Articles tagged with Semiconductors
The microchip industry is struggling to achieve precise timing as device dimensions and tolerances continue to shrink. To address this issue, NIST is supporting the development of time synchronization standards in collaboration with International SEMATECH's e-Manufacturing initiatives.
Researchers at NIST have developed a method to grow well-formed, single-crystal zinc oxide nanowires with precise alignments using gold nanoparticles as anchors. The technique produces horizontal semiconductor wires only 3 nanometers in diameter, overcoming the challenge of working with atomic-scale components.
Scientists have successfully slowed down the group velocity of light in semiconductors, achieving speeds of about 6 miles per second. This breakthrough could lead to faster optical networks and higher performance communications, enabling applications like 3-D graphics transmission and high-resolution video conferencing.
T.P. Ma, a Yale University professor, is honored with the 2005 IEEE Andrew S. Grove Award for his groundbreaking research on complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) gate dielectrics. His work has focused on microelectronics, semiconductors, and memory applications.
RIT's NanoPower lab has secured a three-year project to improve the efficiency of alpha voltaic batteries for miniature military devices. The team, led by Ryne Raffaelle, will use nanotechnology materials to protect semiconductors from radiation damage.
Researchers have developed a simpler design for x-ray detectors that offers 30 times better energy resolution than existing detectors, enabling more accurate identification of elements. The new design combines normal and superconducting metals into one layer, reducing fabrication steps and increasing sensor stability.
Researchers have discovered a new class of water-soluble gold quantum dots with discrete excitation and emission spectra, making them potentially useful for biological labeling. The nanodots exhibit bright fluorescence and high fluorescence quantum yields, with controlled size-tunable emissions.
Rensselaer researchers have developed an omni-directional reflector (ODR) that enhances LED brightness, accelerating the replacement of conventional lighting. The new technology has significant implications for energy savings and reducing mercury exposure, which can cause health problems.
The university's new Laboratory for Quantum Control will enable original experiments at an internationally competitive level, focusing on controlling atoms and molecules using ultrashort light pulses. The lab aims to lead to increased computer capability, improved optical-fiber communications, and new forms of electronics.
The von Liebig Center has awarded six grants totaling $1.2 million to UC San Diego engineers to commercialize cutting-edge technologies. These projects focus on improving cell phone camera capabilities, developing a video instant-messaging system for emergency responders, and enhancing solar energy efficiency.
A new class of semiconductors has been developed that can efficiently convert waste heat into electricity, with potential applications in shipboard steam plants and land vehicles. The material, called LAST, uses nanostructures to impede heat flow and introduce internal boundaries, increasing its efficiency.
The new software equips SEMs with a model library of possible line measurements, enabling accurate determination of circuit feature shapes and sizes. This reduces measurement errors from tens of nanometers to just a few nanometers, increasing reliability and efficiency in semiconductor manufacturing.
Researchers have discovered a way to harness biomolecular mechanisms in marine sponges to produce semiconductors and photovoltaic materials. The discovery represents a low-temperature, environmentally friendly route to nanostructural fabrication of valuable materials.
By embedding a two-dimensional photonic crystal into the top face of a VCSEL, researchers can accurately design and control the device's mode characteristics. The technology has the potential to push VCSEL performance toward higher power and enable mass-produced devices for high-speed data communication.
Scientists have found that bacteria can produce uniform nanospheres of selenium with vastly different properties from conventional selenium. These findings could lead to the production of smaller, faster semiconductors and other electronic devices.
Researchers have demonstrated that molecular memories are both durable and practical, with test results showing they can survive high temperatures and up to 1 trillion operational cycles. This finding could spur development of molecule-based memory devices, promising smaller, faster, and more powerful computers.
Researchers have viewed an unprecedentedly perfect interface between layers of semiconductor materials germanium and silicon dioxide. This 'atomically sharp' interface could be used to boost the speed of computer chips. The discovery may aid in the design of other devices, including medical implants.
Researchers successfully adapted small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) to rapidly characterize nanometer-scale grid-like patterns in chip circuitry. The technique offers better than one nanometer precision and could be an able substitute for current dimensional measurement tools.
