Magnetron sputtering, literature searching and odd scientific units
Surface Ventures
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Hello all,
Hope you're all well and have had a good week. Starting a new job always comes with challenges. The first of which is becoming part of the team but then comes the technical challenges. Both are equally tough and it can be filled with ups and downs. Overcoming these challenges are what helps us grow and it's incredibly fulfilling to forge a new path. Wishing you the best for the next fortnight.
Research highlights: Popular Review
Magnetron sputtering is the go-to coating technique for the deposition of metallic and compound thin films. The deposited film properties can be affected by a number of parameters such as DC or radio frequency or balanced or unbalanced field configurations. "Physics and technology of magnetron sputtering discharges" by Gudmundsson is an excellent review of the fundamental physics of this technique.
Research Resources: How to read a paper
Reading published papers for a literature survey might seem like an easy task but there are methods to help digest information easier. "How to read a paper" by Keshav details an efficient three-pass method that should be attempted by all researchers in training.
Interesting Infographics
The move to electric vehicles is a necessary step to combat climate change and create a more sustainable economy. It does, however, raise the question about the emissions of recharging electric cars. The information below was compiled from Polestar and Rivian's Pathway Report.You can view more about this infographic here on Elements from the Visual Capitalist.
From our Partner
9th International Conference on Fracture of Polymers, Composites and Adhesives
24-27 March 2024 | Eurotel Victoria, Les Diablerets, Switzerland
The 9th International Conference in the series is organised by the European Structural Integrity Society - Technical Committee 4, on?Fracture Mechanics related to?Polymers, Polymer Composites and Adhesives.
Papers relating to fracture mechanics testing methods, theoretical and numerical developments and applications of fracture mechanics to industrial applications are all welcome. Of special interest are novel polymer-based materials and composites, e.g., renewable or biodegradable and polymer-based materials made with new technologies, e.g., additive manufacturing.?Please note that submissions on fracture of other materials and composites, e.g., metal-matrix, ceramic-matrix, or concrete are outside the scope and will not be considered.
Abstracts are now invited on the themes listed on our website. They should be submitted using the?online abstract submission system.
Abstract Submission Deadline:?29 September 2023
9th International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissues
16-20 December 2023 | Waikoloa Beach, Hawaii, USA
Welcome to the?9th?International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissues (ICMOBT), which will take place from 16-20 December 2023 in Waikoloa, Hawaii, USA.
The?9th?International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissues provides a unique international forum for researchers and practising engineers from different disciplines to interact and exchange their latest results.
领英推荐
Mechanical concepts are vital for living systems, for their stability, flexibility, locomotion and survival. In the course of evolution, materials were identified that help organisms fulfil these various functions.?Consequently, mechanical concepts?guide?materials scientists?to?draw special inspiration for their own engineering solutions. Likewise, humans have always sought new?bioinspired?material concepts that assist them in overcoming their health limitations.
The field of implant materials is now moving from static concepts to dynamic biomaterials that can adapt to stimuli from the living environment. It is an exciting time for biomaterial research.?The same is true for robotics, as soft actuated and responsive materials pave the way for the rapidly emerging field of “soft robotics”, from the nano- to the macroscale.
The?9th?International Conference on Mechanics of Biomaterials and Tissues?will bring together the different communities to discuss new materials concepts,?their spatial patterning and 3D printing,?their modeling and simulation, biological and biomedical functions, and finally applications of bioinspired designs.
The latest and upcoming from Surface Ventures
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Notable and quotable
“Above all, don't fear difficult moments. The best comes from them.” – Rita Levi-Montalcini
What we’re reading
Finding a postdoctoral position can be tricky and for PhD students, their first port of call is often their home university. It's not always that simple though as often students may not be able to secure a position in the same institution that grants them a PhD. This article from the Big Think explores some of the biases that are present at US faculties. You can read the original research article from Nature here. From my experience here in the UK, this is not the case but moving institutes can often be beneficial to move around and build a network of collaborators.
An app a day
As someone who is constantly trying to read more, I think I've found the reading equivalent of increasing the speed of podcasts. SwiftRead presents text using a method called rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) which helps to reduce sounding words out an inefficient eye movements. It's quite remarkable and with time you'll likely be able to adapt your reading to use this method.
The lighter side of the internet
We, scientists and engineers, are all about measuring things. The trick is to know exactly what you're measuring and find the right units to use. Some units are derived from odd places though as explored in this YouTube video from Joseph Newton.
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Curated By Dr Samuel McMaster
Event Manager – Surface Ventures