Research Bits: Apr. 2


Stretchy, sensitive circuits Researchers from Stanford University developed skin-like, stretchable integrated circuits capable of driving a micro-LED screen with a refresh rate of 60 Hz and detecting a braille array that is more sensitive than human fingertips. The stretchable transistors are made from semiconducting carbon nanotubes sandwiched between soft elastic electronic materials. The... » read more

Deployment Of MIPI In Ultra-Low-Power Streaming Sensors


By Mahmoud ElBanna and Brian Lenkowski Streams of data from higher-speed sensors pose throughput and latency challenges for designers. However, optimizing a design for those criteria can come at the expense of increased power consumption if not conceived and executed carefully. A device like a high-resolution, high-frame-rate home security camera in a non-wired application requiring frequent... » read more

Dealing With Noise In Image Sensors


The expanding use and importance of image sensors in safety-critical applications such as automotive and medical devices has transformed noise from an annoyance into a life-threatening problem that requires a real-time solution. In consumer cameras, noise typically results in grainy images, often associated with poor lighting, the speed at which an image is captured, or a faulty sensor. Typi... » read more

Build Secured And Cost Effective Next-Generation Actuator And Sensor Applications Based On The Latest E/E Architectures


Automotive E/E architectures have undergone remarkable changes in recent years influencing actuator and sensor applications such as body control (lights, windows, and mirrors, etc.), motor control such as engine pumps and fans, and sensor control. Traditionally, these applications have used small and low-cost 16-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) but now they need more advanced 16-bit MCUs. In this wh... » read more

In-Product BTI Aging Sensor For Reliability Screening And Early Detection Of Material At Risk


We have developed a new reliability monitoring suite, within a proprietary IP block that we call a CV Core, with aging sensors embedded in the product layout and testable through the product I / O interface. We illustrate the application of the sensor suite with an example of the PMOS NBTI monitor, testable at the wafer level during product electrical wafer sort (EWS), as well after packaging a... » read more

A New Approach For Sensor Design


Pawel Malinowski, program manager at imec, sat down with Semiconductor Engineering to discuss what's changing in sensor technology and why. What follows are excerpts of that discussion. SE: What's next for sensor technology? Malinowski: We are trying to find a new way of making image sensors because we want to get out of the limitations of silicon photodiodes. Silicon is a perfect materi... » read more

Overcoming The Challenges Of Capacitive Touch HMI Design


The capacitive touch human-machine interface (HMI) is a critical aspect of modern electronics. It is how we interact with our devices, making it an integral part of wearables, smart home products and IoT products. The primary goal of an HMI is to provide an intuitive and responsive interface that supports human interaction. However, designing a touch HMI system that meets the consumer's expecta... » read more

Research Bits: December 5


Neuromorphic nanowires Researchers from UCLA and University of Sydney built an experimental computing system physically modeled after the biological brain. The device is composed of a tangled-up network of wires containing silver and selenium that were allowed to self-organize into a network of entangled nanowires on top of an array of 16 electrodes. The nanowire network physically reconfigure... » read more

Research Bits: Nov. 28


Switchable photodetector and neuromorphic vision sensor Researchers from the Institute of Metal Research at the Chinese Academy of Sciences built a device that can be switched between being a photodetector and neuromorphic vision sensor by adjusting the operating voltage. The trench-bridged GaN/Ga2O3/GaN heterojunction array device exhibits volatile and non-volatile photocurrents at low and hi... » read more

Maximizing Edge Intelligence Requires More Than Computing


By Toshi Nishida, Avik W. Ghosh, Swaminathan Rajaraman, and Mircea Stan Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components have enabled a commodity market for Wi-Fi-connected appliances, consumer products, infrastructure, manufacturing, vehicles, and wearables. However, the vast majority of connected systems today are deployed at the edge of the network, near the end user or end application, opening... » read more

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