[LAB Exploration] Development of Nanomaterial Resistant to Supersonic Shockwaves

Keimyung University Research Team Led by Professor Shinheum Cho, Department of Chemical Engineering

A research team at Keimyung University has developed a nanomaterial capable of maintaining stable memory cell performance even in supersonic shockwave environments.

Professor Shinheum Cho's research team. From the left, Doyun Park, Master's student; Shinheum Cho, Professor; Juhyun Kang, Integrated Master's and Doctoral program student. Keimyung University

According to Keimyung University on September 5, Professor Shinheum Cho’s research team in the Department of Chemical Engineering demonstrated the structural and electronic stability of indium-tin oxide nanocrystals, utilizing their infrared plasmon resonance properties (LSPR) and resistance to supersonic shocks at Mach 1.7.

This study was led by Doyun Park, a master’s student in Keimyung University’s Strategic Convergence Nano-Chemical Materials Research Group, as the first author. Professor Ikhyun Kim from the Shockwave and Gas Dynamics Laboratory and Professor Shinheum Cho served as co-corresponding authors. The research was supported by Keimyung University’s RISE project and the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Excellent Young Researcher Program.

The research team confirmed that the material maintained oxidation stability and enabled the operation of multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory devices, even under repeated supersonic shocks at high temperatures of 864K and high pressures of 2MPa.

The team also found that the same doping effect could be achieved using the relatively inexpensive Sn(II) precursor, instead of the more costly Sn(IV) precursor. Experiments confirmed that nanocrystals synthesized from both precursors exhibited nearly identical free carrier concentrations and LSPR absorption characteristics. These properties are expected to provide a strong foundation for future large-scale synthesis and securing the stability of the material supply chain.

This technology is significant not only for the development of next-generation semiconductor memory and optoelectronic devices, but also for its ability to maintain stable performance under extreme conditions. In particular, the team expects that combining this material with glass substrate-based silicon-on-glass integration technology could open new possibilities for next-generation high-density semiconductor packaging, such as memory for HBM and GPUs.

Meanwhile, these results were published online in the international journal 'ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces' under the title "Supersonic Shock-Resistant Multi-Level Cell Modulation via Oxidation-State-Preserving Doping of Infrared Plasmonic Nanocrystals."

Professor Shinheum Cho stated, "The results of this study can be widely applied in aerospace and defense industries," adding, "We expect to provide solutions for fields requiring infrared-based precision detection and control, such as high-speed missile infrared detection filters, aircraft stealth materials, and autonomous vehicle LiDAR sensors."