Bone is a composite of collagen protein and hydroxyapatite, but little is known about this structure or the mechanism at the molecular scale. In the lab, MIT created three synthetic composite materials. The first material, which simulates the mechanical properties of bone and nacre, consists of a soft black polymer and a stiff blue polymer.

Another polymer material simulates the mineral calcite. Researchers used computer-optimized designs of the polymers placed in geometric patterns. Using a 3D printer that prints with two polymers at once, MIT produced samples of synthetic materials that are similar to bone and are several times more fracture-resistant than its strongest constituent material.

MIT perform full-atomistic calculations of the 3D molecular structure of a mineralized collagen protein matrix. “The geometric patterns we used in the synthetic materials are based on those seen in natural materials like bone or nacre, but also include new designs that do not exist in nature,” said Markus Buehler, associate professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, on MIT’s Web site.

Roll-To-Roll DSA
IBM, Brookhaven National Laboratory, the University of Arkansas and the University of Akron have devised a new directed self-assembly (DSA) technology that enables a new class of films. The films can be embedded with nanoparticles for use in various applications.

For example, a film could be coated on a window, which in turn absorbs harmful ultraviolet rays and then uses them to generate electricity. In another example, a film could be used in a filtration system that blocks viruses and other microorganisms in water. In addition, a coating can be applied to an electric car battery, which gives it a longer life between charges.

In DSA, the key enabler is a block copolymer (BCP) material. Researchers have devised a DSA method to fabricate uni-directional BCP nanopatterns at large scale and on rigid or flexible template-free substrates using a roll-to-roll fabrication technique.

In this process, nearly 100% of the sub-100nm BCPs are arranged in a vertical cylindrical format. The custom-built, roll-to-roll prototype system is a 70- x 1-foot platform moving at 25μm/s. The process also includes nine cold zone annealing-sharp (CZA-S) steps. Researchers fabricated high-density, silicon-oxide nanodot arrays from this process.

“We revived the technology and made it scalable, opening opportunities for full-scale manufacturing,” said Alamgir Karim, associate dean of research for the college and Goodyear Chair Professor of Polymer Engineering, on the University of Akron’s Web site. “The process should be of interest to a broad range of industries. Manufacturing of these nanostructures can be done on industrial platforms such as UA’s roll-to-roll manufacturing at relatively high speeds not possible previously.”

Sugar Chips
Organic semiconductors are electronic materials with conductive properties. Using printing and other techniques, organic semiconductors are used to make chips, LEDs and solar cells.

The University of California at Santa Barbara has developed a new method of controlling the yields and crystallization of organic semiconductors using a low-cost, sugar-based additive.

Optical microscopy image of a layer of PCBM, a fullerene used in solar cells first synthesized at UC Santa Barbara by Fred Wudl, with (small) and without (large) the nucleating agent. The small domains form in the presence of the nucleating agent, demonstrating the new ability to control the size of crystallites of PCBM. Credit: UCSB

Researchers have developed an additive, namely a nucleating agent. UC Santa Barbara demonstrated that small amounts of nucleating agents can be used to manipulate the solidification kinetics of a wide range of organic semiconductors. For example, researchers added a nucleating agent to triisopropyl-silylethynyl (TIPS) pentacene, a molecular semiconductor used to make printable transistors for flexible flat-panel displays. In the experiment, the transistors could be produced in high yields by inkjet printing. Without the agent, it is difficult to form continuous films.

The additives regulate the solidification process of semi-crystalline polymer solids. Nucleating agents thus make possible the fabrication of thin-film transistors with uniform electrical characteristics at high yield.

“We have developed a new method to utilize low-cost, environmentally friendly materials from the commodity chemical industry to control the performance of organic semiconductors,” said Michael Chabinyc, associate professor of materials, on the university’s Web site. “The electrical properties of organic semiconductors depend critically on the way in which molecules pack together—the crystallinity. Gaining ways to control the crystallinity simply broadens the range of options for manufacturing.”

—Mark LaPedus

Has the game console industry lost its luster? In a research note after attending the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Evan Wilson, an analyst with Pacific Crest Securities, said: “Unfortunately, we came away without the ‘wow’ factor that many expected from next-generation consoles. We now think this cycle may be the first down cycle for hardware. We believe this is due to: (1) the continued lack of excitement for the Wii U, (2) the lack of compelling non-game functions from Sony and Microsoft, (3) Xbox One pricing and used restrictions, (4) what seems like a light launch slate for both systems so far and (5) competition from other devices.”

