As technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, the Internet of Things, wearable electronics, and edge computing continue to spread in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the importance of hardware security for the safe storage, transmission, and processing of large volumes of data has grown substantially. One of the key components of such security systems is the true random number generator (TRNG), which produces unpredictable random numbers for cryptographic use. In recent years, research on TRNGs has increasingly moved beyond conventional CMOS-based approaches toward semiconductor devices built from emerging materials. These material-based TRNGs offer several advantages, including high integration density, low power consumption, compact form factors, and strong suitability for next-generation edge and IoT environments, because they can directly exploit the intrinsic stochasticity of the device itself as an entropy source. In this review, recent studies on TRNGs based on emerging material-based semiconductor devices are examined from the perspectives of entropy sources, device structures, randomness validation, and wearable/flexible extensions. By bringing together the key physical mechanisms, device platforms, evaluation criteria, and prospects for wearable and flexible electronics in edge and IoT environments, this review aims to provide a useful framework for future research on hardware security devices.

Polymer nanocomposites incorporating inorganic nanofillers have emerged as highly promising electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials, combining mechanical compliance with robust conductive percolation networks. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are particularly attractive as conductive fillers because their high aspect ratio facilitates percolation at low loadings. Also, CNTs offer superior mechanical durability under deformation compared to rigid, fracture-prone metal nanowires. For EMI shielding, high electrical conductivity is critical as it enhances both reflection and absorption through efficient charge dissipation and conduction losses. However, achieving highly aligned conductive pathways without degrading the intrinsic electrical properties of CNTs remains a significant challenge. Here, we demonstrate a non-destructive magnetic surface-functionalization and alignment strategy. Using a polydopamine (PDA)-mediated route, pristine multiwalled CNTs are uniformly decorated with Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (FMWCNTs). This enables highly effective magnetic field-driven alignment at fields as low as 10 mT, promoting the strategic formation of percolation networks. By optimizing the Fe₃O₄/MWCNT ratio for high saturation magnetization and uniform coverage, the aligned FMWCNTs exhibit significant electrical anisotropy, delivering a 10.7-fold higher electrical conductivity in the parallel configuration compared to the vertical configuration. These findings present a scalable, room-temperature platform for engineering directionally enhanced conductivity in polymer nanocomposites, with broad applicability in advanced EMI shielding, flexible electronics, and advanced packaging technologies.

Citations

• Interfacial Engineering of Composite Piezoelectric Fibers Via an Anchor-Chain Architecture
  Jun Liu, Qiao Zhou, Pengcheng Zhang, Shuying Hu, Fang Zhou, Shuangshuang Ren, Ting Guo, Leiying Miao
  ACS Applied Engineering Materials.2026; 4(8): 4367.     CrossRef

Cellulose nanofiber (CNF) has attracted significant attention as a next-generation insulating material due to its ecofriendly nature and outstanding functionalities. However, conventional kraft insulation paper suffers from limited dielectric breakdown strength and long-term reliability under high-voltage conditions, highlighting the need for alternative materials. In this study, kraft pulp was combined with five types of CNFs (A, B, C: wood-based / D, E: non-wood-based) to fabricate composite insulation papers, and their electrical and mechanical properties were systematically evaluated. The results showed that CNF incorporation generally enhanced density and tensile strength, while certain types contributed to lowering dielectric constant and improving breakdown strength. Among the wood-based CNFs, type C exhibited the most balanced performance in terms of dielectric stability and mechanical reinforcement. Among the non-wood-based CNFs, type E demonstrated notable improvements in structural compactness and tensile strength, suggesting favorable reliability. Therefore, this study identifies CNF C among wood-based types and CNF E among non-wood-based types as the most promising candidates for insulation performance enhancement, suggesting their applicability as next-generation insulating materials for power equipment and ecofriendly electronic devices.

