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Research Bits: Apr. 7


DNA scaffolds for 3D electronics Researchers from Columbia University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, and University of Minnesota used DNA to help create self-assembled 3D electronic devices with nanometer-size features. The team deposited arrays of gold squares on a surface, onto which they could attach short pieces of DNA. These served as anchors to which they could fasten eight-sided di... » read more

Startup Funding: Q1 2025


The first quarter of 2025 saw six companies raise at least $100 million in investment. Of those, three went to quantum hardware companies, with major investment into neutral atom, superconducting, and hybrid quantum control approaches. AI chips and enabling technology were another big winner in the quarter, with companies developing optical communications tech for chips and data center infra... » read more

Blog Review: Apr. 2


Synopsys’ Meenakshy Ramachandran explores how DisplayPort Automotive Extensions help meet functional safety and security standards for the increasingly higher-resolution and more immersive in-vehicle displays in connected, autonomous, shared, and electric vehicles. Siemens’ Gabriella Leone and Michael Munsey discuss the need for a collaborative semiconductor business platform and how to ... » read more

Research Bits: Apr. 1


Neuro-synaptic RAM Researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) found that a standard silicon transistor can function like a biological neuron and synapse when arranged and operated in a specific way. The team was able to replicate both neural firing and synaptic weight changes by adjusting the resistance of the b... » read more

Blog Review: Mar. 26


Siemens' Bianca Ward argues that sustainability must be considered starting from the design phase to reduce the energy consumption of ICs as well as the production processes used to manufacture them. Synopsys' Adrien Tozzoli looks at how physical optics simulation can be improved by using beam synthesis propagation, a method that decomposes the optical field into a collection of beamlets to ... » read more

Research Bits: Mar. 25


2D materials in 3D transistors Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara investigated 3D gate-all-around (GAA) transistors made using 2D semiconductors. They considered three different approaches to channel stacking: nano-sheet FETs, nano-fork FETs, and nano-plate FETs. The nano-plate FET architecture, which exploits lateral stacking of 2D layers, was found to maximize the g... » read more

Blog Review: Mar. 19


Cadence's Neelabh Singh explains the defined port operations of USB4 that are used to bring transmitters burst and receivers of a design under test into compliance mode and to execute tests like bit error tests, error rate tests, clock switch tests, TxFFE equalization tests, and electrical idle tests. Siemens EDA's Stephen V. Chavez examines the use of blind and buried vias in high-density i... » read more

Research Bits: Mar. 18


High-frequency signal conversion Researchers from ETH Zurich developed a plasmonic modulator capable of converting electrical signals into optical signals with a frequency of over a terahertz. The modulator is a tiny nanostructure made up of various materials, including gold, and makes use of the interaction between light and free electrons within the gold. It converts signals directly, red... » read more

Blog Review: Mar. 12


Cadence's P. Saisrinivas explains the relationship between drive strength and cell delay and why it is key to choose the appropriate drive strength to meet timing constraints while minimizing power and area. Siemens' Daniel Berger and Dirk Hartmann tackle the readout problem of accurately measuring the state of a quantum system after it has undergone a quantum computation, which becomes incr... » read more

Research Bits: Mar. 10


Incipient ferroelectricity Researchers from Penn State University and the University of Minnesota propose harnessing incipient ferroelectricity in multifunctional two-dimensional FETs to create neuromorphic computer memory. Materials with incipient ferroelectricity have no stable ferroelectric order at room temperature and need certain conditions to achieve an electrical charge. The FETs were ... » read more

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