November 18, 2004

Micron Equipment Donation Aids Cutting-Edge Research At Boise State

A donation of lab equipment by Micron Technology is helping Boise State researchers investigate new engineering materials that could reshape the future of devices from consumer products to medical instruments. The highly specialized lab equipment, which includes a micro-focus X-ray, magnetic oven, magneto-optical measurement tool and other instruments, cost Micron $1.7 million when new several years ago. "This state-of-the-art equipment will aid Boise State's work in materials research, which involves faculty and students from engineering, physics, biology and chemistry," said Professor Amy Moll, chair of the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Boise State. "Characterization of materials at the nanoscale allows researchers to understand the links between a material's structure and its macroscopic properties. With this knowledge, materials engineers can develop new materials to meet the demands of modern technology." Materials science and engineering professor Peter Mullner is using some of the donated equipment for his work with magnetic shape-memory alloys - materials that change shape and mechanical properties in the presence of a magnetic field. For example, a valve made of a shape-memory alloy could be opened and closed by causing the atoms at the orifice to rearrange and change the alloy's microstructure, instead of relying on mechanical parts to open and close the valve. Several years down the road such ultra-fast valves might be used in automotive engines to improve combustion efficiency and decrease pollution. Other applications of magnetic shape-memory alloys could include positioning tools for microsurgical procedures or sensors for detecting environmental contaminants. Mullner is conducting research with nickel-manganese-gallium alloys. The Micron lab equipment is also benefiting research in physics professor Alex Punnoose's lab. One of his research areas is spintronics, an innovative field that uses the magnetic property of electrons to sense, store and process information. Punnoose engineers semiconductor materials, such as zinc oxide, to display magnetic properties by introducing specific impurities such as cobalt. The performance of all kinds of electronic devices could be vastly enhanced by harnessing the magnetic nature of electrons (the new field of spintronics) in addition to the electronic nature of electrons (charge), the basis of existing electronic devices. For example, a single microchip might process and store data, functions which currently require two separate chips. Punnoose has applied for a patent for a spintronic sensor in which the magnetic property of the material changes in the presence of hydrogen, a highly flammable gas. This sensor would be particularly useful for detecting leaks in fuel cells, the technology behind prototype vehicles that many U.S. and international automobile companies are developing. Punnoose's lab is also conducting research on photonics, yet another way to enhance the function of electronic devices. Photonics involves manipulating the optical properties of materials. Most of these new technologies will require several more years of research before they are used in everyday applications. -30- Contact: Peter Mullner, Materials Science and Engineering, (208) 426-5136, petermullner@boisestate.edu Alex Punnoose, Physics, (208) 426-2268, apunnoose@boisestate.edu, Media Contact: Pat Pyke, communications and marketing, (208) 426-1987, ppyke@boisestate.edu Janelle Brown, (208) 426-1790, jbrown2@boisestate.edu