The continuous rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions highlights the urgent need for sustainable air purification technologies. Current Direct Air Capture (DAC) filters often rely on toxic amines, which limit long-term stability and safe application. Here, we report a non-toxic PAN-based nanofiber air filter fabricated by electrospinning and urea-assisted carbonization. Structural analyses confirmed the introduction of nitrogen functionalities that enhanced CO₂ affinity, while SEM and FT-IR revealed graphitic carbon formation. In air-chamber tests, the optimized carbonized nanofiber reduced CO₂ concentration from 25,000 ppm to 2,000 ppm, a level generally regarded as acceptable for indoor environments, while simultaneously removing over 95% of PM₁₀, PM_2.5, and PM_0.1 particulates. This dual functionality, combined with facile fabrication and material safety, demonstrates strong potential for PAN-derived carbon nanofiber membranes in DAC systems and eco-friendly air purification devices. These findings suggest a viable pathway toward scalable, sustainable air-filter technologies for carbon-neutral applications.

With the advancement of the information society, the demand for highly integrated and multi-functional electronic devices is rapidly increasing. To meet these demands, high-performance transistors with low power consumption, high-speed operating, and mechanical flexibility are essential. Among various candidates, semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes (s-SWCNT)-based transistors, which exhibit intrinsically ambipolar characteristics, have emerged as promising components for CMOS-like circuits. In this study, s-SWCNT were selectively dispersed using rr-P3DDT, a thiophene-based conjugated polymer, and filed-effect transistors (FETs) were fabricated by inducting directional alignment for enhanced charge transport through an off-centered spin-coating process. The electrical characteristics of the fabricated s-SWCNT FETs were evaluated under various thermal annealing conditions (100℃, 150℃, 200℃, and 250℃). Off-centered spin-coated and high temperature annealed s- SWCNT FETs exhibited high field-effect mobilities over 5 cm²/Vs in both p-type and n-type operation, along with ideal Vshaped ambipolar transfer curves. These results indicate a significant enhancement in ambipolar performance due to efficient desorption of residual oxygen and water molecules in active channel via high temperature annealing. Furthermore, CMOS-like inverter circuits demonstrated an ideal inversion voltage (VIN = V_DD/2) and a high voltage gain of approximately 9.5. These findings highlight the potential of SWCNT-based materials for realizing next-generation flexible electronic circuits that combine high-performance, energy efficiency, and simplified solution-processing.

Porous polymeric structures with piezoelectric properties have attracted considerable attention in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering due to their ability to convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. However, conventional fabrication methods for porous structures often face limitations in controlling pore architecture, maintaining structural uniformity, and achieving process reproducibility, in addition to requiring complex processing conditions. To address these issues, we propose a facile and reproducible fabrication method for porous poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) piezoelectric sponges using molded sugar cubes as sacrificial pore templates. By adjusting the particle size of the sugar templates, the pore size and distribution of the sponges could be effectively controlled, and a uniform open-pore network was achieved. The fabricated sponges were evaluated with a focus on pore morphology, mechanical behavior, and piezoelectric performance depending on the sugar particle size, and these evaluations confirmed the structural properties and functional efficacy. This study presents a simple and reproducible fabrication strategy along with a quantitative analysis method for porous structures, which is expected to enhance process accessibility and practical applicability in the development of piezoelectric polymer-based biomaterial platforms.

The continuous and long-lasting monitoring of physiological signals induced from the human body is crucial for health monitoring, disease diagnosis, and treatment. In this study, we have reported the Seebeck effect-based flexible selfpowered temperature sensor which can convert the electric signals from lateral temperature difference. For demonstrating temperature sensor arrays, the p-type thermoelectric (TE) composite films were fabricated by dispersing the Bi_0.5Sb_1.5Te₃ (BST) powders inside poly-vinylidene fluoride matrix and subsequently attached to the patterned electrode foils. The inorganic BST powders-embedded TE composite films with activated area of 0.5 × 1 cm² harvest a maximum voltage of 1.7 mV, a maximum current of 5.6 mA, and an output power of 2.6 nW from the temperature gradient (ΔT) of 20 K. Finally, the fabricated selfpowered temperature sensor array well detected the pattern images of external thermal source of ΔT = 20 K. This study manifests flexible temperature sensor array which paves the way for further advancements in this field.

