Pink Silicon Is the New Black

Black silicon can absorb light over a wider spectrum than can normal silicon--from low-frequency visible light through near- and short-wave-infrared wavelengths that would normally pass right through regular silicon. Another property, called photoconductive gain, gives black silicon much greater sensitivity to light. These properties have identified black silicon as a way to make smaller, cheaper, and lighter silicon-based light detectors and to replace more expensive materials used in infrared detectors found in fiber-optic links, security systems, and elsewhere.

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Raytheon Completes Critical Milestone for Mobile X-band Radar System

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) recently completed integration and acceptance testing of an integral element of the mobile and adaptable AN/TPY-2 X-band radar system at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.

The Prime Power Unit (PPU) is an air- and highway-transportable, trailer-mounted 1.3MW (megawatt) Generator Set, a key component of the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense (THAAD) system.

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Paperless Books: E-Paper Makes Headway

Electronic book readers such as Sony’s Digital Reader and Amazon’s Kindle have their fans, but the displays are difficult to read in sunlight and do not show colors well. A new kind of electronic paper could make the readers brighter and more colorful, which is of interest to conservationists who would like to see the devices replace paper editions.

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