See below . Archaeologists over the years have had methods to date them, but their accuracy has been questionable, which also threw into doubt the age of the sites where the items were found. Insulating between the lines NNL's silica thin film may boost communication technologies. Efforts to manufacture cheaper, faster and smaller cell phones, digital cameras and other electronic devices have been hampered by the performance of semiconducting materials.
Lower capacitance can result in higher signal speed and lower power consumption.
Now, researchers at DOE's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed a porous, silica thin film with a nearly 50 percent reduction in capacitance over high-density silica, the industry standard. Researchers are teaming with Sematech, a major semiconductor consortium, to develop, test and evaluate the technology. No one would ever think to throw milk out before the expiration date, but many metal components of our country's infrastructure are thrown out while they are still useful. Using data from nondestructive testing on full-scale metal structures, the researchers are developing standards and predictions for surface cracks and welds. Accurate Fitness for Service predictions will likely extend the lifetimes of many structures.