With the expansion of offshore wind farms, research on power cables for delivering electricity from offshore to onshore has become increasingly important. In offshore wind farms, submarine cables are introduced and secured to the platform through J-tube conduits. During this process, the cables are exposed to three distinct thermal profiles: high temperatures in the upper section, temperature fluctuations due to water level changes in the middle section, and low temperatures in the seabed region. This study investigates the impact of thermal variations on the insulation performance of submarine cables. To analyze this effect, accelerated aging tests were conducted on both insulation specimens and actual cables. Additionally, dielectric breakdown tests were performed to quantitatively assess insulation degradation. Experimental results revealed that the insulation performance of the specimens exposed to periodic temperature fluctuations due to water level changes deteriorated by up to 7.5%. Based on these findings, the vulnerable sections of submarine cables in offshore wind farms were identified. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the necessity for monitoring and protective measures to mitigate insulation degradation in these critical regions.

We have proposed and demonstrated a fiber optic magnetic field sensor using a FBG (fiber bragg grating) attached on a Terfenol-D bar. The volume of Terfenol-D is changed by the applied magnetic field due to the magnetostriction effect, as a result, the grating period of FBG varies with the intensity of the magnetic field and the Bragg wavelength of FBG is shifted. The temperature sensitivity of the sensor was measured with and without the magnetic field. The temperature sensitivity of the sensor was measured to be 0.02 nm/℃. We observed that the sensitivity of the fabricated device to magnetic field intensity was decreased with the environment temperature.

Energy harvesting technology offers an innovative solution for providing self-sustaining power to wearable and implantable electronic devices. However, traditional energy harvesters face limitations in operating within electrolytic environments or at low motion speeds. To overcome these challenges, a mechano-electrochemical energy harvester using carbon nanotubes has been developed. This technology relies on electrochemical ion movement to induce changes in electrochemical double-layer capacitance, enabling operation within electrolytes and optimizing performance at low deformation speeds. This environmentally friendly and sustainable energy solution is expected to play a crucial role in the advancement of future smart systems and wearable technologies.

Citations

• Fabrication and performance of integrated self-powered PAAM hydrogel flexible pressure sensors
  Huaikuan Zang, Chao Hu, Pan Niu, Yong Zhang
  Materials Science in Semiconductor Processing.2026; 214: 110899.     CrossRef
• Piezoionic sensor devices of integrated gradient electrolyte gels
  Yi Fang, Hongbing Li, Taeuk Eom, Chang Kyu Jeong, Yong Zhang
  Chemical Engineering Journal.2026; 540: 177542.     CrossRef
• Covalent Interfacial Anchoring of 1D‐2D Hybrid Nanofillers to Poly(Vinyl Alcohol) Networks Enables High‐Strength, High‐Stiffness Hydrogel Fibers
  Dong Yeop Lee, Ji Hwan Moon, Hocheol Gwac, Gyu Hyeon Song, Hyunsoo Kim, Yongwoo Jang, Changsoon Choi, Seon Jeong Kim
  Advanced Materials.2026;[Epub]     CrossRef

Understanding the structure-property relationship in functional materials is crucial as microstructural features such as nano-precipitates, phase boundary, grain boundary segregation, and grain boundary phases play a key role in their functional properties. Atom probe tomography (APT) is an advanced analytical technique that allows for the three-dimensional (3D) mapping of atomic distributions and the precise determination of local chemical compositions in materials. Moreover, it offers sub-nanometer spatial resolution and chemical sensitivity at the tens of parts per million (ppm) level. Owing to its unique capabilities, this technique has been employed to uncover the 3D elemental distributions in a wide range of materials, including alloys, semiconductors, nanomaterials, and even biomaterials. In this paper, various kinds of examples are introduced for elucidating structure-property relationships on functional materials by utilizing the atom probe tomography.