It’s déjà vu all over again, as Advanced Micro Devices has entered into what could be the start of a new GHz microprocessor speed race. AMD unveiled the most powerful member of its FX family of CPUs, the world’s first 5GHz CPU processor, the AMD FX-9590. The 8-core CPU is made using GlobalFoundries’ 32nm process and Soitec’s silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates.

Altatech, a subsidiary of Soitec, has installed and qualified an AltaCVD system at the Fraunhofer Research Institution. It will be used to deposit poly-silicon films for CMOS and MEMS applications.

Khaled Juffali Co. (KJC), a Saudi Arabian investment company, and Soitec have announced that the Saudi Arabian Oil Co. (Saudi Aramco) has decided to use Soitec’s concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) technology for a 1-megawatt solar-energy pilot plant in Saudi Arabia’s northwestern Tabuk region.

Maxwell Technologies and Soitec announced that they will collaborate on a California Energy Commission-funded, two-phase program to demonstrate the cost and efficiency benefits of combining an energy storage system with Soitec’s Concentrix CPV technology.

Soitec has installed a concentrator photovoltaic demonstration plant in the isolated rural village of Usib near Rehoboth in central Namibia.

SEMI reported that worldwide semiconductor manufacturing equipment billings reached $7.31 billion in the first quarter of 2013. The billings figure is 8% higher than the fourth quarter of 2012 and 32% lower than the same quarter a year ago.

Cadence has completed the acquisition of the IP business of Evatronix.

SilabTech has succeeded using the Mentor Graphics’ Pyxis, Eldo, and Calibre tools for custom layout, extraction, simulation, physical verification, and DFM analysis.

UMC will join the IBM Technology Development Alliances as a participant in the group’s development of 10nm CMOS process technology. The agreements between UMC and IBM expand upon their 2012 agreements concerning prior nodes, including 14nm FinFET.

Texas Instruments outlined its long-term strategy for manufacturing facilities in Chengdu, China. Future plans include a new assembly/test operation and the expansion of its existing wafer fabrication factory. TI’s investments in these operations could total up to $1.69 billion over the next 15 years.

Air Liquide has signed an agreement to acquire Voltaix. Founded in 1986, Voltaix is a manufacturer of materials used in the production of semiconductors and advanced solar cells.

Sematech announced that William Rozich has assumed the role of chairman. Rozich, who previously was a member of the company’s board, succeeds Michael Polcari, who served as chairman since 2009.

With both companies just shy of the $800 million mark, Bosch and STMicroelectronics each had MEMS revenue of approximately $793 million in 2012, according to IHS.

Surging smartphone shipments coupled with sluggish notebook computer sales are forecast to propel the total communications IC market past the total computer IC market for the first time in history this year, according to IC Insights.

Japan likewise saw a huge drop, 45%, while sales in China were down 23%, and in Europe the numbers were negative 54%.

In comparison to Q4 of 2012, the numbers looked far less dire. On a sequential quarterly basis, only North America and Europe showed double-digit drops, 21% and 26% respectively, while Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China all reported spending increases.

The goal is to make flexible circuit boards that can be integrated into artificial skin. EPFL is looking at ways to build circuits using elastomeric foams, which are used in packaging materials, shoes, mattresses and bandages.

Using foam substrates, EPFL scientists were able to make a flexible electronic circuit board. This discovery could lead to the creation of deformable and stretchable circuits. Source: EPFL

Researchers placed a metallic film on a polyurethane foam substrate. The foam substrate can be stretched without disrupting the electrical properties. The open-cell foam structure shows highly anisotropic mechanical properties within the top.

Upon stretching, large strain fields inducing cracks and folds localize above the foam cells, while the surrounding cell ligaments remain almost strain-free, enabling stable electrical conduction in the metallic coating. “Our measurements showed that we could achieve a level of elasticity over 100% without disrupting the network. These metallic pathways built upon foam could thus be used as electrodes, sensors or interconnections for the electronic skin that we’re developing,” said Stéphanie Lacour, professor of the Bertarelli Foundation Chair at EPFL, on the entity’s Web site.

“Up to now, to find an appropriate substrate, we mainly worked on full and uniform elastomers. Now, we’re exploring new kinds of flexible, but heterogeneous, substrates in the form of foams. A more or less dense network of air bubbles inserted in an elastic matrix lets us modulate the elasticity of the substrate,” she added.

Hydrogel Batteries
For now, Moore’s Law remains alive and well in chip scaling. But one area continues to fall behind the curve—battery technology.

Carbon and silicon have a high-specific capacity as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. But with silicon, there has been much research on overcoming the poor cycling stability issue associated with the large volume changes during charging and discharging processes.

