A multi-disciplinary team led by Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., has developed a material that is both tunable and efficient, marking an achievement that was one of the most elusive goals in microwave electronics.
Continue readingFirst quantum battery developed and tested by Australian researchers
Australian scientists at the University of Melbourne have made a significant leap forward in energy storage technology by developing and testing the world’s first proof-of-concept quantum battery.
Continue readingApplied Materials introduces deposition systems for Angstrom-era logic chips
Applied Materials, Santa Clara, Calif., has introduced two new deposition systems—the Precision Selective Nitride PECVD and the Trillium ALD—designed to provide the atomic-level precision necessary for manufacturing the complex 3D Gate-All-Around transistors required for next-generation 2nm logic chips and AI infrastructure.
Continue readingEngineers create light-activated gel that boosts ion conductivity 400-fold
MIT engineers have developed a soft, flexible gel that dramatically changes its conductivity upon the application of light, a development that could impact human-machine interfaces, biocompatible devices, soft robotics, and more.
Continue readingThrough the wires: FAMU-FSU College of Engineering technology mitigates flaws in superconducting wires
Researchers at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and Florida State University’s Center for Advanced Power Systems and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory developed a cable design that uses multiple strands of superconducting tape, minimizing the chance of failure from defective spots within a wire.
Continue readingScientists create world’s first chip that combines 2D materials with conventional silicon circuitry
For the first time, scientists have created a fully functional memory chip only a few atoms thick and integrated it into conventional chips, an advance from Fudan University in China that could pave the way for more powerful and energy-efficient electronic devices.
Continue readingWorld’s first hybrid chip combines electronics, photonics, and quantum power
Researchers from Boston University, UC Berkeley, and Northwestern University have developed the first chip that integrates electronic, photonic, and quantum components, fabricated using a standard 45-nanometer semiconductor process.
Continue readingTexas Tech to earn $14M for advanced semiconductor power devices program
Texas Tech University’s Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering, Lubbock, Texas, will earn $14 million from the U.S. Department of Defense Army Research Laboratory for an Advanced Semiconductor Power Devices Program that will develop reliable, high-performance and power electronic devices with wide and ultrawide bandgap semiconductors.
Continue readingThermoelectric material with high-conductivity but slow thermal transfer
Thermoelectric materials like germanium telluride (GeTe) can convert waste heat into electricity, offering a promising energy solution. To better harness this potential, researchers used a novel “neutron camera” technique to study GeTe’s structure. They found that while GeTe maintains its overall crystalline form—essential for conducting electricity—it also exhibits dynamic disorder, where parts of the structure move and slow heat conduction. This unique combination enhances thermoelectric efficiency, making GeTe a strong candidate for advanced solid-state devices like heat pumps and generators. The study also resolved previous inconsistencies in structural measurements.
Continue readingScientists discover an unusual chiral quantum state in a topological material
Chirality, or “handedness,” is a fundamental property where an object differs from its mirror image, seen across nature from molecules to DNA. In a breakthrough, Princeton University researchers have discovered a hidden chiral quantum state in a material previously believed to be non-chiral. This finding not only challenges existing assumptions in physics but also deepens our understanding of quantum phenomena, potentially opening new avenues in quantum research.
Continue readingAnsys strengthens collaboration with TSMC on advanced node processes certification and 3D-IC multiphysics design solutions
Through continued collaboration with TSMC, Ansys, Canonsburg, Pa., announced enhanced AI-assisted workflows for radio frequency design migration and photonic integrated circuits, and new certifications for its semiconductor solutions.
Continue readingUltrathin conductor developed for nanoelectronics could be better than copper
Stanford researchers have created ultrathin niobium phosphide films that conduct electricity better than copper and can be made at low temperatures compatible with modern chip fabrication, promising more powerful, energy-efficient electronics.
Continue readingCelera samples the first ever Analog IC completely designed by software
Celera, Alameda, Calif., the leader in fully automated, AI-enhanced analog design, is now sampling the first ever analog IC completely designed by an autonomous software platform.
Using Celera’s ChipHUB platform, the company improved engineering productivity by 10x, allowing the design of a high-performance buck (DC-to-DC) converter from specification to manufacturing release in a matter of days.
