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- 2014-10-21 Squeezing transistors really hard generates energy savings
- Transistors, the workhorses of the electronics world, are plagued by leakage current. This results in unnecessary energy losses, which is why smartphones and laptops, for example, have to be recharged so often. Tom van Hemert and Ray Hueting of the University of Twente's MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology have shown that this leakage current can be radically reduced by "squeezing" the transistor with a piezoelectric material (which expands or contracts when an electrical charge is applied to it). Using this approach, they have smashed the theoretical limit for leakage current. Tom van Hemert will defend his PhD dissertation on 6 December.
If silicon is squeezed, this affects the freedom of movement of the electrons in this material. This can promote or restrict the flow of electrical current. Compare it to a garden hose. When you stand on it, less water comes out. But strangely enough, the flow of electrons in silicon actually increases when the material is compressed.
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- 2014-10-21 NXP releases small, high-efficiency CAN chips for in-vehicle networks
- NXP Semiconductors today announced the release of the industry's most compact family of CAN System Basis Chips (SBCs) – the UJA116x. Driving new benchmarks in miniaturization, the UJA116x family of SBCs optimizes performance in a broad range of automotive ECU applications, such as steering, cameras and dashboards, where board space is at a premium. Providing robust functionality while saving on bill of materials and system costs, the UJA116x family offers car OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers a complete range of in-vehicle networking solutions, ranging from the basic integrator UJA1161, a self-supplied transceiver, to the UJA1168, a full-featured SBC providing Partial Networking and CAN Flexible Datarate (FD) Passive support.
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- 2014-10-20 Flash memory embedded on DDC technology
- Fujitsu Semiconductor announced that it has developed the world's first technology to produce chips with embedded flash memory on logic circuits fabricated using deeply depleted channel (DDCTM) technology, with the 55nm process at the company's Mie Plant. This makes it possible to consolidate DDC—for low-power operation in a conventional CMOS design—with flash memory, which is non-volatile memory, on a single chip, opening up new possibilities for a wide range of applications, such as the Internet of things. Details of this development will be presented at the IEEE International Electronic Device Meeting (IEDM) 2013, opening December 9 in Washington, DC.
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- 2014-10-20 Imec demonstrates strained germanium finFETs at IEDM 2013
At this week's IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM 2013), imec reported the first functional strained germanium (Ge) quantum-well channel pMOS FinFETs, fabricated with a Si Fin replacement process on 300mm Si wafers. The device shows a possible evolution of the FinFET/trigate architecture for 7nm and 5nm CMOS technologies.
Since the 90nm technology, embedded SiGe source/drain has been a popular stressor method to produce strained Si that enhances pMOS devices. With diminishing device dimensions, the volume to implement stressors in the source and drain has also been severely scaled. Especially, with thin-body devices like FinFETs, the difficulty is even more pronounced. A possible relief would be to implement highly-strained material directly into the channel itself.
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- 2014-10-20 Low-power tunneling transistor for high-performance devices at low voltage
A new type of transistor that could make possible fast and low-power computing devices for energy-constrained applications such as smart sensor networks, implantable medical electronics and ultra-mobile computing is feasible, according to Penn State researchers. Called a near broken-gap tunnel field effect transistor (TFET), the new device uses the quantum mechanical tunneling of electrons through an ultrathin energy barrier to provide high current at low voltage.
Penn State, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and IQE, a specialty wafer manufacturer, jointly presented their findings at the International Electron Devices Meeting in Washington, D.C. The IEDM meeting includes representatives from all of the major chip companies and is the recognized forum for reporting breakthroughs in semiconductor and electronic technologies.
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- 2014-10-20 PML study supports validity of toolmark identification in forensics
- Toolmark identification is an important forensic discipline where scrape and impression marks found at a crime scene are used to identify the type, brand, or specific tool that generated the mark. Common tools used during a crime are hammers, crow bars, wire cutters, chisels, screw drivers, and punches.