Climate conditions, especially transport and storage, are a very important factor in the process of sampling and testing insulation oil in the field. The samples of insulating oil exposed to the atmosphere affect the dielectric strength, total acid number and moisture test value by oxygen and high humidity environment and may also affect the results according to the criteria specified in each test. Therefore, reliable test values for insulating oil testing require consideration of the atmospheric environment of the test site, including oxygen and humidity. In this paper, each test was conducted on insulating oil exposed to various time and humidity environments, and the effect of the atmospheric environment on the test results was analyzed by comparing and analyzing with the first insulating oil.

Oxide semiconductor gas sensors are widely used for detecting toxic, explosive, and flammable gases due to their simple structure, cost-effectiveness, and potential integration into compact devices. However, their reliable gas detection is hindered by a longstanding issue known as humidity dependence, wherein the sensor resistance and gas response change significantly in the presence of moisture. This problem has persisted since the inception of oxide semiconductor gas sensors in the 1960s. This paper explores the root causes of humidity dependence in oxide semiconductor gas sensors and presents strategies to address this challenge. Mitigation strategies include functionalizing the gas-sensing material with noble metal/transition metal oxides and rare-earth/rare-earth oxides, as well as implementing a moisture barrier layer to prevent moisture diffusion into the gas-sensing film. Developing oxide semiconductor gas sensors immune to humidity dependence is expected to yield substantial socioeconomic benefits by enabling medical diagnosis, food quality assessment, environmental monitoring, and sensor network establishment.

We have proposed and demonstrated a fiber optic RH (relative humidity) sensor based on fiber Bragg grating covered with a polyimide film. As the polyimide film absolves the moisture in the air, its volume expands. As a result, the grating period of the FBG (fiber Bragg grating) covered with a polyimide film becomes wide and the Bragg wavelength is shifted. The sensor is implemented by fixing a 30 ㎛ thickness polyimide film on the surface of an optical fiber grating using an adhesive, and the characteristics of the device according to humidity are analyzed. The fabricated FBG RH sensor showed a high sensitivity of 0.0186 nm/RH% and a wide measurement range from 30% to 90%. The influence of environmental temperature on the characteristics of the RH sensor was also measured and analyzed. The feasibility of commercialization is presented.

Demand and necessity for eco-friendly offshore wind farms have been increasing. Research on submarine cables is constantly being considered for a reliable and stable power transmission. This study aimed to evaluate the thermal aging characteristic of submarine cables inside the J-tube of offshore wind farms. In this study, a submarine cable was set in three sections: The first is the part exposed to the air above the sea level at high temperature. The second is the section exposed to repeated temperature fluctuation as the sea level rises and falls. The third is the part submerged at low temperature below the sea level. Aged samples were tested by using the method of electrical evaluation to obtain insulation characteristics. The experimental results show that the dielectric breakdown of the sample with temperature fluctuation was 7% lower than the sample with a constant temperature; thereby, demonstrating that the section where the temperature fluctuation occurred in the submarine cables was weaker than the other. The sections of submarine cable with temperature fluctuations are believed as a weak point during operation; therefore, this part should be monitored preferentially.

A carbon-based hybrid resistor was fabricated using carbon nanotube (CNT) paste as an adhesive layer to establish electrically continuous ohmic contacts between CNT sheets and different CNT sheet or copper based metal alloy plates, and its electrical properties were evaluated. CNT sheets were fabricated using vacuum filtration with a CNT solution dispersed in isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solvent. The electrical characteristics of these carbon-based hybrid resistors were investigated.The CNT paste fulfilled the requirements for forming ohmic contacts between CNT sheets and metal alloy plates, which was attributed to the lowest work function difference and excellent wettability at the interface.

Flexible fiber- or yarn-based one-dimensional (1-D) energy storage devices are essential for developing wearable electronics and have thus attracted considerable attention in various fields including ubiquitous healthcare (U-healthcare) systems and textile platforms. 1-D supercapacitors (SCs), in particular, are recognized as one of the most promising candidates to power wearable electronics due to their unique energy storage and high adaptability for the human body. They can be woven into textiles or effectively designed into diverse architectures for practical use in day-to-day life. This review summarizes recent important development and advances in fiber-based supercapacitors, concerning the active materials, fiber configuration, and applications. Active materials intended to enhance energy storage capability including carbon nanomaterials, metal oxides, and conductive polymers, are first discussed. With their loading methods for fiber electrodes, a summary of the four main types of fiber SCs (e.g., coil, supercoil, buckle, and hybrid structures) is then provided, followed by demonstrations of some practical applications including wearability and power supplies. Finally, the current challenges and perspectives in this field are made for future works.

