Power/Performance Bits: Sept. 11


Thread transistor Researchers at Tufts University developed a thread-based transistor that can be fashioned into simple, all-thread based logic circuits and integrated circuits which could be woven into fabric or worn on the skin, or even surgically implanted. The thread-based transistor (TBT) is made of a linen thread coated with carbon nanotubes, creating a semiconductor surface. Two thin... » read more

System Bits: Sept. 11


Everything’s faster in Texas The Frontera supercomputing system was formally unveiled last week at the Texas Advanced Computing Center. The system was deployed in June on the University of Texas at Austin campus. It is the fifth-fastest supercomputer in the world at present and the world's fastest academic supercomputer. Dell EMC and Intel collaborated on fitting out Frontera. Work beg... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Sept. 3


Modeling SiC defects The Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IFJ PAN) has developed a model that reveals the nature of crystal defects in silicon carbide (SiC). Defectivity is an issue for SiC, a compound semiconductor material based on silicon and carbon. Today, SiC is used to make specialized power semiconductors for high-voltage applications, such as electric ... » read more

System Bits: Sept. 3


Microprocessor built with carbon nanotubes Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were able to design a microprocessor with carbon nanotubes and fabricate the chip with traditional processes, an advance that could be used in next-generation computers. Work on producing carbon nanotube field-effect transistors has gone on for some time. Fabricated at scale, those CNFETs oft... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Sept. 3


Nylon capacitor Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, and Lodz University of Technology developed a way to fabricate ferroelectric nylon thin-film capacitors. Nylons consist of a long chain of polymers and, along with use in textiles, exhibit ferroelectric properties. However, electronic applications have been limited as there ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Aug. 27


Holographic lithography Switzerland’s Nanotech SWHL GmbH has come out of stealth mode and disclosed its initial technology—a holographic lithography system. Founded in 2015, Nanotech SWHL has developed a sub-wavelength holographic lithography system that generates and prints 3D images on surfaces with one mask at one exposure. Still in R&D, the system is initially targeted for advanced ... » read more

System Bits: Aug. 27


A ring of 18 carbon atoms Scientists at IBM Research – Zurich and Oxford University write about allotropes of carbon – the many versions of atomic carbon formations, such as diamonds and graphite. “Carbon, one of the most abundant elements in the universe, can exist in different forms - called allotropes - giving it completely different properties from color to shape to hardness. For... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Aug. 27


The sound of typing Cybersecurity researchers at the Southern Methodist University found a way to detect what a user is typing based on sensor data collected from a nearby smartphone. The team found that acoustic signals produced by typing on a computer keyboard can successfully be picked up by a smartphone, which can then be processed to determine which keys were struck – even in noisy conf... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Aug. 20


Making carbon nanotubes with AI Russia’s Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology (Skoltech) has developed a method to monitor the growth of carbon nanotubes using an artificial intelligence (AI) technology called machine learning. Skoltech used AI to predict the performance of the synthesis of single-walled carbon nanotubes using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process. The tec... » read more

System Bits: Aug. 20


Blockchain integrated into energy systems Researchers at Canada’s University of Waterloo integrated blockchain technology into energy systems, a development that may expand charging infrastructure for electric vehicles. In a study that outlines the new blockchain-oriented charging system, the researchers found that there is a lack of trust among charging service providers, property owners... » read more

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