tag: graphene

Manufacturing Bits: April 8
By Mark LaPedus - 08 Apr, 2014 - Comments: 0

Making cheap diamonds Graphite and diamonds are two forms of the same element--carbon. In graphite, carbon atoms are arranged in planar sheets and the material is soft. On the other hand, diamonds consist of carbon atoms that are bonded in all directions, making these structures extremely hard. [caption id="attachment_11311" align="alignleft" width="150"] This illustration shows four layers... » read more

How Much Will That Chip Cost?
By Ed Sperling - 27 Mar, 2014 - Comments: 1

From the most advanced process nodes to the trailing edge of design there is talk about the skyrocketing cost of developing increasingly complex SoCs. At 16/14nm it’s a combination of multi-patterning, multiple power domains and factoring in physical and proximity effects. At older nodes, it’s the shift to more sophisticated versions of the processes and new tools to work within those proce... » read more

Why Would IBM Sell Its Semi Group?
By Ed Sperling - 20 Feb, 2014 - Comments: 1

Rumors are always just rumors until proven otherwise in business, but in the case of IBM’s semiconductor business, hints about the sale of its semiconductor business are particularly noteworthy. Much has changed since the days when IBM—as International Business Machines—went head-to-head with AT&T’s quasi-public Bell Labs and Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). The breakup of... » read more

System Bits: Feb. 4
By Ann Mutschler - 04 Feb, 2014 - Comments: 0

Speeding Access To Information Big data today is usually stored on multiple hard disks on a number of machines across an Ethernet network, but this storage architecture considerably increases the time it takes to access the information. Researchers at MIT have developed a storage system for big-data analytics they claim can dramatically reduce the time it takes to access information. The sy... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Feb. 4
By Mark LaPedus - 04 Feb, 2014 - Comments: 0

Secrets of mass variation The General Conference on Weights and Measures will soon approve a plan to redefine the kilogram and other measurement units. The new definition for the kilogram will be based on the fixed numerical values of Planck’s constant (h). Supposedly, the new definition will solve the current problem. The kilogram is the only SI unit that is still described as an artif... » read more

What’s After CMOS?
By Mark LaPedus - 24 Jan, 2014 - Comments: 3

Chipmakers continue to scale the CMOS transistor to finer geometries, but the question is for how much longer. The current thinking is that the CMOS transistor could scale at least to the 3nm node in the 2021 timeframe. And then, CMOS could run out of gas, prompting the need for a new switch technology. So what’s after the CMOS-based transistor? Carbon nanotubes and graphene get the most a... » read more

Executive Viewpoint: Qualcomm On Process Technology
By Mark LaPedus - 23 Jan, 2014 - Comments: 3

Semiconductor Engineering sat down to discuss current and future process technology challenges with Geoffrey Yeap, vice president of technology at Qualcomm. SE: You have pointed out there is a fundamental shift taking place at the 28nm logic node. This is the first node in which mobile chips have been ramped up first within the foundries, ahead of computing-based ICs. Many believe that 28nm ... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Jan. 14
By Mark LaPedus - 14 Jan, 2014 - Comments: 0

MoS2 FETs Two-dimensional materials are gaining steam in the R&D labs. The 2D materials include graphene, boron nitride (BN) and the transition-metal dichalcogenides (TMDs). One TMD, molybdenum diselenide (MoS2), is an attractive material for use in future field-effect transistors (FETs). MoS2 has several properties, including a non-zero band gap, atomic scale thickness and pristine int... » read more

System Bits: Dec. 17
By Ann Mutschler - 17 Dec, 2013 - Comments: 0

Simple, Inexpensive Graphene Treatment Could Unleash New Uses To help realize the promise of graphene in electronics, solar power, and sensors, researchers from MIT and UC Berkeley have created what they said is a simple, inexpensive treatment that they believe may help realize the potential of the material. While pure graphene lacks some key properties needed for electronic devices, modify... » read more

Manufacturing Bits: Dec. 3
By Mark LaPedus - 03 Dec, 2013 - Comments: 0

Animal robots invade London The London Science Museum will premiere U-CAT, an underwater robot turtle designed to penetrate shipwrecks. In the exhibit, the museum will also showcase several robots that resemble an eel, bat, cheetah cub, tumbleweed, tuna, salamander and other creatures. Meanwhile, built by the Centre for Biorobotics at Tallinn University of Technology, U-CAT’s locomotio... » read more

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