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The FIT4NANO project has mapped out the expansive applications and future directions of focused ion beam technology, emphasizing its critical role in advancing research and development across multiple disciplines, from microelectronics to life sciences.

Processing materials on the nanoscale, producing prototypes for microelectronics, or analyzing biological samples: The range of applications for finely focused ion beams is huge. Experts from the EU collaboration FIT4NANO have now reviewed the many options and developed a roadmap for the future. The article, published in Applied Physics Review, is aimed at students, users from industry and science as well as research policymakers.

Discovery and Applications.

Imagine never having to change a battery in a device ever again — or, in fact, a battery that could outlive you.

That’s what Betavolt, a Chinese tech company, is claiming with its newly unveiled miniature nuclear battery that it says can keep working for up to 50 years.

The Beijing-based company claims to have entered the “pilot stage” for the battery, which is smaller than a coin and will soon put it into mass production.

How will that situation change development teams? A common ratio of developers to testers is three to one. At a big bank with 40,000 software engineers, 10,000 might do security, reliability, and quality control. But the AI effect is like squeezing a balloon so it expands on the other side. The coding productivity jump is offset by a dramatic increase in cycles spent on testing.

How Development Teams Can Get Ahead

For software teams, the pressure is on to adapt. Companies that want to stay ahead of the game should first get a handle on a long-time adversary: toil.