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

Chip Industry Week In Review


By Adam Kovac, Karen Heyman, and Liz Allan. Europe's semiconductor footprint is growing in areas that previously had little association with chips. Silicon Box plans to build a panel-level foundry in northern Italy, funded in part by the Italian government. The deal is worth around €3.2 billion ($3.6B). In addition, imec will establish a specialized 300mm chip technology pilot line in M... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


By Jesse Allen, Gregory Haley, and Liz Allan Intel officially launched Intel Foundry this week, claiming it's the "world's first systems foundry for the AI era." The foundry also showed off a more detailed technology roadmap down to expanded 14A process technology. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger noted the foundry will be separate from the chipmaker, utilize third-party chiplets and IP, and leverage... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


By Susan Rambo, Karen Heyman, and Liz Allan. Renesas plans to acquire Altium, maker of PCB design software, for $5.9 billion. In a conference call, Renesas CEO Hidetoshi Shibata cited Altium's PCB design software and digital twin virtual modeling as key components of its future strategy. "I believe it will generate transformational value for our combined customers and our stakeholders," Shib... » read more

Chip Industry Week In Review


By Susan Rambo, Gregory Haley, and Liz Allan Amkor plans to invest about $2 billion in a new advanced packaging and test facility in Peoria, Arizona. When finished, it will employ about 2,000 people and will be the largest outsourced advanced packaging facility in the U.S. The first phase of the construction is expected to be completed and operational within two to three years. Synopsys p... » read more

Chip Industry Talent Shortage Drives Academic Partnerships


Universities around the world are forming partnerships with semiconductor companies and governments to help fill open and future positions, to keep curricula current and relevant, and to update and expand skills for working engineers. Talent shortages repeatedly have been cited as the number one challenge for the chip industry. Behind those concerns are several key drivers, and many more dom... » read more

Ferroelectric Memories Answer Call For Non-Volatile Alternatives


As system designers seek to manipulate larger data sets while reducing power consumption, ferroelectric memory may be part of the solution. It offers an intermediate step between the speed of DRAM and the stability of flash memory. Changing the polarization of ferroelectric domains is extremely fast, and the polarization remains stable without power for years, if not decades. FeFETs, one of ... » read more

3D In-Memory Compute Making Progress


Indium compounds are showing great promise for 3D in-memory compute and RF integration, but more work is needed. Researchers continue to make headway into 3D device integration particularly with indium tin oxide (ITO), which is widely used in display manufacturing. Recent work indicates that different compounds of indium oxide doped with tin, gallium, or zinc combinations may boost transisto... » read more

Research Bits: August 1


Thinner, tougher heat flux sensors Researchers from the Department of Physics at the University of Tokyo have designed a heat flux sensor that can measure heat flux — the amount of heat that passes through a material — using a manufacturable, flexible thin film with circuits etched in a way that increases the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE). ANE turns heat into an electrical signal using ... » read more

Research Bits: July 18


Miniaturized ferroelectric FETs Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, Hanyang University, King Abdulaziz University, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, and University of Tokyo proposed a new ferroelectric FET (FE-FET) design with improved performance for both computing and memory. The transistor layers the two-dimensional semiconductor molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)... » read more

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