Citations

• Mechano-Electrochemical Sensor Using CNT/SEBS Bilayer
  Seokkan Ki, Junyoung Lee, Hyeon Jun Sim
  Journal of Electrical and Electronic Materials.2026; 39(5): 532.     CrossRef

As the 4th industrial revolution based on ICT is progressing in the manufacturing field, interest in building smart factories that can be flexible and customized according to customer demand is increasing. To this end, it is necessary to maximize the efficiency of factory by performing an automated process in real time through a network communication between engineers and equipment to be able to link the established IT system. It is also necessary to collect and store real-time data from heterogeneous facilities and to analyze and visualize a vast amount of data to utilize necessary information. Therefore, in this study, four types of controllers such as PLC, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and embedded system, which are generally used to build a smart factory that can connect technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and big data, are configured. This study was conducted for the development of a program that can collect and store data in real time to visualize and manage information. For communication verification by controller, data communication was implemented and verified with the data log in the program, and 3D monitoring was implemented and verified to check the process status such as planned quantity for each controller, actual quantity, production progress, operation rate, and defect rate.

Bulky iron-core potential transformers (PT) are installed in a tank of gas insulated switchgears (GIS) for a system voltage measurement in power substations. In this paper, we studied an electronic voltage transformer (EVT) embedded in a spacer for miniaturization, eco-friendliness, and performance improvement of GIS. The prototype EVT consists of a capacitive probe (CP) that can be embedded in a spacer and a voltage Follower with a high input and a low output impedance. The CP was fabricated in the form of a Flexible-PCB to acquire the insulation performance and to withstand vibration and shock during operation. Voltage ratio of the prototype EVT is about 42,270, and the frequency bandwidth of -3 dB ranges from 0.33 Hz to 3.9 MHz. The voltage ratio error evaluated at about 6%, 12% and 18% of the rated voltage of 170 kV was 0.32%, and the phase error was 12.9 minutes. These results were within the accuracy for the class 0.5 specified in IEC 60044-7 and satisfy even in ranges from 80% to 120% of the rated voltage. If the prototype EVT replaces the conventional iron-core potential transformer, it is expected that the height of the GIS could be reduced by 11% and the amount of SF6 will be reduced by at least 10%.

Citations

• Machine Learning-Based Partial Discharge Recognition in Cast-resin transformers Using Phase-Synchronized Partial Discharge Detection Technique
  Gyeong-Yeol Lee, Gyung-Suk Kil
  Journal of Electrical Engineering & Technology.2026; 21(6): 5147.     CrossRef
• Non-Conventional Instrument Transformers: State of the Art
  MD Rashid Hussain, David Archie Wallace, Hadiuzzaman Mohan, Mohammad Tahir
  IEEE Access.2026; 14: 134883.     CrossRef

We prepared carbon nanotube (CNT) paper by a vacuum filtration method for the use of a chip-typed resistor as a precision passive device with a constant resistance. Hybrid resistor composed of the CNT resistor with a negative temperature coefficient of resistance (T.C.R) and a metal alloy resistor with a positive T.C.R could lead to a constant resistance, because the resistance increase owing to the temperature increase at the metal alloy and decrease at the CNT could counterbalance each other. The constant resistance for the precision passive devices should be maintained even when a heat was generated by a current flow resulting in resistance change. Performance reliabilities of the CNT resistor for the precision passive device applications such as electrical load limit, environmental load limit, and life limit specified in IEC 60115-1 must be ensured. In this study, therefore, the rated power determination and T.C.R tests of the CNT paper were conducted. -900~-700 ppm/℃ of TCR, 0.1~0.2 A of the carrying current capacity, and 0.0625~0.125 W of the rated power limit were obtained from the CNT paper. Consequently, we confirmed that the application of CNT materials for the precision hybrid passive devices with a metal alloy could result in a better performance reliability with a zero tolerance.