The study finds that the shape of a semiconductor nanocrystal can significantly impact its electronic and optical properties. The researchers developed a novel synthesis method to create indium phosphide nanowires with controlled diameters, allowing them to investigate the effect of two-dimensional vs. three-dimensional confinement.
Researchers developed a new method combining atomic force and scanning capacitance microscopes to measure semiconductor switching speeds, enabling quick scanning of wafers for defects. This technique has the potential to determine if missing atoms in semiconductors slow down electrical charge movement.
Michael Hsiao is developing graph-theoretic algorithms to reduce chip verification time, which could decrease costs and improve accuracy. His tools will be useful for the entire semiconductor industry, addressing the increasing complexity of modern chips.
UCSD graduate student Vincent Leung designed a revolutionary Ultra-Low-Power SiGe BiCMOS Transmitter IC for 3G W-CDMA mobile phones. The innovative chip reduces power consumption by utilizing a smart, adaptive bias scheme and high-speed digital logic.
The Purdue team has found a way to connect the interior of a computer with the biological world by using nanoparticles as a bridge. This technology could lead to advances in detecting biohazards such as bacteria, nerve gas, or other chemical agents.
Researchers have developed thin layer silicon with improved lattice vibrational frequency, leading to a 30% increase in thermal conductivity. This breakthrough enables faster charging and more efficient heat conduction in digital semiconductor devices.
Researchers at Oregon State University have made a breakthrough in creating crystalline thin films at lower temperatures without the need for vacuum conditions. This advance could enable the mass production of electronic devices on plastics and facilitate cheaper production of some products.
Michael Shur, a renowned researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, has been awarded the prestigious Humboldt Award for his outstanding contributions to novel semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. With over 700 technical publications and 25 patents, Shur is recognized internationally in his field.
A recent study by Ohio State University researchers found that semiconductor companies can improve their technological performance through outsourcing, but only under specific circumstances. The study identified critical characteristics of the end-product and production process that predict successful outsourcing outcomes.
Scientists will study the properties of materials in low-gravity conditions to improve industry's high-tech products. Bubbles trapped in solid samples can cause internal cracks, diminishing a material's strength.
T. Don Tilley receives the 2002 Award in Organometallic Chemistry for developing new ways to make chemicals, including flexible semiconductors and reactive building blocks. His research aims to improve semiconductor materials and create new properties through polysilene technology.
A new method for producing ultraviolet (UV) light has been patented by Rutgers researchers, providing a more energy-efficient source with higher power and lower maintenance. The technology has broad industrial and commercial applications in the semiconductor, printing, and lighting industries.
Patricia B. Smith has developed a hydrogen-based plasma process that effectively removes residues from pure copper interconnected layers, enabling the manufacture of state-of-the-art semiconductor devices. This breakthrough technology will also be used for future generations of smaller device technologies.
The UC-SMART program is allocating $1.5 million over four years to support cutting-edge semiconductor research at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Researchers will focus on developing novel materials and devices for optical and electronic applications, including organic chromophores, nanoparticle patterning, self-assembled ...
Arthur Gossard, a professor at UCSB, has received the James C. McGroddy Prize for his contributions to molecular beam epitaxy, a key technology for compound semiconductors used in wireless and fiber-optic devices. The prize honors his work on device applications and physical understanding of low-dimensional structures.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a technique to grow pure, defect-free single crystals of almost any material on any substrate by bonding thin films at a misaligned angle. The new method has the potential to revolutionize electronics manufacturing by overcoming current limitations.
A Dartmouth physicist has discovered that applying a small electric voltage across an ice-metal interface can break the bond between ice and metal surfaces, potentially preventing or reducing icing on airplane wings. The effect of the voltage can be reversed to increase ice adhesion, which could improve traction on icy roads.
Scientists at the Weizmann Institute successfully created uniformly oriented crystals of varying sizes by fine-tuning the small remaining mismatch between two materials. The method, using a technique called electrodeposition, holds promise for developing tiny semiconductors with new optoelectronic properties.
UB physicists have developed the first single-crystal, semiconducting nanomaterials that can bend without breaking. The new semiconductors retain structural integrity and optical properties, making them suitable for future advances in optical computing.