Michael Watts

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Mike Watts is a contributing writer at Semiconductor Engineering.

Author's Latest Posts

Time To Meet A Patterning Master… An Octopus
By Michael Watts - 12 Sep, 2013 - Comments: 0

Animals that can adaptively camouflage are always rather fascinating, but how about an octopus that sees in black and white and can vary its color and texture? There is a fabulous video clip from Roger Hanlon, senior scientist at Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory that found me through various friends (thanks to Facebook). Roger Hanlon said that “when I captured the first scene I started... » read more

Interacting With Printed Sensors
By Michael Watts - 02 Aug, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Michael P.C. Watts If there is one feature that distinguishes all our modern portable devices from the traditional PC (a wonderful concept—the “traditional PC”), it’s the way we interact. Separate keyboards are done. It's all touchscreens on pretty much everything, along with other sensor opportunities. There are many uses for the built-in cameras in cell phones from videoconfere... » read more

OLED Displacing LCD, But Not Affecting Industry Leaders
By Michael Watts - 25 Jun, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Michael P.C. Watts One of the most common themes in high tech is how companies fail to deal with game-changing new products. Think about Kodak and digital cameras, Sony and the flash memory music player, Microsoft and the tablet, GE and Osram and the Light Emitting Diode (LED). The overwhelming conclusion seems to be that you have to be committed to making your own most valuable product red... » read more

Low-e Windows Built Using The Design Rules
By Michael Watts - 06 Jun, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Michael P. C. Watts Last week I identified the four energy bands that determined the effectiveness of windows: visible, solar near IR, re-radiated mid IR and thermal convection. Each energy band requires its own mitigation strategy, dictated by the available materials. This week I will describe how to create low e windows using design rules for each energy band. The whole story is available... » read more

Design strategy for low e windows with effective insulation
By Michael Watts - 29 May, 2013 - Comments: 0

Whether you want to save your wallet, or save your planet; effective insulation of structures is essential. It turns out that windows are much more interesting and challenging design problem than I appreciated. This is a 2 part story, if you hate serials, the whole story is at www.impattern.com. As a warm blooded species, our body temperature (37C/98F) determines the temperature that we feel... » read more

The Sun Is Bright. Use More Of It.
By Michael Watts - 30 Apr, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Michael P.C. Watts The sun is bright and warm, there must be a way to use more of it to generate power. Last time the discussion focused on the opportunity for other semiconductor materials, and whether there was any realistic opportunity for new technologies given the state of the industry. This is the third of a series of blogs to try and answer this question. If you hate serials, the com... » read more

Alternatives to silicon for solar cells
By Michael Watts - 18 Apr, 2013 - Comments: 2

Michael P.C. Watts Last time I started to talk about the solar cell business, and whether there was any realistic opportunity for new technologies given the state of the industry. This is the second of a series of blogs to try and answer this question. If you hate serials, the complete analysis is available on my web site www.impattern.com. Let’s start by looking at the potential for other... » read more

Solar Reality Check
By Michael Watts - 11 Apr, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Michael P.C. Watts There are plenty of papers at conferences talking about new patterning, materials and process approaches to solar cells. While listening, I wondered if there was any realistic chance for a new technology. The solar cell business is exponentially growing but has become rather gruesome over the last year or so…is there any real opportunity to insert new technologies ? ... » read more

More Photons Are Good
By Michael Watts - 20 Mar, 2013 - Comments: 0

By Michael P.C. Watts Scatterometry is the favored approach to monitor complex 3D nano-structures in production. At SPIE Advanced Lithography, KLA introduced a new generation of their scatterometry metrology system. The new system expands the number of different measurements; know internally as multi-multi-multi. Scatterometry relies on measuring the diffraction patterns from a test diffr... » read more

Directed Self Assembly, double patterning and crying in beer
By Michael Watts - 20 Mar, 2013 - Comments: 1

In the creative, or desperate, rush to find ways to pattern 10 nm node using double patterning immersion 193nm lithography, a designer from ARM is left “crying in his beer” at the consequent design difficulties. This heart rending admission was one of many insights that came at the sessions on Directed Self Assembly (DSA) at Advanced Lithography. Double Patterning has become the -we have... » read more

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