For the better part of a century, forensic examiners have relied on comparison microscopes to compare the microscopic features of toolmarks found at a crime scene with those generated by suspected tools. The process relies on an examiner's training, experience, and judgment to assess the whether two compared toolmarks are more similar than toolmarks generated by different tools. Furthermore, the microscopic images provide only an indirect measure of the underlying toolmark surface topography though slope variations and shadowing, and are affected by lighting conditions, exposure settings, and variations in reflectivity.
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- 2014-10-20 New circuit design allows for elimination of laptop charger brick
(Phys.org) —Power electronics maker FINsix Corporation has announced the development of what is being called the world's smallest laptop adaptor—one that is just a quarter the size of traditional models and just a sixth the weight—it comes as a standard wall plug, eliminating the "box on the ground" format so familiar to laptop users.
The new adaptor has come about due to the development of a new circuit design by MIT professor David Perreault—it's able to run at higher frequencies (between 30MHz and 300MHz-a thousand times faster than conventional adapters) due to a power reclaiming scheme he developed. The result is a 65 watt power adapter that can be used to charge a variety of laptops or other devices such as smartphone or tablets (because it comes with a 2.1A USB connector)—it can even charge more than one device at a time.
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- 2014-10-20 New innovation enhances information storage in electronics
A team of researchers from the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Faculty of Engineering has developed a new Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) technology that will boost information storage in electronic systems. The innovative technology will drastically increase storage space and enhance memory which will ensure that fresh data stays intact, even in the case of a power failure. The team has already filed a US provisional patent for their technology.
Led by Dr Yang Hyunsoo, the team developed a new device structure useful for the next generation MRAM chip which can potentially be applied to enhance the user experience in consumer electronics, including personal computers and mobile devices such as laptops and mobile phones.- See Details
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- 2014-10-20 Fujitsu introduces ultra-compact Bluetooth low-energy modules
With increasing OEM development of compact and low-cost Bluetooth low energy (BLE) devices and accessories, Fujitsu Components America has introduced a new family of ultra-compact, BLE modules based on the Nordic Semiconductor nRF51822 System-on-Chip (SoC). The modules provide an economical means for developers to reduce their time-to-market.
Fujitsu's new MBH7BLZ01-109003 and MBH7BLZ02-109004 Bluetooth low energy modules are among the smallest on the market. Bluetooth V4.0 single-mode compliant, the modules allow OEMs to quickly develop tiny, power-conscious and cost-efficient Bluetooth Smart consumer devices, such as medical monitors, proximity sensors, smart watches and fitness monitors, as well as emerging applications, such as 3D motion sensors and environmental sensors.
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- 2014-10-20 UPNA researchers develop an ultra-low consumption chip
Researchers at the NUP/UPNA-Public University of Navarre have developed a chip incorporating a new design of ultra-low consumption, digital analogue converter; it consumes 50 million times less than a conventional light bulb. This low consumption means that the device can be powered using the reduced energy captured from the environment (light, vibrations, temperature variations, etc.). That way, energy autonomy is achieved because no batteries are needed for it to function.
The research work, the authors of which are Antonio López-Martín and Iñigo Cenoz-Villanueva, was awarded the prize for best paper at the 7th International Conference on Sensing Technology (ICST) held in Wellington (New Zealand) last December. This is one of the main international forums in the field of sensing technology and its applications; 188 papers from 38 countries were submitted at this most recent edition.
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- 2014-10-20 3Qs: Could circuits' face-lift mean faster, smaller phones?
- Imagine a cell phone that's half the size with longer battery time and better performance. That could become a reality thanks to new research by Nian Sun, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern. Sun's team recently presented work that could significantly improve the functionality and efficiency of our smartphones and other radio-frequency devices. We asked him to explain the research and discuss what sort of impact it might have on the telecommunication devices we've all come to rely on.
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- 2014-10-20 Study of copper connections uncovers route to improving the reliability of electronic devices
- One in five electronic-device failures is a result of corrosion. Bonds, the metal connections that enable the current to flow from one component to the next (see image), are a particular weak point. Understanding what causes this breakdown is important for extending the lifetime of a device. Kewu Bai and co‐workers at the A*STAR Institute of High Performance Computing, Singapore, have charted how moisture can affect the stability of the bonding and developed a scheme for improving the reliability of these connections.
