文章资讯
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- 2014-11-18 Sony commercializes TransferJet compatible LSI
Sony today announced the commercialization of "CXD3271GW" LSI, for use in the close proximity wireless transfer technology TransferJet. This LSI realizes a 350Mbps transmission speed and the industry's highest receiving sensitivity, while also contributing to reduced power consumption, reduced parts count and smaller sizing of the sets, all to enhance its suitability for mobile devices such as smartphones. Sony recently presented this technological achievement related to its new LSI at the ISSCC (International Solid-State Circuits Conference: February 19~23, 2012, San Francisco, U.S.).
Since its commercialization of the world's first TransferJet LSI in 2009, Sony has promoted an intuitive approach to the high-speed transfer and sharing of high-resolution photos and video images whereby such high speeds are realized by simply bringing different devices, such as digital cameras and PCs, into closer proximity with each other.- See Details
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- 2014-11-18 NEC supports smart cities with ultra low power magnetic sensors for electronic water and gas meters
NEC Corporation announced today the commencement of sales for the MRUS74S and MRUS74X, two new ultra low power magnetic sensors, which enable the use of electronic water meters and gas meters that are essential for Smart Cities.
In recent years, the replacement of mechanical water meters and gas meters with electronic meters has advanced worldwide as the Smart Grid and Smart City concepts have evolved. Electronic meters detect the rotation of magnets inside meters using a magnetic sensor, which enables functions such as automated meter reading and meter management control, as well as automatic detection of water and gas leaks.
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- 2014-11-17 Toshiba manufactures 19nm generation NAND Flash Memory with world's largest density, smallest die size
Toshiba Corporation today announced breakthroughs in NAND flash that secure major advances in chip density and performance. In the 19 nanometer generation, Toshiba has developed a 3-bit-per-cell 128 gigabit (Gb) chip with the world's smallest die size -- 170mm2 -- and fastest write speed -- 18MB/s of any 3-bit-per-cell device.
The chip entered mass production earlier this month and Toshiba and its technology partner, SanDisk, unveiled its key technology advances at the International Solid State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco, California on Feb 22.
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- 2014-11-17 Micropatterning Director at TSMC suggests e-beam lithography may replace EUV
Most integrated circuits today are made by using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography technology, but that could change, according to Burn Lin, Micropatterning Director at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd (TSMC) who was speaking at a SPIE Alternative Lithography Conference in San Jose last week. He says that as manufactures seek to make ever smaller and denser chips, EUV could lose its edge in allowing the industry to follow Moore’s law. The answer he says, may turn out to be switching to electron beam (e-beam) lithography.
When e-beam lithography was first discovered, it was widely panned as being too slow to work in a manufacturing environment. Write times were on the order of a whole day, which was seen as more than enough time for all manner of defects to creep into the process. Thus, companies, such as TSMC have continued to use the tried and true EUV method.
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- 2014-11-17 New record low-power multi-standard transceiver for sensor networks
Imec and Holst Centre announce a 2.3/2.4GHz transmitter for wireless sensor applications compliant with 4 wireless standards (IEEE802.15.6/4/4g and Bluetooth Low Energy). The transmitter has been fabricated in a 90nm CMOS process, and consumes only 5.4mW from a 1.2V supply (2.7nJ/bit) at 0dBm output. This is 3 to 5 times more power-efficient than the current state-of-the-art Bluetooth-LE solutions. These results have been obtained in collaboration with Panasonic, within imec and Holst Centre’s program for ultralow-power wireless communication.
Applications for wireless sensor networks, personal healthcare, remote monitoring, smart building and logistics all require wireless low-power solutions. A common requirement is that they can operate for a reasonable long period on a small battery or harvester source.- See Details
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- 2014-11-17 NXP propels NFC technology into 4G age
- Today at Mobile World Congress NXP Semiconductors announced its newest flagship NFC solution, the PN547. Following on from the overwhelming success of the PN544, by far the industry’s most widely adopted Mobile Transactions solution, the next generation PN547 incorporates NXP’s proven leadership and expertise through over 130 projects across a variety of handsets, operating systems and with both SWP-SIM secure elements and Embedded secure elements. Its cutting-edge performance provides smart phone and tablet OEMs with a springboard to create breakthrough Mobile Transactions user experiences.