“This is a major milestone for Celera and an important breakthrough for our customers,” said Pat Brockett, Celera’s CEO. “Celera has demonstrated that end-to-end automated design of high-performance analog ICs can be done.”
“Using our patented digital twin Nesto technology, we enable our customers to achieve full custom analog IC design in days, at a fraction of the of the cost of current design methods,” said Alberto Viviani, Celera’s COO. “It’s very important to note that the resultant product designs are more than competitive with regard to die size (cost) and performance.”
Ramesh Giri, the head of product definition and applications at Celera highlighted a critical benefit to business managers – “Our design flow integrates an auto-generated behavioral model at the front-end that is tuned to actual silicon behavior. This allows system designers to do a comprehensive virtual bench road test, helping to reliably identify real-world system level issues at the front-end of the design process. This eliminates post-silicon fixes and enables faster time to market.”
“This first customer product is a state-of-the-art high voltage step down converter for industrial and automotive applications,” said Calum MacRae, CTO and founder at Celera. “Our Nesto technology simplifies analog IC design, enabling even non-IC designers to generate custom silicon. A huge benefit of our Nesto technology is that the same algorithm can be used to quickly produce whole families of buck converters in hours.”
Calum added, “Our IP is all in digital form. This allows us to train machine learning (ML) models, producing AI agents for analog design, layout, and modeling. The ability to generate large amounts of synthetic data positions Celera as the only company able to apply ML to analog design.”
“Celera’s patented technology will revolutionize the analog IC industry by making analog custom design available to all,” said Pat Brockett. “We are already engaged with major customers designing products for consumer, data center, wireless, industrial, solar and automotive applications. This is a real example where AI is changing a hundred-billion-dollar industry and we are proud to say Celera is leading that change.”
For more information:
Celera
https://www.celeratechnologies.com
Non-Drip cryogenic epoxy offers electrical and thermal insulation
Master Bond Inc., Hackensack, N.J., released its newest product, Master Bond EP29LPSPND-3, a two component, non-drip epoxy compound with a paste consistency that can be used for bonding and sealing applications.
Continue readingFrom roots to rugged circuits: Tree-inspired printing tech for flexible electronics
Researchers at Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, have developed a new Template-Constrained Additive printing technology inspired by tree root systems that enhances the mechanical robustness and precision of flexible electronic circuits, allowing them to withstand extreme conditions like high temperatures and mechanical wear, expanding their applications in smart robotics and advanced sensing systems.
Continue readingA new ultrathin conductor for nanoelectronics
Researchers at Stanford Engineering have developed an ultrathin material that conducts electricity better than copper and could enable more energy-efficient nanoelectronics.
Continue readingFirst full wafer-scale fabrication of electrically-pumped GaAs-based nano-ridge lasers on 300 mm silicon wafers
Imec, Belgium, a world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technologies, has announced a significant milestone in silicon photonics with the successful demonstration of electrically-driven GaAs-based multi-quantum-well nano-ridge laser diodes fully, monolithically fabricated on 300 mm silicon wafers in its CMOS pilot prototyping line.
Continue readingUKBIC opens new advanced battery development laboratory
The UK Battery Industrialization Center, United Kingdom, opened its new upgraded and extended Battery Development Laboratory, greatly increased the facility’s capabilities in key areas of battery materials characterization, cell analysis, and forensic activities.
Continue readingSLAC will play a key role in DOE’s new research centers for advancing next-generation microelectronics
The Department of Energy has announced funding $179 million for three Microelectronics Science Research Centers that bring together multi-institutional, multidisciplinary projects in partnership with industry organized around making microelectronics more energy efficient and able to operate better in extreme environments.
Continue readingImina Technologies and point electronic forge exclusive partnership for advanced electrical failure analysis solutions
Imina Technologies, Switzerland, is now the exclusive supplier of Electrical Failure Analysis solutions from point electronic GmbH, Germany.
Continue readingElectronic components can self-assemble using new technique
Researchers from North Carolina State University have developed a new technique for creating simple electronic device components that proved effective in recent tests, indicating that self-assembly for more complex electronics, such as 3D computer chips, could be possible.
Continue readingScalable 3D chips with high-speed interconnections
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a technique to create a multilayered chip with alternating layers of high-quality semiconducting material grown directly on top of one another.
