Research Bits: July 22


Sub-1nm gate Researchers from Korea's Institute for Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Harvard University, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) found a method that enables epitaxial growth of 1D metallic materials with a width of less than 1 nm, which they used as a gate electrode of a miniaturized transistor. The team controlled the crystal structure of molyb... » read more

Tradeoffs In Archiving Data


If you’ve ever had to sort through old technical documents, wondering what still has value and what can be safely tossed, you can identify with the quandary of Thomas Levy, UCSD professor of anthropology and co-founder of the field of cyber-archaeology. Staring at thousands of pieces of pottery in a Jordanian dessert, he erred on the side of keeping it all. “My personal perspective when ... » read more

Finding And Applying Domain Expertise In IC Analytics


Behind PowerPoint slides depicting the data inputs and outputs of a data analytics platform belies the complexity, effort, and expertise that improve fab yield. With the tsunami of data collected for semiconductor devices, fabs need engineers with domain expertise to effectively manage the data and to correctly learn from the data. Naively analyzing a data set can lead to an uninteresting an... » read more

Research Bits: Feb. 22


Dense optical data storage Researchers from the University of Southampton developed a laser writing method for producing high-density nanostructures in silica glass, which could be used for long-term, dense data storage. “Individuals and organizations are generating ever-larger datasets, creating the desperate need for more efficient forms of data storage with a high capacity, low energy ... » read more

Storing and Reading Information in Mixtures of Fluorescent Molecules


Abstract "The rapidly increasing use of digital technologies requires the rethinking of methods to store data. This work shows that digital data can be stored in mixtures of fluorescent dye molecules, which are deposited on a surface by inkjet printing, where an amide bond tethers the dye molecules to the surface. A microscope equipped with a multichannel fluorescence detector distinguishes ... » read more

Power/Performance Bits: Jan. 18


3D printed custom wearables Researchers from the University of Arizona created a 3D printed wearable that can operate continuously through wireless power to track body temperature and muscle deformation during exercise. Based on 3D body scans of the wearer, the medical-grade 'biosymbiotic device' can be custom printed to conform to a user's skin without the need for adhesives, which can irr... » read more

Containing The Explosion In Data


The amount of data that could be kept for every design is gargantuan, but even that may not be enough these days as lifecycle management, continuous verification, regulatory requirements, and globalization add to the data that needs to be stored. But data has no value if it cannot be found or used in ways that provide more benefit than the cost of storing it. "Data management is not unique t... » read more

Infrastructure Impacts Data Analytics


Semiconductor data analytics relies upon timely, error-free data from the manufacturing processes, but the IT infrastructure investment and engineering effort needed to deliver that data is, expensive, enormous, and still growing. The volume of data has ballooned at all points of data generation as equipment makers add more sensors into their tools, and as monitors are embedded into the chip... » read more

Network Storage Optimization In Chip Design


Prathna Sekar, technical account manager at ClioSoft, explains how to manage large quantities of data, how this can quickly spin out of control as colleagues check in data during the design process, and how to reduce the amount that needs to be stored. » read more

System Bits: June 25


Supercomputers around the world At last week’s International Supercomputing Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, the 53rd biannual list of the Top500 of the most powerful computing systems in the world was released. Broken out by countries of installation, China has 219 of the world’s 500 fastest supercomputers, compared with 116 in the United States. Ranking by percent of list flops, the ... » read more

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