Research Bits: October 24


Photonic-electronic hardware processes 3D data Researchers from the University of Oxford, University of Muenster, University of Heidelberg, and University of Exeter are developing integrated photonic-electronic hardware capable of processing three-dimensional data, which the team claims boosts data processing parallelism for AI tasks. The researchers added an extra parallel dimension to the... » read more

Energy Usage in Layers Of Computing (SLAC)


A technical paper titled “Energy Estimates Across Layers of Computing: From Devices to Large-Scale Applications in Machine Learning for Natural Language Processing, Scientific Computing, and Cryptocurrency Mining” was published by researchers at SLAC National Laboratory and Stanford University. Abstract: "Estimates of energy usage in layers of computing from devices to algorithms have bee... » read more

Big Changes Ahead For Photomask Technology


The move to curvilinear shapes on photomasks is gaining steam after years of promise as a way of improving yield, lowering defectivity, and reducing wasted space on a die — all of which are essential for both continued scaling and improved reliability in semiconductors. Interest in this approach ran high at this year's SPIE Photomask Technology + EUV Lithography Conference. Put simply, cur... » read more

AI Process Control Platform Enabling Next Generation Technology, Part 2


As feature dimensions in semiconductors continue to shrink and worldwide demand continues to expand, semiconductor equipment manufacturers need innovative ways to compete and deliver. The Tignis PAICe Maker physics-driven AI computational modeling platform accelerates leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing—from equipment R&D to reliable high-yield chip fabrication capability. Tignis sup... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


By Liz Allan, Jesse Allen, and Karen Heyman. Canon uncorked a nanoimprint lithography system, which the company said will be useful down to about the 5nm node. Unlike traditional lithography equipment, which projects a pattern onto a resist, nanoimprint directly transfers images onto substrates using a master stamp patterned by an e-beam system. The technology has a number of limitations and... » read more

Memory Technologies Key To Advancing AI Applications


Memory is an integral component in every computer system, from the smartphones in our pockets to the giant data centers powering the world’s leading-edge AI applications. As AI continues to rise in reach and complexity, the demand for more memory from data center to endpoints is reshaping the industry’s requirements and traditional approaches to memory architectures. According to OpenAI,... » read more

Issues In Calculating Glitch Power


The amount of power consumed by redundant non-functional toggles, or glitch power, can be as high as 35% of total power consumption in a design. What can be done about that? Godwin Maben, low-power architect and scientist at Synopsys, takes a deep dive into the causes of glitch, how it is affected by new process nodes and heterogeneous integration, and the impact of different workloads, higher ... » read more

AI Testing AI: The Future Of 6G Test


The impending arrival of 6G technology promises to revolutionize the way we connect and communicate. With expected data rates of up to 100 times faster than 5G, 6G is poised to enable unprecedented applications, from augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to real-time remote surgery and autonomous vehicles with ubiquitous connectivity. A significant facet of 6G's potential lies in the ... » read more

Delivering Real-Time Analytics To Semiconductor Test


As defined by Moore’s Law, the semiconductor field has been growing at a steady pace since the 1960s. Concurrent with this progression, semiconductors are becoming more complex, densely integrated, and expensive to produce. While such advancements pose new challenges to semiconductor manufacturing, we can extend Moore’s Law well into the future by reimagining the way we approach the semicon... » read more

How Much AI Is Really Needed?


Tensor Core GPUs have created a generative AI model gold rush. Whether it’s helping students with math homework, planning a vacation, or learning to prepare a six-course meal, generative AI is ready with answers. But that's only one aspect of AI, and not every application requires it. AI — now an all-inclusive term, referring to the process of using algorithms to learn, predict, and make... » read more

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