Ideas
Explore the world's #1 largest database of ideas and innovations, with 477,692 inspiring examples.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,285 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 107,665 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Consumer Insights
Uncover major shifts and emerging opportunities with our exclusive PRO research.
Trend Reports
Discover why 1,285 brands rely on our AI-powered Trend Reports to get better, faster insights.
Newsletter
Join 107,665 subscribers who rely on our weekly newsletter to keep up with need-to-know trends and insights.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Trend Reports
Get fast, customized trend reports, presentations and deep dives 20x faster than traditional research.
Plans
Get started today with a free consultation, our self-serve tools, or a dedicated program.
Articles & Magazine
Get inspired with our 4,232 innovation strategy articles, keynote, videos and innovation tools.
Innovation Awards
Trend Hunter’s Innovation Strategy Awards recognize the best innovation tactics gathered from our interviews with some of the world's most notable business leaders, authors and change makers.
Advisory & Services
Accelerate innovation and ignite disruptive thinking with our award-winning programs and research.
Innovation Assessment
Enhance your innovation potential with a deeper understanding of your unique innovation archetype and how your organization benchmarks.
FuturistU
Prepare for the years ahead with 100+ lessons, tactics, tools and frameworks with our full learning database.
Innovation Books
Join 20,000,000 people getting better and faster with our New York Times Bestselling books and keynote videos.
Jeremy Gutsche
Ignite your event or virtual event with our CEO, a NY Times Bestselling Author and one of the top innovation keynote speakers.
Our Team of Speakers & Virtual Presenters
Inspire your group with our most popular speakers on innovation, trends, change and futurism.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Custom Masterclasses
Join the world's leading brands who leverage our custom programs to accelerate innovation.
FuturistU 5-Day Program
Become a Futurist with our immersive 5-Day program at Future Festival World Summit.
Online eLearning
Learn the fundamentals of futurism and trends with 100+ online courses about innovation.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
Contact
Get in touch to learn more, ask a question or submit a tip.
About Us
Learn more about Trend Hunter and how we accelerate innovation.
Follow-Us
Join our 3,500,000 social media followers, on the cutting edge.
How to Hunt
Learn more about how to hunt megatrends, ideas, patterns and opportunity.
FAQ
Get answers to common questions about Trend Hunter.
Community
Stay on the cutting-edge with the help of the Trend Hunter community.
Team
Meet the team trusted by hundreds of leading businesses worldwide.
Jobs
Find opportunities to accelerate your career with the #1 Trend Firm.
News
Catch up on noteworthy Trend Hunter news and media mentions.
Join
Build a portfolio and put your trend-spotting abilities to the test.
Advertising
Supercharge your marketing by partnering with Trend Hunter.
Portfolio
Visit your public portfolio and browse your past articles.
Add a Trend
Write up an article and showcase your trend-spotting skills.
My Trends
Edit your articles and see how they stack up on the leaderboards.
Settings
Edit your profile, connect your social media accounts, and more.
Add a trend, customize your dashboard, or track topics.
Future Festival
Innovation Events
Join the world's top innovators at our in person events.
Free Webinars
Learn to innovate through chaos, navigate the new normal and maintain work culture from home.
Custom Training & Events
Bring the Future Festival experience directly to your team or co-hosted custom event.
Search our database of 477,692 cutting edge ideas.

Black Silicon

Clean the Sky - Positive Eco Trends & Breakthroughs

SiOnyx' Light Harnessing Breakthrough

— October 15, 2008 — Eco
The ability to cost-effectively and efficiently harness light is essential to communication, digital imaging, solar energy, chemical detection and automation. The impending commercialization of Black Silicon by SiOnyx promises to revolutionize these fields.

Originally developed by researchers at Harvard, black silicon is formed by bombarding a silicon surface with intense, short bursts of laser light in the presence of a sulphur containing gas. This results in a surface made up of microscopic spikes that absorbs light extremely efficiently. Oh...and it also turns the absorbed light into electrical energy.

Another key advantage is that this material can be manufactured using existing processes so the cost of implementation is not a barrier to bringing this technology to market.

Where will this new technology be used first? Based upon the Sionyx website and the natural fit of using this sensor in low-light applications, look for this to be used in night-vision devices.
Trend Themes
1. Revolutionizing Night-vision - The commercialization of Black Silicon presents an opportunity to disrupt the night-vision industry by providing highly efficient light-harnessing technology.
2. Advancing Digital Imaging - The breakthrough of Black Silicon offers disruptive innovation opportunities in the digital imaging industry by providing enhanced light absorption and conversion capabilities.
3. Transforming Solar Energy - The use of Black Silicon in solar energy can revolutionize the industry by improving the efficiency of light utilization and energy conversion.
Industry Implications
1. Night-vision Devices - The implementation of Black Silicon in night-vision devices can provide a significant advancement in low-light imaging technology.
2. Digital Imaging - The integration of Black Silicon in digital imaging devices can disrupt the industry by enabling superior light capturing and conversion capabilities.
3. Solar Energy - The utilization of Black Silicon in solar panels can lead to disruptive innovation in the solar energy industry by enhancing light absorption and energy generation efficiency.
3
Score
Popularity
Activity
Freshness