The SiO₂/TiO₂ multilayer thin films used for narrow band pass filter were fabricated using E-beam evaporation method. The narrow band pass filter was used to enhance the resolution of spectroscopy and sensor applications with near infrared (NIR) light source. The narrow band pass filter with multilayer thin films were designed with Essential Macleod program. The multilayers of SiO₂/TiO₂ with 32 layers were deposited on the silicon encapsulation of IR with peak wavelength (λp) of 660 nm and NIR LEDs with λp of 830 nm, 880 nm, and 955 nm. After NIR light passed through the narrow band pass filter, the full width of half maximum of 33.4~48.6 nm became narrow to 20~24 nm owing to the absorption of photons with short or long wavelength of designed band of 20 nm. The SiO₂/TiO₂ band pass filter fabricated in this study can be used for sensor, optoelectronics, and NIR spectroscopy applications.

There are many difficulties in the applications of smart manufacturing technology in the era of the 4th industrial revolution. In this paper, a test bed was built to aim for acquiring smart manufacturing technology, and the test bed was designed to acquire basic technologies necessary for PLC (Programmable Logic Controller), HMI, Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI) and big data. By building a vehicle maintenance lift that can be easily accessed by the general public, PLC control technology and HMI drawing technology can be acquired, and by using cloud services, workers can respond to emergencies and alarms regardless of time and space. In addition, by managing and monitoring data for smart manufacturing, it is possible to acquire basic technologies necessary for embedded systems, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and big data. It is expected that the improvement of smart manufacturing technology capability according to the results of this study will contribute to the effect of creating added value according to the applications of smart manufacturing technology in the future.

A machine vision inspection system consists of a camera, optics, illumination, and image acquisition system. The illumination system among these uses LED lighting source. Therefore, the driving method of LED lighting source is very important. The two main driving methods of LED lighting system for machine vision are Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control driving and strobe control driving. PWM control driving method has problems such as a temperature rising of LED and a flickering in image measurement for inspection. On the other hand, strobe control driving method has a difficulty in the control of light intensity because of too short on-time. In this study, we propose a new hybrid-dimming control driving method for LED lighting source for machine vision. The proposed new hybrid-dimming control driving method can control current intensity and current on-time simultaneously so that it can extract clearer images with a high precision without the light saturation of image.

Wrinkle patterns were fabricated on styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) block copolymer substrates using ion-beam (IB) irradiation with various intensities. The wavelength of the wrinkle pattern increased as the IB intensity was increased from 800 to 1,600 eV. IB irradiation-induced changes in the surface properties that were confirmed via physicochemical surface analyses. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed chemical surface reformation due to the IB irradiation, resulting in C-O/C=O bonds after IB irradiation that were not reported before. These results indicate that the surface chemical modification caused by IB irradiation is strongly related to the surface modulus, which is important when fabricating wrinkle patterns. Furthermore, a strong IB irradiation induced a strong compressive strain; thus the size of the wrinkle pattern was increased.

We fabricated plate typed shunt resistors composed of carbon nanotube (CNT) and metal alloy for measuring DC current. CNT plates were prepared from dispersed CNT/Urethane solution by squeezing method. Cu/Ni alloys were prepared from composition-designed alloy wires for adjusting the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) by pressing them. As well, we fabricated a hybrid resistor by squeezing the CNT/Urethane solution on the metal alloy plate directly. In order to confirm the composition ratio of the Cu/Ni alloy, we used an energy-dispersed X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). Cross-section and surface morphology were analyzed by using a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Finally, we measured the initial resistance of 2.35 Ω at 25℃ for the CNT paper resistor, 7.56 mΩ for the alloy resistor, and 7.38 mΩ for the hybrid resistor. The TCR was also measured to be -778.72 ppm/℃ at the temperature range between 25℃ to 125℃ for the CNT paper resistor, 824.06 ppm/℃ for the alloy resistor, and 17.61 ppm/℃ for the hybrid resistor. Some of the hybrid resistors showed a near-zero TCR of 1.38, -2.77, 2.66, and 5.49 ppm/℃, which might be the world best-value ever reported. Consequently, we could expect an error-free measurement of the DC current using this resistor.