The PN547 outperforms any NFC radio controller in performance and offers doubled RF range, a 50% smaller footprint, a 5x improvement in wireless data throughput and a 50% lower power consumption than the current market benchmark PN544. It delivers perfect interoperability worldwide working with any contactless reader and NFC tag, supporting new, revolutionary user experiences in the devices of the future. - See Details
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- 2014-11-17 Taiwan seeks merger with restructured Elpida
- Taiwan's government said Wednesday it would continue to push for the consolidation of the island's memory chip makers with Elpida Memory Inc., two days after the Japanese chipmaker filed for bankruptcy.
The Economics Ministry said in a statement that U.S. chipmaker Micron Technology Inc. is expected to continue to play a key part in the consolidation, which may include Elpida if the Japanese maker is restructured after bankruptcy.
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- 2014-11-17 Fujitsu introduces next-generation multimode, multiband transceiver IC for 2G/3G/4G mobile products
- Fujitsu Semiconductor today introduced the MB86L11A, the company’s next-generation, single-chip 2G/3G/4G transceiver. The multiband, multimode device supports all modes, including LTE (FDD and TDD), HSPA+, WCDMA, GSM, EDGE, EDGE-EVO, CDMA, and TD-SCDMA. Sampling of the MB86L11A will begin in Q2 2012.
“Fujitsu’s transceivers solve major challenges for wireless device manufacturers planning to introduce both regional and global devices with roaming capabilities in almost any combination of bands and modes,” said Mr. Andy Chang, Associate Vice President of Fujitsu Semiconductor Limited Asia, “The new device augments Fujitsu’s growing family of state-of-the-art multimode, multiband single-chip transceivers, which are available in production quantities. - See Details
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- 2014-11-17 New Fujitsu V series FRAMs deliver optimal design flexibility
- Fujitsu Semiconductor America (FSA) today extended its growing portfolio of Ferroelectric memory products with the introduction of a new Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM) product series that features a wide voltage range of 3.0V to 5.5V, offering significant design flexibility for consumer and industrial applications.
The new V series includes products ranging from 16kbit to 256kbit, covering both I2C and SPI interfaces. The first two members of the series, the MB85RC16V and MB85RC64V, are now available in production quantities. The devices feature I2C serial interfaces at an operating frequency of 400 kHz, covering the densities of 16kbit and 64kbit, respectively. - See Details
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- 2014-11-17 Transistors promise more powerful logic, more logical power
- Broadly speaking, the two major areas of research at MIT’s Microsystems Technology Laboratory (MTL) are electronics — transistors in particular — and microelectromechanical systems, or MEMS — tiny mechanical devices with moving parts. Both strains of research could have significant implications for manufacturing in the United States, but at least for the moment, the market for transistor innovation is far larger.
MTL’s Judy Hoyt is proof of the influence that academic research can have on that market. In the 1990s, she helped pioneer the use of “strained silicon” — silicon whose atoms have been pried apart slightly more than normal — to improve the performance of microchips. Intel, most of whose chips are produced in the United States, was the first chipmaker to introduce strained silicon, in 2003. But by now, Hoyt says, the technology has percolated throughout the industry.
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- 2014-11-17 Imec releases industry’s first 14nm process development kit
Imec today announces that it has released an early-version PDK (process development kit) for 14nm logic chips. This PDK is the industry’s first to address the 14nm technology node. It targets the introduction of a number of new key technologies, such as FinFET technology and EUV lithography. The PDK is made available to imec’s partners, and will be followed by incremental updates. Imec and its partners are developing a 14nm test chip to be released in the 2nd half of 2012 using this PDK.
With this PDK release, imec leads the way to an industry-standard 14nm PDK. In addition, the PDK anticipates the introduction of a number of new technologies at the 14nm node. The main example is the use of FinFET transistors, which have a larger drive per unit footprint and higher performance at low supply voltages compared to the traditional planar technologies.- See Details
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- 2014-11-17 First patent on low density parity check coding with soft decision decoding for spin-torque transfer MRAM
Researchers at the A*STAR, Data Storage Institute (DSI), have filed a patent on low-density parity-check (LDPC) coding with soft decision decoding, which is an advanced error correction coding scheme for spin-torque transfer magnetic random access memory (STT-MRAM). This cutting edge technology will shed more light to the limited study on coding and signal processing which is still at its infancy.
