Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 26


Neural networks on MCUs Researchers at MIT are working to bring neural networks to Internet of Things devices. The team's MCUNet is a system that designs compact neural networks for deep learning on microcontrollers with limited memory and processing power. MCUNet is made up of two components. One is TinyEngine, an inference engine that directs resource management. TinyEngine is optimized t... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 19


Electronic skin for health tracking Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder developed a stretchy electronic 'skin' that can perform the tasks of wearable fitness devices such as tracking body temperature, heart rate, and movement patterns. "Smart watches are functionally nice, but they're always a big chunk of metal on a band," said Wei Zhang, a professor in the Department of Chem... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 11


Quantum dot transistors Researchers at Los Alamos National Laboratory and University of California Irvine used quantum dots to create transistors which can be assembled into functional logic circuits. "Potential applications of the new approach to electronic devices based on non-toxic quantum dots include printable circuits, flexible displays, lab-on-a-chip diagnostics, wearable devices, me... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 5


Quiet qubits Researchers at the University of New South Wales Sydney recorded the lowest noise levels yet for a semiconductor qubit. Charge noise caused by material imperfections interferes with the information encoded on qubits, reducing accuracy. "The level of charge noise in semiconductor qubits has been a critical obstacle to achieving the accuracy levels we need for large-scale error-c... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Dec. 29


Safer Li-ion batteries Scientists from Stanford University and the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory propose a way to make lithium-ion batteries lighter, more efficient, and fire resistant. One of the heaviest components of lithium-ion batteries are the copper or aluminum sheets that act as current collectors. "The current collector has always been considered de... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Dec. 23


Detecting early damage in power electronics Researchers at Osaka University to detect early damage in power electronics. The team used acoustic emission analysis to monitor in real time the propagation of cracks in a silicon carbide Schottsky diode during power cycling tests. During the power cycling test, the researchers mimicked repeatedly turning the device on and off, to monitor the res... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Dec. 15


Graphite films for cooling electronics Researchers at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) developed a way to make a carbon material well suited to dissipating heat in electronic devices. Graphite films are frequently used for heat management. "However, the method used to make these graphite films, using polymer as a source material, is complex and very energy intensiv... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Dec. 7


Logic-in-memory with MoS2 Engineers at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) built a logic-in-memory device using molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as the channel material. MoS2 is a three-atom-thick 2D material and excellent semiconductor. The new chip is based on floating-gate field-effect transistors (FGFETs) that can hold electric charges for long periods. MoS2 is particularly se... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Dec. 1


Self-erasing chip Researchers from the University of Michigan developed self-erasing chips that could be used to prevent counterfeiting or detect tampering. The technology is based on a new material that temporarily stores energy, changing the color of the light it emits. It self-erases in a matter of days, or it can be erased on demand. "It's very hard to detect whether a device has been t... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Nov. 23


Graphene energy Researchers from the University of Arkansas, University of Pennsylvania, and Universidad Carlos III de Madrid built a circuit capable of capturing graphene's thermal motion and converting it into an electrical current. "An energy-harvesting circuit based on graphene could be incorporated into a chip to provide clean, limitless, low-voltage power for small devices or sensors,... » read more

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