Elementary, Mr. Watson: PCB Routing: The Art—and Science—of Connection
The Shaughnessy Report: Planning Your Best Route
Target Condition: From Dream House to Drill Files
Using Big Databases to Find Superconductors of the Future
January 14, 2019 | ACN NewswireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
Japanese researchers have found an approach to more quickly and successfully identify superconducting materials.
"The data-driven approach shows promising power to accelerate the discovery of new thermoelectric and superconducting materials," the researchers say in their study published in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.
Superconductors are materials that conduct electricity with virtually no resistance. Superconducting materials have improved the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and have led to the development of particle colliders that can be used for research related to splitting atoms. Currently available superconducting materials can only perform at extremely low temperatures. If researchers can find superconducting materials that work at ambient temperature, electricity could be conducted over large distances without energy loss.
Current approaches to searching for these materials are somewhat random, and results strongly depend on researcher's intuition, experience and luck. Materials scientist Yoshihiko Takano of Japan's National Institute for Materials Science and colleagues have shown that sifting through an inorganic materials database using specific search parameters can provide a more systematic way to finding superconducting materials.
They searched through AtomWork, a large database for inorganic materials. In a previous study using this same approach, the team identified SnBi2Se4 (a compound of tin, bismuth, and selenium) as a potential superconductor. Experiments showed that this was indeed the case.
But SnBi2Se4 requires very low temperatures and high pressures to become superconductive. The team searched once more through the database, selecting materials that have a similar crystal structure to SnBi2Se4 but a narrower 'band gap', a property related to atomic structure that allows electrons to jump up from one energy level to another and thus partake in electrical conductivity.
Their best choice was PbBi2Te4 (formed of lead, bismuth, and tellurium). They synthesised PbBi2Te4 crystals, examined their structure, chemical composition and other properties, and found that those properties met the predictions. They exposed the crystals to high pressures and varying temperatures and found that the electrical resistance of PbBi2Te4 decreased with increasing pressure, reaching a superconductive state at 10 gigapascals, about half the pressure needed for SnBi2Se4 to become superconductive.
This work "presents a case study for the important first-step for the next-generation data-driven materials science," the team concludes.
About Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM) Journal
Open access journal, STAM publishes outstanding research articles across all aspects of materials science, including functional and structural materials, theoretical analyses, and properties of materials.
Share on:
Suggested Items
American Made Advocacy: Supporting the Entire PCB Ecosystem—Materials to OEMs
06/17/2025 | Shane Whiteside -- Column: American Made AdvocacyWith the addition of RTX to PCBAA’s membership roster, we now represent the interests of companies in the entire PCB ecosystem. From material providers to OEMs, the insights of our collective members help us educate, advocate, and support legislation and policy favorable to America’s microelectronics manufacturers. The industry veterans who lead these companies provide valuable perspective, and their accumulated wisdom makes us an even stronger association.
Ventec Strengthens Commitment to Halogen-Free PCB Manufacturing in Europe
06/11/2025 | Ventec International GroupVentec International Group, the PCB materials innovator, manufacturer, supplier and one-stop shop for copper clad laminates, prepregs, as well as process consumables and PCB manufacturing equipment has established volume inventory of halogen-free FR4.1 and FR15.1 PCB materials at its European hub in Germany.
ACCM Joins Polar’s Speedstack Material Partner Program
06/10/2025 | Polar InstrumentsAdvance Chip & Circuit Materials has recently joined the Polar Speedstack Material Partner Program to ease the inclusion of ACCM's innovative Celeritas build up materials into the PCB supply chain.
DuPont/Qnity Innovators in Semiconductor Materials Named 2025 Heroes of Chemistry
06/10/2025 | DuPontDuPont today announced that 13 of its current and former scientists and engineers have been named 2025 Heroes of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society (ACS) for an innovative program that progressed semiconductor lithography.
Ventec International Group Enters into a Fulfillment and Supply Agreement with Matrix and Launches Ventec Americas
06/09/2025 | Ventec International GroupVentec is excited to announce a new partnership with Matrix aimed at enhancing the fulfillment, value-added conversion, and distribution of PCB base materials across the North American market. This collaboration is set to significantly improve supply chain efficiency, and delivery performance for the company's North American customers.