Stanford University has devised an electrode made of silicon and a conducting polymer hydrogel. Hydrogel is a spongy substance used in contact lenses and other products. The hydrogel is polymerized in-situ, resulting in a 3D network structure consisting of silicon nanoparticles coated by the conducting polymer.

An illustration of a new battery electrode made from a composite of hydrogel and silicon nanoparticles (Si NP). Each Si NP is encapsulated in a conductive polymer surface coating and connected to a three-dimensional hydrogel framework. Source: Stanford University.

With this anode, researchers have demonstrated a cycle life of 5,000 cycles with over 90% capacity retention at current density of 6.0 A g−1. “We’ve been trying to develop silicon-based electrodes for high-capacity lithium-ion batteries for several years,” said Yi Cui, associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford, on the university’s Web site. “Silicon has 10 times the charge storage capacity of carbon, the conventional material used in lithium-ion electrodes. The problem is that silicon expands and breaks.”

Stanford discovered that the porous hydrogel matrix is riddled with empty spaces. This allows the silicon nanoparticles to expand when lithium is inserted. “It turns out that hydrogel has binding sites that latch onto silicon particles really well and at the same time provide channels for the fast transport of electrons and lithium ions,” Cui said. “That makes a very powerful combination.”

Nanotube Catalysts
Los Alamos National Laboratory has designed a new type of carbon nanotube catalyst, a technology that could pave the way for more efficient batteries and alkaline fuel cells.

Researchers have devised a nitrogen-doped carbon-nanotube catalyst. It has a high oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity, which is critical for efficient storage of electrical energy.

The electrocatalyst has been obtained from iron acetate as an iron precursor and from cyanamide as a nitrogen and carbon nanotube precursor. This has been accomplished in a scalable and single-step method.

The catalyst outperforms the most active platinum-based catalysts. The new catalyst doesn’t use precious metals such as platinum, which is more expensive per ounce than gold. It also doesn’t require the toxic and costly processing associated in catalytic use.

A high-resolution microscopic image of a new type of nanostructured-carbon-based catalyst developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory that could pave the way for reliable, economical next-generation batteries and alkaline fuel cells. (Photo credit: Los Alamos National Laboratory)

“These findings could help forge a path between nanostructured-carbon-based materials and alkaline fuel cells, metal-air batteries and certain electrolyzers,” said Piotr Zelenay, a researcher at Los Alamos National Laboratory, on the agency’s Web site. “A lithium-air secondary battery, potentially the most-promising metal-air battery known, has an energy storage potential that is 10 times greater than a state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery. Consequently, the new catalyst makes possible the creation of economical lithium-air batteries that could power electric vehicles, or provide efficient, reliable energy storage for intermittent sources of green energy, such as windmills or solar panels.”

—Mark LaPedus

European Commission vice president Neelie Kroes is determined to improve Europe’s semiconductor manufacturing landscape: 10 billion euros is on the table, and the industry has promised to invest another 100 billion euros, according to SEMI.

450mm standardization efforts have grown rapidly. As of May 2013, 15 450mm-related standards from SEMI have been published.

AMD officially announced its Elite A-Series Accelerated Processing Unit (APU) processors. Codenamed Richland, the chips are based on a 32nm SOI process and made on a foundry basis by GlobalFoundries.

GlobalFoundries announced new power, performance and cost-optimized technology offerings for the ARM Cortex-A12 and Cortex-A7 processors.

Fabless ASIC vendor eSilicon and GlobalFoundries have teamed up to deliver QuickLogic‘s family of display bridges.

Mentor Graphics announced that its Calibre tools for Samsung’s 14nm IC manufacturing processes have been significantly improved since first release.

Freescale Semiconductor has selected Mentor as a partner in the silicon test, yield analysis, physical verification and DFM technology areas.

An executive from SEMI wrote a blog about SEMI’s 4th edition of the ITRPV, the International Technology Roadmap for Photovoltaics, to highlight the importance of establishing an industry direction for R&D and planning.

Dean Kamen, a pioneering technologist, has been named the 10th recipient of the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award.

At Computex, Intel detailed the progress toward the company’s vision to integrate human-like sensing technology into devices. To help realize this vision, Intel Capital announced a $100-million investment fund to accelerate the development of software and applications.

Microchip has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Novocell, a supplier of nonvolatile memory IP solutions.

Silicon Labs has signed a definitive agreement to acquire  Energy Micro. Based in Oslo, Norway, the company offers a portfolio of 32-bit microcontrollers (MCUs) and is developing multi-protocol wireless RF solutions based on ARM.