Wire bonding is generally considered the most cost-effective and flexible method for interconnecting an integrated circuit or other semiconductor device and its packaging. "This process uses force, ultrasonic vibrations and heat to make bonds," explains Bai. "The reliability of the bonds depends on the stability of the metallic compounds that form during the process of connecting a contact pad—made from aluminum, for example—and the wire, which is made of copper or gold."
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- 2014-10-18 Freescale programmable solenoid controller reduces emissions, improves engine efficiency
Governments worldwide have issued regulations requiring automakers to improve fuel efficiency and meet new emissions standards over the next five to ten years. To help automakers and their suppliers comply with these requirements, Freescale Semiconductor today announced the MC33816 programmable solenoid controller, designed to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency for both gasoline and diesel direct fuel injection engines. The flexible architecture is also applicable for driving dual clutch transmissions, as well as precision solenoids in factory automation applications.
The MC33816 programmable solenoid controller embeds intelligence with four integrated μCores, enabling four parallel tasks to run independently of the main system microcontroller. The result is a response time up to 16x faster than traditional architectures, thereby improving engine efficiency with precise fuel delivery that reduces unnecessary fuel use.
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- 2014-10-18 NXP's Mantis CAN transceivers approved by Volkswagen for chokeless use in vehicles
Building on its industry-leading position in in-vehicle networking (IVN), NXP Semiconductors N.V. today announced that Volkswagen has approved Mantis for use in its vehicles without the need for a common-mode choke, enabling significant system cost savings in applications.
With increasing functions being introduced into the car, the performance of a modern IVN becomes increasingly critical to the vehicle's safe and reliable operation, with electro-magnetic emission and immunity against electro-magnetic interference being critical parameters to control. Automotive manufacturers define strict specifications which all transceivers must adhere to before being approved for use in the vehicle. Traditionally, a common-mode choke has been required to reach the performance limits in the application, creating an additional cost of approximately 10-15 cents (USD) per module.
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- 2014-10-18 Innovative electrodes allow new computer memory technologies to be compatible with existing circuitry
The computing industry faces constant demands to provide faster access to data and reduce power consumption. As current memory systems cannot meet these demands indefinitely, it is essential to develop entirely new technologies. One strong contender is resistive random access memory (RRAM), which stores binary information by switching a dielectric material between conducting and non-conducting states.
A seamless transition to this new technology requires that RRAM memory cells be compatible with existing electronics, which are usually based on complementary metal oxide semiconductors (CMOS). Now, Xin Peng Wang and co-workers at the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics, Singapore, have designed nickel-based electrodes that can couple RRAM to CMOS systems as well as reduce the current required to switch the RRAM between memory states.
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- 2014-10-18 The future of holistic circuits
- In a matter of a few decades, silicon chips have transformed the way we live, taking us from typewriters, landlines, and turntables to computers, cell phones, and MP3 players (which by now, are in your cell phone anyway). Today, with the continued development of complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, literally billions of transistors can be placed on a tiny, inexpensive chip and customized to perform all sorts of marvels. Developing these technologies and exploring potential applications keeps Ali Hajimiri, Thomas G. Myers Professor of Electrical Engineering at Caltech, and everyone in his lab busy.
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- 2014-10-18 Infineon hopes to lift sales in Q2 after weak Q1
- German semiconductors giant Infineon said Thursday it hopes to lift sales in the second quarter and is sticking to its full-year, despite a weak first quarter.
Infineon, which runs its business year from October to December, said in a statement that first-quarter sales declined, as expected, by 7.0 percent to 984 million euros ($1.3 billion).
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- 2014-10-18 Scientist developing 3-D chips to expand capacity of microprocessors
(Phys.org) —Many researchers in the field of integrated circuits worry that the fast paced progress of "miniaturization" will start to slow unless they find new ways to expand the capacity of the conventional two-dimensional chips used today in virtually all electronics.
Emre Salman, an assistant professor of computer and electrical engineering at Stony Brook University, is trying to design new technology, circuits and algorithms for the next generation of microprocessors, mobile computing devices and communication chips, in order "to overcome the fundamental limitations of current electronic systems, such as high power consumption," he says.
