NanoKTN Announces Details of Energy Harvesting Workshop to be held at S2K 2012

The aim of Micro and Nanofabrication for Energy Harvesting Applications Workshop is to stimulate the debate on the commercialisation of research in this area, to inform participants on the latest advances and also provide great networking opportunities with the UK semiconductor process and tool community who are important for the production of devices that emerge from the laboratory. Thermal energy harvesting (and solid state cooling) already represents a global £1 Billion industry and nanotechnology offers the potential for new approaches which will continue to drive developments forward with new materials such as graphitic based materials and silicon nanowires.



The workshop will inform delegates of the current commercial status of energy harvesting in the UK and will provide a clear message of the value it provides to society. Delegates will also be introduced to the work of the joint Energy Harvesting ‘Manufacturing Challenges’ project which is exploring the issues needed to be overcome to make new devices economically competitive with existing fabrication solutions. It will highlight the research grant opportunities available with key R&D funding bodies including the Technology Strategy Board.



Presentations will also explore how advances in nanotechnologies are being employed to make energy harvesting applications more viable with practical examples and evidence from the line-up of speakers which includes the ESP KTN, University of Southampton, NPL, Toumaz Microsystems Ltd and the University of Bolton.



“Energy harvesting has been highlighted by the UK Government as an area of importance, and as a potential special interest group, it is crucial that UK industry looks at and analyses the opportunities nanotechnology offers. By hosting workshops like this the community can meet in a forum to look at the barriers to adoption whilst advising UK Government on strategies, funding and the needs of industry,” comments Dr Alec Reader, Director at the NanoKTN.



The NanoKTN will also be supporting the workshop being organised by Oxford Instruments on Emerging Trends in Group 4 and 3-5 Compound Materials. The emergence of new materials such as graphene and the growing acceptance of compound semiconductor materials in mainstream applications heralds the dawn of exciting developments in the fields of data storage, lighting, energy conservation, transport and many other critical areas of world economic and human progress.



This workshop will look at areas of leading discoveries in these exciting new materials as well as emerging applications for established materials. Presentations will be delivered by representatives from Oxford Instruments, IQE, NOKIA, Morfield and the Universities of Southampton and Glasgow.