The World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) has released its updated semiconductor market forecast. The world semiconductor market in 2013 will be $298 billion, up 2.1% from 2012. Worldwide semiconductor market is forecasted to be up 5.1% to $313 billion in 2014, surpassing a historical high in 2011 of $300 billion.

According to IDC, smartphone shipments are expected to grow 32.7% year over year in 2013 to 958.8 million units, up from 722.5 million units last year. 2013 will mark the first year that smartphone shipments surpass those of feature phones.

PlayStation 4 and Xbox One will reinvigorate the TV game console market in 2014. However, the market is projected to remain in a downturn in 2013, according to Strategy Analytics.

Overcapacity and poor margins have bankrupted a multitude of solar suppliers and forced corporate investors out of the market over the past two years. However, Lux Research predicts the industry is poised to recover.

One day in the future, you may be sitting at a table. Then, a robot will approach the table and pour you a drink in a cup. Today, the robot would likely miss or pour a drink into a cup that isn’t there.

Cornell, however, has devised a robot that can foresee human action and adjust accordingly. From a database of 120 3D videos of people performing various household activities, Cornell’s robot has been trained to identify human activities. In a video, for example, the robot can pour a beer into a cup—without missing.

The robot tracks the movements of the body by reducing them to a symbolic skeleton. Then, it breaks those down into sub-activities like reaching, carrying, pouring or drinking. In tests, the robot made correct predictions 82% of the time when looking one second into the future, 71% correct for three seconds and 57% correct for 10 seconds.

“Even though humans are predictable, they are only predictable part of the time,” said Ashutosh Saxena, assistant professor of computer science, on Cornell’s Web site. “The future would be to figure out how the robot plans its action.  Right now we are almost hard-coding the responses, but there should be a way for the robot to learn how to respond.”

Medical tricorders

Startup Scanadu is one step closer to bringing the first “medical tricorder” to life. In the fictional Star Trek TV program and movies, a tricorder is a multifunction hand-held device. For its part, Scanadu has updated its Scout and ScanaFlo line of so-called “doctor-in-a-pocket” products.

The company’s Scout is a small, vital sign monitor that analyzes, tracks, and trends one’s vitals, such as temperature, respiratory rate, oximetry, ECG, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and stress, in 10 seconds.

It is an affordable device that puts vital health information at your fingertips. Scanadu has made some key changes to the design. It is now circular in shape, with the sensors built into the front of the device. Scanadu has added more horsepower to the device, taking it from an 8-bit  to a 32-bit processor. The new device is built on Micrium, NASA’s real-time operation system for SAM (Sample Analysis at Mars) on the Rover Curiosity.

The company also announced updates to ScanaFlo, a low-cost tool that uses the smartphone as a urine analysis reader. It consists of a small white, disposable “paddle” with multi-colored test strips and a QR code built into the device. It tests for levels of glucose, protein, leukocytes, nitrates, blood, bilirubin, urobilinogen, specific gravity, and pH in urine. It will also test for pregnancy.

Scanadu has received its first batch of 6,000 paddles and is ready to begin clinical trials. The company anticipates submitting an application to the FDA in the beginning of July 2013. “Today’s urine tests are really hard to use and the results are not easy to interpret,” said Aaron Rowe, research director at Scanadu, on the company’s site. “ScanaFlo will make it simple for pregnant women to monitor themselves for complications between appointments with their doctor.”

Scanadu will offer an early bird special of $149 for Scout to the first 1,000 participants. Additional units will be made available at the anticipated retail price of $199. Additionally, two ScanaFlo paddles will be included with each Scout, which is expected to ship in Q1 2014.

Printing better electronics

The U.S. Department of Energy’s SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have developed a process for printing organic electronic devices.  The technology, called fluid-enhanced crystal engineering (FLUENCE), enables thin films capable of conducting electricity 10 times more efficiently than those created using conventional methods.

Organic electronics have promise for a variety of applications, such as solar cells, flexible electronic displays and tiny sensors. The trouble is the technology falls short in how well they conduct electrical current. The rapid coating speed needed for production also poses challenges to the control of thin-film morphology.

Using FLUENCE, however, researchers have been able to achieve a high degree of morphological control of solution-printed thin films. To do so, researchers designed a micropillar-patterned printing blade to induce recirculation in the ink for enhancing crystal growth. The pillars are 35- by 42-mm. Researchers also engineered the curvature of the ink meniscus to control crystal nucleation.