In the memory technology space, STT-MRAM is one of the most promising emerging non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies amongst other technologies such as the phase changeRAM and resistive RAM. A typical cell in the STT-MRAM contains a magnetic tunnelling junction (MTJ) which is the storage element and an access control device.- See Details
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- 2014-11-15 Transparent, flexible '3-D' memory chips may be the next big thing in small memory devices
New memory chips that are transparent, flexible enough to be folded like a sheet of paper, shrug off 1,000-degree Fahrenheit temperatures — twice as hot as the max in a kitchen oven — and survive other hostile conditions could usher in the development of next-generation flash-competitive memory for tomorrow’s keychain drives, cell phones and computers, a scientist reported today.
Speaking at the 243rd National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, he said devices with these chips could retain data despite an accidental trip through the drier — or even a voyage to Mars. And with a unique 3-D internal architecture, the new chips could pack extra gigabytes of data while taking up less space.
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- 2014-11-15 Faster computational methods could simulate the power and signal integrity of next-generation electronic systems
The overall performance of modern computers and communications networks is dependent on the speed of electronic components, such as transistors and optical switches, as well as the quality of the wire network that powers and relays signals between these electronic components. Power and signal integrity are two important parameters for gauging the quality of a wire network, but simulating these parameters for next-generation electronic systems can take a considerable amount of time, particularly when there is a large number of components involved.
Zaw Zaw Oo at the A*STAR Institute for High Performance Computing and co-workers have now significantly decreased the amount of computer time needed by developing a modelling technique that is much more efficient.
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- 2014-11-15 Swiss researchers present breakthrough in semiconductor structuring
- ETH Zurich physicists, in collaboration with colleagues at universities in Switzerland and abroad, have made a breakthrough in the manufacture of monolithic semiconductor structures on silicon. The new structures are nearly perfect, and likely to revolutionise not only X-ray technology.
Microelectronics is no longer imaginable without silicon technology: the material is cheap, readily available and mechanically robust. However, even silicon cannot do everything. Certain materials have properties superior to those of silicon. This is why researchers are looking for ways to unite this element with other semiconductors such as germanium so as to combine and extract the best qualities from the two different materials and to open up new applications.
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- 2014-11-15 Researchers develop first silicon wafer-scale 110 GHz phased array transmitter
- TowerJazz, the global specialty foundry leader, and The University of California, San Diego, provider of a leading program in microwave, millimeter-wave and mixed-signal RFICs, today announced they have demonstrated the first wafer-scale phased array with 16 different antenna elements operating at 110 GHz frequency range. First time success was achieved for the RFIC using TowerJazz’s own proprietary models, kit and the mmWave capabilities of its 0.18-micron SiGe BiCMOS process, SBC18H3. The device targets applications for automotive radar, aerospace and defense, passive imaging, security, and mmWave imaging. The collaboration of the phased array chip was partly funded by DARPA.
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- 2014-11-15 TDK intros ultra high-Q multilayer inductors
- TDK Corporation presented the new MHQ1005P series of multilayer ceramic inductors with a Q factor that, depending on the type, is as good or much better than comparable, but more expensive, wirewound inductors. The new multilayer ceramic components are thus suitable for use in low-loss RF matching circuits in devices such as smartphones and conventional mobile phones. The MHQ1005P, a series is already in mass production.
The new series features a Q factor that is at least about the same as the value of a comparable wirewound inductor with the same inductance and in the same footprint. For example, the MHQ1005P2N7 type with an inductance of 2.7 nH offers a Q factor of 108 at 2.4 GHz.
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- 2014-11-15 Power factor correction: TDK's thyristor module for single-phase PFC
- The TDK Corporation has extended its range of EPCOS thyristor modules for dynamic PFC. The new TSM-LC-I module now also allows single-phase PFC of networks with rated voltages from 230 to 525 V AC. Depending on the voltage, the new module is designed for reactive powers of between 10 and 22 kvar. 110 V AC versions are available upon request.
