fuel cells, or carbon capture. All these technologies have one thing in common: they only work if suitable catalysts are used. For many years, ...

Old Mystery Solved: a "New Kind of Electrons"

Why do certain materials emit electrons with a very specific energy?

20-Nov-2020 - It is something quite common in physics: electrons leave a certain material, they fly away and then they are measured. Some materials emit electrons, when they are irradiated with light. These electrons are then called "photoelectrons". In materials research, so-called "Auger electrons" also play ...