Continue readingA film capacitor that can take the heat
The Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and several collaborating institutions have successfully demonstrated a machine-learning technique to accelerate discovery of materials for film capacitors and used it to screen a library of nearly 50,000 chemical structures to identify and synthesize a compound with record-breaking performance.
Continue readingFailure and collapse of the Arecibo Observatory telescope assessed by new report
A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Washington, D.C., analyzes the causes of the 2020 collapse of the National Science Foundation’s telescope at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, where NSF maintained research operations for its National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center, and draws lessons learned for other unique, critical science facilities.
Continue readingNanoscale transistors could enable more efficient electronics
In order to overcome a fundamental limit of silicon semiconductor technology that prevents transistors from operating below a certain voltage, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers fabricated a different type of three-dimensional transistor using a unique set of ultrathin semiconductor materials.
Continue readingRelease of the Xtrology fully automated thin film inspection system
HORIBA STEC, Co., Ltd., Japan, released the fully automated thin film inspection system, Xtrology, that combines spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence sensors making it possible to perform important inspections, such as film thickness measurement, defect analysis, and composition analysis of various wafers with a single instrument.
Continue readingScientists gain insight into the material defects that cause errors in quantum computing
A team of researchers at Ames National Laboratory, Ames, Iowa, has made significant progress in understanding how surface oxides, a primary cause of decoherence in quantum circuits, can improve the performance of quantum computing circuits.
Continue readingNew material to make next generation of electronics faster and more efficient
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have achieved a new artificially designed material that allows electrons to move faster while remaining transparent to both visible and ultraviolet light, breaking the previous record and being pivotal in making the next generation of high-power electronics faster, transparent and more efficient.
Continue readingFaraday enhances 3D-IC design service with Ansys multiphysics analysis
Faraday Technology Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a leading application specific integrated circuits (ASIC) design service and IP provider, is expanding its use of Ansys technology to enhance its capabilities in developing advanced designs for multi-die 2.5D/3D-ICs — critical for artificial intelligence (AI), IoT, and 5G applications. With support from Ansys, Faraday will empower its customers to explore more robust design options for more innovative products.
Faraday recently announced a 2.5D/3D-IC advanced package service to address exploding demand for multi-die designs that target products with better performance and lower power consumption. To meet this demand, engineers need the right multiphysics analysis tools to verify that chip designs include reliable signal and structural integrity and reliable power distribution before it goes to fabrication. This challenge is compounded by the trend toward developing denser chips that are more vulnerable to EM issues.
Adding RaptorX into the design flow will enable Faraday to increase precision and efficiency in its development process. Moreover, it enables predictively accurate EM modeling and analysis for advanced 3D-IC products, ensuring data transfer meets stringent modern standards. This will improve the design’s fidelity, enhance performance and reliability, and accelerate time-to-market.
“Our extensive silicon IP allows our customers to start designing from a solid foundation, enabling them to focus solely on innovation and differentiating themselves in the market,” said C.H. Chien, vice president of R&D at Faraday. “Fabrication is exceptionally expensive and there is no room for error. So, keeping the overall project cost low is paramount, and it starts with the initial design. With the addition of RaptorX in this phase, we can offer customers an efficient workflow that includes design verification and signoff as well as access to top-tier test and fabrication services, removing doubts about the chip’s performance and longevity.”
“Ansys’ focus on multiphysics platforms enables innovators like Faraday to address key challenges for 3D-IC and accelerate their time-to-market,” said John Lee, vice president and general manager of the semiconductor, electronics, and optics business unit at Ansys. “Our industry-leading tools facilitate meticulous modeling and analysis of electromagnetic phenomena, helping our customers remain at the forefront of technological advancements in 5G, AI, and IoT.”
Image – EMag extraction of an interposer lane, including 48 signals in the presence of their respective VDD/VSS network and indicative simulation results, and S-Parameter analysis and transient (eye diagram) analysis of a signal line.
For more information:
Ansys
Faraday Technology Corporation
Water-free manufacturing approach could advance 2D electronics integration
A team of academic and enterprise researchers at Penn State has developed a synthesis process to produce a “rust-resistant” coating with additional properties ideal for creating faster, more durable electronics.
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