The machine vision technology has been widely used in the industrialized nations like the United States, Japan, and EU in the various industries from the late 1980s. Machine vision inspection system mainly consists of a camera, optics, illumination and an image acquisition system. Optimization of the illumination light source is very important. This paper shows a comparison between Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) control and strobe control in driving LED lighting system for machine vision. PWM control method has problems such as a temperature rising of LED and a flickering in image measurement for inspection. In contrast, the proposed strobe control method can suppress the temperature of LED light source below 40℃. Also, it can remove the flickering problem through a synchronization between a frame grabber and a camera shutter. Finally, the strobe control method was shown to extract clearer images with a high precision compared to PWM control method.

CNT fiber has been in the spotlight as a conductor, but the conductivity of CNT fibers do not match that of CNT. This study reveals that the conductivity of CNT fiber can be improved by depositing Al/Cu through vacuum evaporation. Cu is commonly used for deposition on CNT fibers. But low bonding strength of the interface between CNT and Cu could be a disadvantage. To overcome this, Al was deposited on the CNT fiber for forming aluminum carbide islands to increase the interfacial bonding strength. The conductivity characteristics were improved as the deposition time increased. The resistance was measured as a function of temperature, demonstrating that the temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) is improved to be 241 ppm/℃ in comparison with that of as-received CNT fibers at -1,251 ppm/℃, when the CNT fibers are deposited with Al and Cu, respectively, for 90s and for 540s.

Piezoelectric ceramic fiber composite (PCFC) was fabricated using a planar electrode printed piezoelectric ceramic fiber driven in transverse mode for small-scale wind energy harvester applications. The PCFC consisted of an epoxy matrix material and piezoelectric ceramic fibers sandwiched by interdigitated electrode (IDE) patterned polyimide films. The PCFC showed an excellent mechanical performance under a continuous stress. For the fabrication of PCB cantilever harvester, five -PCFCs were vertically attached onto a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) substrate, and then PCFCs were serially connected through a printed Cu circuit. The energy harvesting performance was evaluated applying an inverted structure, which imples its free leading edge located at an open end but the trailing edge at a clamped end, to enhance strain energy in a wind tunnel. The output voltage of the PCB cantilever harvester was increased as the wind speed increased. The maximum output power was 17.2 μW at a resistance load of 200 kΩ and wind speed of 9 m/s. It is considered that the PCB cantilever energy harvester reveals a potential use for wind energy harvester applications.

Vocational education needs to be transformed to cultivate talents with diverse fusion competencies, which is in line with the recent changes that have become a part of the complex technological developments in the 4th Industrial Revolution. Therefore, it is very important for college graduates to obtain employment skills as they are required to prepare for careers within the complex environments of future societies. With the transition to the Internet of Things (IoT)-based control in the manufacturing industry, the development of technological education and related training programs is required to cultivate practical talents for students who have acquired not only the information on existing programmable logic controller (PLC)-based technology, but also that on embedded programming technology. Therefore, to develop an NCS-based education program for analog signal processing to ensure that programming can easily be learned for cultivating practical talent, this study summarizes the opinions of field experts, selects the appropriate NCS competency unit, and designs an adequate technology education training program.

Focused electron beams with high energy acceleration are versatile probes. Focused electron beams can be used for high-resolution imaging and multi-mode nanofabrication, in combination with, molecular precursor delivery, in an electron microscopy environment. A high degree of control with atomic-to-microscale resolution, a focused electron beam allows for precise engineering of a graphene-based field-effect transistor (FET). In this study, the effect of electron irradiation on a graphene FET was systematically investigated. A separate evaluation of the electron beam induced transport properties at the graphene channel and the graphene-metal contacts was conducted. This provided on-demand strategies for tuning transfer characteristics of graphene FETs by focused electron beam irradiation.