The Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC), Research Triangle Park, N.C.; and the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC), Abu Dhabi, have launched the ATIC-SRC Center of Excellence for Energy Efficient Electronic Systems (ACE4S). ATIC will dedicate over $4.7 million to the project over the next three years, which will be matched collectively by Masdar Institute and Khalifa University for a total budget of more than $9 million.
GreenCentre Canada spins off company to commercialize atomic layer metal deposition for interconnects
GreenCentre Canada, Kingston, Ontario, has recently incorporated its third spinoff company, Precision Molecular Design Corp., to commercialize a metal deposition technology that allows manufacturers to generate circuit interconnects in successive layers one atom at a time. This will allow the semiconductor industry to develop the next generation of smaller microchips that can be produced with less waste and lower power consumption.
Zeiss photomask repair tool automatically repairs transparent and opaque defects
The Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology division of Zeiss, Germany, offers MeRiT HR II, a photomask repair tool with a significantly higher degree of automation and increased flexibility in the repair of transparent and opaque defects. After a short setup routine, the tool is able to seamlessly repair numerous defects without the need for human interaction. In case of any doubt, a security interlock consults the operator, who can intervene when necessary.
ATI extends aerospace titanium products supply agreement with Boeing
Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, has extended its long-term titanium products supply agreement with the Boeing Co. It covers value-added titanium mill products and provides opportunity for greater use of ATI’s next-generation and advanced titanium alloys in both long product and flat-rolled product forms. For example, ATI 425 titanium alloy is a continuously processed alpha+beta alloy with strength comparable to Ti 6-4 and improved formability.
Spherical gold nanoparticles embedded in polyurethane make flexible conductors
Engineers at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, have made extremely flexible electrical conductors by embedding networks of spherical gold nanoparticles in polyurethane. To find out what happened as the material stretched, the team took state-of-the-art electron microscope images of the materials at various tensions. The nanoparticles started out dispersed, but under strain, they could filter through the minuscule gaps in the polyurethane, connecting in chains as they would in a solution.