Manufacturing Bits: April 29


Silky e-beam lithography Tufts University has put a soft and silky spin on direct-write electron-beam lithography. Researchers used common silk as the resist material, enabling the production of photonic lattices, quantum dots and other structures. This approach is a green alternative to traditional and toxic resists. The silk-based resist is developed using a water-based process. It starts... » read more

System Bits: April 29


Beyond graphene Researchers at The University of Manchester have shown how they can control the properties of stacks of 2D materials, opening up the potential for new, previously-unimagined electronic devices. The isolation of graphene at the University in 2004 led to the discovery of many other 2D crystals and while graphene has an unrivaled set of superlatives, these crystals cover a larg... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: April 29


Lithium-free flexible battery A Rice University laboratory has flexible, portable and wearable electronics in its sights with the creation of a thin film for energy storage. The researchers have developed a flexible material with nanoporous nickel-fluoride electrodes layered around a solid electrolyte to deliver battery-like supercapacitor performance that combines the best qualities of a h... » read more

The Week In Review: Design


M&A Cadence announced its intention to acquire Jasper Design Automation, adding formal technology to its roster of verification tools. The purchase price was about $146 million, the $170 million Cadence offered minus the $24 million in cash and equivalents on Jasper’s books. Tools Synopsys rolled out new LPDDR4 IP that offers up to 3.2 Gbps with low power consumption. The company is ... » read more

The Week In Review: Manufacturing


Worldwide semiconductor capital equipment spending is projected to total $37.5 billion in 2014, an increase of 12.2% from 2013 spending of $33.5 billion, according to Gartner. Capital spending will increase 5.5% in 2014 as the industry begins to recover from the recent economic downturn. The 3D NAND market will take longer to develop. Samsung has shipped a 3D NAND device. Micron and SK Hynix... » read more

Blog Review: April 23


Mentor’s John Day looks backward through a smart rearview mirror from Nissan. No glare, even at night or at sunset, and a wider field of vision. You have to wonder why this technology took so long. Synopsys’ Karen Bartleson wonders when the IoT will actually arrive, given the delay in durable goods, a concern over security and the effects of government regulation. Answer: When we stop ta... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: April 22


Detecting counterfeit goods Rare earths are chemical elements found in the Earth’s crust. They are critical for use in the production of cars, consumer electronics, computers, communications, clean energy, health care, national defense systems and others. Researchers are looking for new ways to integrate rare earths into potential chips and other applications. For example, the Massachuset... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: April 22


Plasmonics could improve solar performance, data storage According to researchers at Purdue University, plasmonic metamaterials that operate at high temperatures could significantly improve solar cell performance and make advanced computer data storage technology possible that uses heat to record information on a magnetic disk. These materials could make it possible to harness clouds of ele... » read more

System Bits: April 22


To mimic human cognition In the field of neuromorphic engineering, researchers study computing techniques that could someday mimic human cognition and to this end, electrical engineers at the Georgia Institute of Technology recently published a "roadmap" that details innovative analog-based techniques that could make it possible to build a practical neuromorphic computer. [caption id="attac... » read more

The Week In Review: Design


Certifications TSMC certified Mentor Graphics’ DFM, place and route and custom IC tools, as well as its SPICE simulator, for the 16nm finFET process.  The foundry also certified Cadence’s digital and custom/analog tools for that process, including physical verification, QRC extraction, timing sign off and its power integrity solution. And it certified Synopsys’ digital and custom soluti... » read more

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