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- 2014-10-18 3D-stacked hybrid SRAM cell to be built by European scientists
- European scientists from both academia and industry have begun an ambitious new research project focused on an alternative approach to extend Moore's Law. The goal is to reduce costs and improve the energy efficiency of electronic devices ranging from mobile phones to supercomputers. The research project, called COMPOSE³, is based on the use of new materials to replace today's silicon, and on taking an innovative design approach where transistors are stacked vertically, known as 3D stacking.
Coordinated by IBM Research in Zurich, COMPOSE3 is a scientific collaboration among industry, research organizations and small- and medium-size enterprises from six European countries: STMicroelectronics, CEA-Leti and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique in France; University of Glasgow in the UK; Tyndall National Institute at University College Cork in Ireland; DTF Technology GmbH in Germany; and Fundación IMDEA Materiales in Spain.
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- 2014-10-18 Researchers develop world's first microwave-controlled ultra compact power converter
Panasonic Corporation today announced it has developed an all-integrated power converter that allows the power switches to be controlled by microwave signals. The world's first microwave-controlled power converter consists of an integrated matrix-converter power switching chip that directly converts AC power to AC of the desired frequency and amplitude, and a gate drive transmitter chip that controls the power switching chip. As a result, the new converter, which is one-hundredth of the size of conventional power converters, realizes reduction of conversion power loss.
Motor-driven equipment mostly uses power conversion systems with an inverter to save power. As those systems are composed of large-size discrete components, they cannot be installed in a compact system. The new ultra compact power converter consists of a GaN-based bi-directional power switching chip and a microwave gate drive transmitter chip, enabling to integrate a motor and its drive system. Further, it is maintenance-free because it does not require discrete components that can limit the life span of the system.
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- 2014-10-18 Toshiba's low leakage SRAM enables fast wake-up from a deep sleep mode
Toshiba Corporation today announced that it has developed an eXtremely Low Leakage 65nm SRAM (XLL SRAM) suitable for back-up RAM in low power MCU that achieves a fast wake-up time from a deep sleep mode.
Toshiba presented this development at the 2014 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference in San Francisco, California, on February 11.
There is strong demand for long battery discharge times in low power systems, including wearable devices, healthcare tools and smart meter. Although there are many challenges to reduce power of MCU used in these systems, with advances in the process generation, increasing of leakage current becomes problem as well as active power consumption. Reducing leakage current in RAM, which retains data during stand-by, is particularly important.
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- 2014-10-18 New wireless transceiver technology for medical devices
Fujitsu Laboratories and imec Holst Centre today announced that they have developed a wireless transceiver circuit for use in body area networks (BAN) for medical applications that adheres to the 400 MHz-band international standard.
While the subject of high expectations for medical applications, wireless monitoring of brainwaves or other vital signs has in the past required over a dozen milliwatts (mW) of electric power. Now, however, by optimizing the architecture and circuitry, Fujitsu Laboratories and imec Holst Centre have succeeded in reducing the electric power requirements of wireless transceiver front-ends, to just 1.6 mW when receiving data and 1.8 mW when transmitting.
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- 2014-10-17 Scientists set new speed record for big data
The speed boost is based on a device that can be used to improve transferring Big Data between clouds and data centers four times faster than current technology. At this speed 160 Gigabytes, the equivalent of a two-hour, 4K ultra-high definition movie or 40,000 songs, could be downloaded in only a few seconds. The device was presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC) in San Francisco.
While this latest technology is only a lab prototype, a previous version of the design has been licensed to Semtech Corp., a leading supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors. The company is using the technology to develop advanced communications platforms expected to be announced later this year.
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- 2014-10-17 World first 79 GHz radar transmitter in 28nm CMOS
- Imec, in collaboration with Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium, presents the world's first 79 GHz radar transmitter implemented in plain digital 28nm CMOS. With an output power above 10dBm, the transmitter front-end paves the way towards full radar-on-chip solutions for automotive and smart environment applications.
