-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- smt007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueIPC APEX EXPO 2025: A Preview
It’s that time again. If you’re going to Anaheim for IPC APEX EXPO 2025, we’ll see you there. In the meantime, consider this issue of SMT007 Magazine to be your golden ticket to planning the show.
Technical Resources
Key industry organizations–all with knowledge sharing as a part of their mission–share their technical repositories in this issue of SMT007 Magazine. Where can you find information critical to your work? Odds are, right here.
The Path Ahead
What are you paying the most attention to as we enter 2025? Find out what we learned when we asked that question. Join us as we explore five main themes in the new year.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Media kit
||| MENU - smt007 Magazine
New Design Strategy Can Help Improve Layered Superconducting Materials
October 14, 2019 | Tokyo Metropolitan UniversityEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have created a new layered superconducting material with a conducting layer made of bismuth, silver, tin, sulfur and selenium. The conducting layer features four distinct sublayers; by introducing more elements, they were able to achieve unparalleled customizability and a higher "critical temperature" below which superconductivity is observed, a key objective of superconductor research. Their design strategy may be applied to engineer new and improved superconducting materials.
Once an academic curiosity, superconductors are now at the cutting edge of real technological innovations. Superconducting magnets are seen in everyday MRI machines, particle accelerators for medical treatments, not to mention the new Chuo Shinkansen maglev train connecting Tokyo to Nagoya currently being built. Recently, a whole new class of "layered" superconducting structures have been studied, consisting of alternate layers of superconducting and insulating two-dimensional crystalline layers. In particular, the customizability of the system has garnered particular interest in light of its potential to create ultra-efficient thermoelectric devices and a whole new class of "high temperature" superconducting materials.
A team led by Associate Professor Yoshikazu Mizuguchi from Tokyo Metropolitan University recently created a bismuth sulfide based layered superconductor; their work has already revealed novel thermoelectric properties and an elevated "critical temperature" below which superconductivity is observed. Now, working with a team from the University of Yamanashi, they have taken a multi-layered version of the system, where the conducting layer consists of four atomic layers, and begun swapping out small proportions of different atomic species to probe how the material changes.
Starting with a conducting layer made of bismuth, silver and sulfur, they tried substituting some of the silver for tin. By varying the amount of silver, they were able to raise the critical temperature from 0.5K to above 2.0K. Interestingly, they found that this was accompanied by the disappearance of an anomaly in its resistivity at significantly higher temperatures. Though the reason behind this is not yet understood, it is clear that the addition of tin has significantly modified the electronic structure of the material. Furthermore, they took their best bismuth, silver, sulfur and tin combination and substituted some of the sulfur for selenium, a modification known to improve superconducting properties in their original bismuth sulfide material. Not only did they raise the critical temperature further to 3.0K, they found that the response to magnetic fields showed signatures of "bulk" superconductivity, providing clear proof that they could in fact access both the advantages of reduced dimensionality and bulk materials.
By changing the composition and number of layers, the team believe they are on the verge of achieving bottom-up engineering of new, tailored bismuth sulfide based superconducting materials.
Suggested Items
YINCAE: UF 158UL Redefines Underfill for Large Chips
03/12/2025 | YINCAEYINCAE, a leading innovator in advanced materials solutions, today announced the launch of its groundbreaking underfill material, UF 158UL. This cutting-edge product is designed to meet the increasing demands of large format chips, offering unparalleled performance in room temperature flow, fast cure, and high reliability.
Indium to Showcase High-Reliability Solder Technology at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
03/05/2025 | Indium CorporationIndium Corporation®, a leading materials provider for the electronics assembly market, will feature its high-reliability solder solutions at IPC APEX EXPO 2025, taking place March 18-20 in Anaheim, California.
epoxySet Launches UV-8675 – Deep Section, UV Cured Adhesive for PVC
02/19/2025 | epoxySetepoxySet introduces the UV-8675, acrylated urethane adhesive for bonding PVC, polycarbonate and most other plastics. Designed for bonding PVC tubing in medical devices, it also bonds well to glass and metals. This semirigid polymer offers high bond strength without causing stress cracks.
Swissbit Unveils PCIe Gen4 SSD A1200
02/04/2025 | SwissbitSwissbit introduces the latest addition to its PCIe portfolio, the new A1200. The PCIe Gen4 M.2 SSD is designed to meet the demands of high-performance, mission-critical applications, focusing on consistent performance, low latency, and data integrity.
AIM Solder to Declare 2025 the Year of Type 5 at IPC APEX EXPO 2025
02/03/2025 | AIM SolderAIM Solder, a leading global manufacturer of solder assembly materials for the electronics industry, is proud to announce its participation in the upcoming IPC APEX Conference and Expo, held at the Anaheim Convention Center in California from March 18-20, 2025.