Provided is a technique for stably forming a single nanopore by dielectric breakdown for a membrane having a high dielectric breakdown withstand voltage. In the nanopore forming method of the present disclosure, a SiNx film is placed between the first aqueous solution and the second aqueous solution, the first electrode is brought into contact with the first aqueous solution, and the second electrode is brought into contact with the second aqueous solution, and a voltage is applied to the first electrode and the second electrode. The SiNx film has a composition ratio of 1<x<4/3. At least any one of the first aqueous solution and the second aqueous solution has the pH of 10 or more.

A method for time constant estimation includes generating a bound for a R=1/g of the inverse solution; for any R picked within the bound for R, extracting the voltage dependence of the time constant; and extracting the roots of a tree like structure. A method to quantify a time constant of each gate of a Hodgkin Huxley formalism with activating and inactivating gates with currents recorded with a T-step and G-step protocols, and methods to quantify a time constant of each gate of a Hodgkin Huxley formalism with activating and inactivating gates are also described.

Disclosed are apparatus, method and system for monitoring mold based on weak electrical signals. The apparatus comprises a mold collector, a power supply, a trans-impedance amplifier, and an analog-to-digital converter, wherein the mold collector is smeared with a trophoplasm, and a substrate of the mold collector has electrical conductivity, the power supply is used for applying a voltage to the substrate of the mold collector, the trans-impedance amplifier is used for amplifying a weak current generated from the substrate of the mold collector to a voltage signal, and the analog-to-digital converter is used for converting the voltage signal amplified by the trans-impedance amplifier into a digital signal for determining the quantity of molds.

An ion detection device includes an ion sensor having a sensitive film immersed in an aqueous solution and outputting an output signal in accordance with a potential change of the sensitive film, and an adjuster acquiring the output signal of the ion sensor and adjusting a drive signal for driving the ion sensor to reduce an offset from a predetermined reference value in the output signal.

A method for detecting corrosion on a conductive object includes submerging a surface of the conductive object at least partially in an aqueous solution, flowing current through the surface of the conductive object by forming a voltage differential across the surface, varying the voltage differential across the surface while monitoring the current through the surface of the conductive object, determining a total charge corresponding to a corrosion level of the surface of the conductive object based on current versus voltage levels. The corrosion level may further be utilized in selecting a cleaning process to remediate the corrosion of the surface based on the corrosion level and in applying a protective corrosion barrier to on at least part of the surface after the cleaning process.

Certain aspects of the technology disclosed herein include an apparatus and method for programming a crystal lattice structure of a nanoparticle. A particle programming apparatus can include an input channel connected a particle sampling system. The particle sampling system can direct freshly milled nanoparticles to the particle programming apparatus if the nanoparticles are determined to be below a threshold size. The particle programming apparatus can include one or more programming devices configured to alter a crystal lattice of the received nanoparticles including an ultrasonic sound generator, a magnetic pulse generator, and a voltage generator. The one or more programming devices applies any of a sound, magnetic pulse, and voltage to the received nanoparticles within a time threshold of receiving the nanoparticles from the mill core.

A device is provided for electrically measuring surface characteristics of a sample. The device comprises at least one group of three electrodes: a first and second electrode spaced apart from each other and configured to be placed onto the surface of the sample, and a third electrode between the first two but isolated from these two electrodes by a one or more first insulators, wherein a second insulator further isolates the central electrode from the sample when the device is placed thereon. The three electrodes and the insulators are attached to a single or to multiple holders with conductors incorporated therein for allowing the coupling of the electrodes to power sources or measurement tools. The placement of the device onto a semiconductor sample creates a transistor with the sample surface acting as the channel. The device thereby allows the determination of the transistor characteristics of the sample in a straightforward way.

Provided are a hole forming method and a hole forming apparatus capable of stably forming a single nanopore on a membrane. This hole forming method is a hole forming method for forming a hole in a film and includes: a first step of applying a first voltage between a first electrode and a second electrode, installed so as to sandwich the film provided in an electrolyte, and stopping the application of the first voltage when a current flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode reaches a first threshold current so as to form a thin film portion in a part of the film; and a second step of applying a second voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode after the first step so as to form a nanopore in the thin film portion.

A method of estimating a nitrogen site carbon concentration, in a first epitaxial layer made of carbon-doped gallium nitride of an electronic component, including steps of: estimating an electric capacitance of a stack interposed between the first layer and a first electrode of the component; heating the component; measuring an offset of a threshold voltage of the component; and deducing therefrom a nitrogen site carbon surface concentration in the first layer.

A method for detecting corrosion on a conductive object includes submerging a surface of the conductive object at least partially in an aqueous solution, flowing current through the surface of the conductive object by forming a voltage differential across the surface, varying the voltage differential across the surface while monitoring the current through the surface of the conductive object, determining a total charge corresponding to a corrosion level of the surface of the conductive object based on current versus voltage levels. The corrosion level may further be utilized in selecting a cleaning process to remediate the corrosion of the surface based on the corrosion level and in applying a protective corrosion barrier to on at least part of the surface after the cleaning process.