Mm-wave radar systems, featuring a range resolution finer than 10cm and an angular resolution finer than 10 degrees, will be used in next-generation driver assistance systems to improve safety in blurry conditions (dust, fog, and darkness) where image-based driver assistance systems fail. However, the high bandwidth and carrier frequency needed to achieve such high resolution, wide field of view and high angular resolution, translate into large, expensive and power hungry mm-wave antenna arrays. A low power compact radar technology will be key to enable the application of mm-wave sensors in next generation automotive and smart environment applications.
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- 2014-10-17 KIST develops bendable orgarnic carbon nano compound 64bit memory
- With the introduction of curved smartphones, flexible electronic goods are gradually moving to the center stages of various markets. Flexible display technology is the culmination of the latest, cutting-edge electric cell device technology. Developing such products, however, requires not only a curved display, but also operational precision of other parts, including the memory, in a flexible state.
Dr. Tae-Wook Kim at KIST announced their successful development of a 64-bit memory array using flexible and twistable carbon nano material and organo-polymer compound, which can accurately store and delete data.
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- 2014-10-17 Silicon-germanium chip sets new speed record
(Phys.org) —A research collaboration consisting of IHP-Innovations for High Performance Microelectronics in Germany and the Georgia Institute of Technology has demonstrated the world's fastest silicon-based device to date. The investigators operated a silicon-germanium (SiGe) transistor at 798 gigahertz (GHz) fMAX, exceeding the previous speed record for silicon-germanium chips by about 200 GHz.
Although these operating speeds were achieved at extremely cold temperatures, the research suggests that record speeds at room temperature aren't far off, said professor John D. Cressler, who led the research for Georgia Tech. Information about the research was published in February 2014, by IEEE Electron Device Letters.
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- 2014-10-17 28nm process technology achieves increased capacities in on-chip flash memory in microcontrollers
Renesas Electronics Corporation today announced that it has developed the industry's first 28-nanometer (nm) flash memory intellectual property (IP) for microcontrollers (MCUs) using a 28 nm process technology.
As engines move to even lower fuel consumption, new control mechanisms are now required to deal with the introduction of new combustion methods and further system evolution associated with downsizing. High-speed real-time processing, such as dynamically switching between multiple control algorithms according to the load in response to feedback from various sensors, will become necessary, and a performance level three to five times that will be required in automotive MCUs.- See Details
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- 2014-10-17 Huge potential of high performance computing showcased at HIPEAC conference
From revolutionising medical procedures to designing efficient wind and wave turbines, high performance computing could play an important role in addressing the array of societal challenges currently facing Europe. It is already being used, for example, in France to choose the safest and most effective configurations for nuclear refuelling and in Scotland to simulate the effects of wind and waves on offshore electricity generation turbines.
It's also good news for the economy - high performance computing could allow European businesses of all sizes to work more efficiently by speeding up time-consuming business processes. For example, a faster evaluation of the product design could reduce time to market, while a more detailed analysis could lead to a better designed product.
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- 2014-10-17 Novel technique for electrical activation of implanted material without co-implantation
Researchers at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, USA, have implanted Mg in GaN and employed a novel high-temperature annealing technique that has realised electrical activation of implanted material for the first time without co-implantation, and demonstrated an increase in the activation ratios for in situ Mg-doped GaN from around 1% to a record 10%.
Doping limitations
The GaN materials system, possessing a unique combination of both a high breakdown field and high electron mobility, is very attractive for high power and high frequency applications. Investment in AlGaN/GaN HEMT device research has led to a robust technology for RF power amplifiers.
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- 2014-10-17 Suitable memory for factory-automation control, metering and industrial equipment
Fujitsu Semiconductor announced the developed of a new FRAM product, the MB85RC1MT, with 1 Mbit of memory, the highest memory density of the company's products with an I2C serial interface. The new product is available in sample quantities starting today. The new product is guaranteed for up to 10 trillion read/write cycles, and is optimum for use in applications requiring frequent rewriting of the data, such as real-time data logging for factory-automation, metering , and industrial equipment. Now with the broad range of lineup for both the I2C and SPI serial interface products, Fujitsu Semiconductor can offer its customers non-volatile memory products that best fit their requirements.
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