The EPCOS TSM-LC-I is characterized by very fast switching times of only 5 ms. As switching takes place in the zero transition of the current, the switching operations do not affect the grid. This also extends the service life of the capacitors. The new thyristor module (ordering code B44066T0022E520) continuously monitors the power line voltage and capacitor temperature. Possible capacitor failures are also recorded. Thanks to the thyristors, the module creates no switching noise and requires no maintenance.
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- 2014-11-15 Researchers solve scaling challenge for multi-core chips
- Researchers sponsored by Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), the world's leading university-research consortium for semiconductors and related technologies, today announced that they have identified a path to overcome challenges for scaling multi-core semiconductors by successfully addressing how to scale memory communications among the cores. The results can lead to continued design of ever-smaller integrated circuits (ICs) into computer hardware without expensive writing of all new software from scratch to accommodate the increased capabilities.
Today’s announcement involves researchers Professor Daniel Sorin from Duke University, Professor Milo M.K. Martin from University of Pennsylvania and Professor Mark D. Hill from University of Wisconsin. - See Details
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- 2014-11-15 Nanodot-based memory sets new world speed record
Record speed, low-voltage, and ultra-small size make nanodots a "triple threat" for electronic memory in computers and other electronic devices.
A team of researchers from Taiwan and the University of California, Berkeley, has harnessed nanodots to create a newelectronic memory technology that can write and erase data 10-100 times faster than today's mainstream charge-storage memory products. The new system uses a layer of non-conducting material embedded with discrete (non-overlapping) silicon nanodots, each approximately 3 nanometers across. Each nanodot functions as a single memory bit.- See Details
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- 2014-11-15 Mini-sensor measures magnetic activity in human brain
A miniature atom-based magnetic sensor developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has passed an important research milestone by successfully measuring human brain activity. Experiments reported this week verify the sensor's potential for biomedical applications such as studying mental processes and advancing the understanding of neurological diseases.
NIST and German scientists used the NIST sensor to measure alpha waves in the brain associated with a person opening and closing their eyes as well as signals resulting from stimulation of the hand. The measurements were verified by comparing them with signals recorded by a SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device).- See Details
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- 2014-11-15 Space probes will be more useful with new amplifiers
Researchers at Chalmers have developed a new generation of amplifiers, which the European Space Agency (ESA) will be using throughout the world to receive signals from its space probes and satellites. ESA will be able to use the new amplifiers to measure data that is currently buried by noise.
The research group has developed and built 30 ultrasensitive, cryogenically cooled amplifiers for receiving satellite signals. They will be used, for example, in the receiver of the Cebreros tracking station, which will be upgraded within a few weeks. Cebreros provides daily information on the space projects Venus Express, Mars Express andRosetta.
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- 2014-11-14 Imec demonstrates a low-power 7Gbps 60GHz transceiver for the wireless consumer market
Imec, in collaboration with Panasonic, has developed a prototype of a 60GHz radio transceiver allowing to reach data rates of 7Gbps over short distances at very low power consumption. The chip achieves this performance over the 4 channels specified by the IEEE802.11ad standard. Imec’s low-power 60GHz solution is an important step towards adoption of 60GHz technology in low-cost battery-operated consumer products such as smart phones and tablets.
Today’s wireless consumer electronic products increasingly include data-intensive applications, while applications below 10GHz such as WLAN face spectrum scarcity. This drives wireless system designers to explore higher frequency bands such as the unlicensed band around 60GHz. This band is available throughout the world and enables multi-Gbps wireless communication over short distances.- See Details
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- 2014-11-14 Freescale introduces 64-bit quad-core QorIQ P5040 processor for power-sensitive control plane applications
Freescale Semiconductor introduces two 64-bit, multicore QorIQ P5 family control plane processors delivering 2.4 GHz of single threaded performance per core. The new quad-core QorIQ P5040 and dual-core P5021 products feature a robust mix of accelerators, high-speed interfaces and security features, resulting in advanced embedded solutions ideally suited for power-conscious control plane applications.
The new products complement Freescale’s previously announced QorIQ P5020 and P5010 devices based on 2 GHz cores, and round out one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolios of embedded control plane processors. With the new products, Freescale will soon offer a range of single-, dual- and quad-core 64-bit devices for a broad array of applications, from single-core solutions for products requiring a sub-15W profile, to quad-core processors for compute-intensive applications.
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- 2014-11-14 To DDR3: Thanks for the memory but time for DDR4
Micron Technology is polishing up its DDR4 memory modules, “sampling” the modules and getting feedback from major customers. The company plans to reach volume production later this year. In brief, Micron is getting ready to bring its DDR4 DRAM modules for market This means the computer industry can expect a new memory standard to make a difference across a range of computing devices, from enterprise computing to so called ultra-thins and tablets. Boise Idaho based Micron this week announced the first piece of its portfolio of DDR4-based modules as the 4-gigabit (Gb) DDR4 x8 part. The announcement said the complete portfolio of DDR4-based modules will include RDIMMs, LRDIMMs, 3DS, SODIMMs and UDIMMs (standard and ECC).
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- 2014-11-14 Toshiba expands family of high-speed, low-voltage MOSFETs with new 60V and 120V devices
Toshiba America Electronic Components (TAEC) today announced that it has expanded its family of low-voltage, high-speed MOSFETs with new, ultra-efficient 60V and 120V devices that will save space and reduce losses in secondary synchronous rectification designs.
Targeted at switch mode power supplies in applications such as AC/DC adapters, industrial systems, telecom equipment and servers, the 16 new trench MOSFET devices are based on Toshiba's eighth generation U-MOS VIII-H process. This process delivers significant improvements in trade-off characteristics between low on-resistance (RDS(ON)) and low input capacitance (Ciss) and improves switching speeds and minimizes radiated noise.
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- 2014-11-14 Performance boost for microchips
- The semiconductor industry is faced with the challenge of supplying ever faster and more powerful chips. The Next-Generation Lithography with EUV radiation will help meeting that challenge. Fraunhofer researchers have developed key components.
Flat computers, powerful cell phones and tablets – the integrated circuits, our computers‘ power centers, are becoming increasingly smaller and more complex. The microchips in today‘s computers already contain some two billion transistors. To get the chip density right, the structures are exposed onto the chips by means of lithography. - See Details
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- 2014-11-14 Toshiba announces next-generation superjunction technology for power MOSFETs
Toshiba America Electronic Components (TAEC) today announced its DTMOS-IV process, a new-generation of superjunction (SJ) technology for power MOSFETs. Products based on the DTMOS-IV technology will make ideal switching devices in switch mode power supplies, lighting ballasts and other power applications that demand a combination of high-speed operation, high-efficiency and low EMI noise.
SJ MOSFETs offer ultra-low on resistance without power loss penalties. As a result, Toshiba's new DTMOS-IV process, which is being deployed in the company's latest family of high-speed, high-efficiency 600V power MOSFETs, offers on resistance ratings that are up to 30 percent lower than third-generation DTMOS products for the same die size.- See Details
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- 2014-11-14 Samsung now producing industry's first highest density mobile LPDDR2 memory, using 20nm-class technology
- Samsung Electronics announced today that it has begun producing the industry’s first four gigabit (Gb), low power double-data-rate 2 (LPDDR2) memory using 20 nanometer (nm) class technology. The mobile DRAM (dynamic random access memory) chip, which went into mass production last month, will help the market to deliver advanced devices that are faster, lighter and provide longer battery life than today’s mobile devices.
“Samsung began expanding the market for 4Gb DRAM last year with the first mass-produced 30nm-class DRAM, and now we are working on capturing most of the advanced memory market with our new 20nm-class 4Gb DRAM,” said Wanhoon Hong, executive vice president, memory sales & marketing, Samsung Electronics. - See Details
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- 2014-11-14 New silicon memory chip developed
- The first purely silicon oxide-based 'Resistive RAM' memory chip that can operate in ambient conditions – opening up the possibility of new super-fast memory - has been developed by researchers at UCL.
Resistive RAM (or 'ReRAM') memory chips are based on materials, most often oxides of metals, whose electrical resistance changes when a voltage is applied – and they "remember" this change even when the power is turned off.
ReRAM chips promise significantly greater memory storage than current technology, such as the Flash memory used on USB sticks, and require much less energy and space.
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