Researchers, in turn, have demonstrated the fast coating and patterning of millimeter-wide, centimeter-long and aligned single-crystalline organic semiconductor thin films. In particular, SLAC and Stanford fabricated thin films of 6,13-bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl) pentacene having non-equilibrium single-crystalline domains and with maximum mobilities.

X-ray studies of the group’s organic semiconductors at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource (SSRL) showed arranged crystals at least 10 times longer than crystals created with other solution-based techniques. “Even better, most of the concepts behind FLUENCE can scale up to meet industry requirements,” said Ying Diao, a SLAC/Stanford researcher, on SLAC’s Web site.

–By Mark LaPedus

Minera El Tesoro (MET), part of one of the largest mining groups in Chile, has built the first pilot plant in South America with Soitec’s Solar technology, installing four of its concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems.

At the Cowen & Co. technology event, Bob Halliday, CFO of Applied Materials, addressed the state of the semiconductor and equipment industries. He also outlined Applied’s prospects for the year.

The World Semiconductor Council wants to expand the scope of the Information Technology Agreement (ITA), a key trade pact that provides for duty-free treatment of certain information technology products, including semiconductors. The list of covered products has not been updated since ITA’s inception in 1996. The WSC cited two such semiconductor products that should be covered by an expanded ITA—multi-component integrated circuits and multi-chip packages (MCP). Inclusion of these devices in an expanded ITA would result in estimated global tariff savings of between $94 million and $188 million annually. In a statement, Ajit Manocha, SIA chairman and CEO of GlobalFoundries, said: “The consensus reached in the 2013 WSC Joint statement represents a significant step toward enacting sound policies that will open markets, increase consumers’ ability to benefit from semiconductor technology advances, maintain market-based competition, and protect the environment.”

At the 50th Design Automation Conference (DAC) in Austin, Texas, GlobalFoundries will unveil a comprehensive set of certified design flows to support its advanced processes. It will also unveil a set of certified design flows to support 2.5D IC product development.

Mentor Graphics has collaborated with GlobalFoundries to deliver 20nm design kits for the Olympus-SoC netlist-to-GDS platform.  In addition, Mentor Graphics announced that its Calibre physical verification platform has achieved version 0.1 of design reference manual (DRM) and SPICE model tool certification for TSMC’s finFET process. And, Mentor Graphics announced the application of its Capital software suite to the development of CaetanoBus’ flagship C5 coach.

Andras Poppe of Mentor Graphics and the Budapest University of Technology has been recognized by the JEDEC international standards organization for his contributions to the JESD51-5x series of thermal testing standards for LEDs.

Cadence announced that several of its system-on-chip development tools have achieved version 0.1 of design rule manual (DRM) and SPICE model tool certification for TSMC’s 16nm finFET process.  In addition, PMC has adopted Cadence’s physical verification system as signoff technology for its global design centers.

The Silicon Integration Initiative (Si2) has acquired the Compact Model Council (CMC). The CMC develops and standardizes compact models of electronic devices used within commercial circuit simulators across the electronics industry, including virtually all SPICE-class simulation.

PMC-Sierra has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Integrated Device Technology’s enterprise flash controller business and certain PCI Express (PCIe) switch assets for $100 million.

Using IC Insights’ current worldwide GDP forecast of 3.0%, the most likely range for IC market growth in 2013 is still 3-7%.

In February, Semiconductor Intelligence forecasted 7.5% growth in the semiconductor market in 2013 and 12% growth in 2014. Although 1Q 2013 was weaker than expected, the general trends driving moderate growth are still in place. Still, the research firm has lowered its IC forecast for 2013 to 6%. It is still holding the 2014 forecast at 12% based on continued improvement in the global economy.

“The advantage of flying robots in this field compared to ground-based robots is that their locomotion does not depend on the topology of the ground. It is thus advantageous to use flying robots in such applications or hybrid robots capable of ground and air locomotion,” according to a paper from the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL).

But hovering robots have limited flight times and tend to crash into objects. EPFL has put a new twist to its flying robot technology, dubbed AirBurr V11. The flying robot is able to attach to a wall using a deployable perching mechanism with gecko-like adhesives.

Last year, EPFL unveiled the AirBurr project, a new class of flying robots. The initial AirBurr robot is based on a central vertical fuselage topped with two main motors. The center of the fuselage contains the control electronics and the battery.

Instead of using traditional sensors, AirBurr uses MEMS-based inertial sensors, such as accelerometers and gyroscopes, for attitude estimation, coupled with optic-flow sensors for ego-motion estimation.

Few flying robots have perching capabilities. EPLF has devised a compliant, deployable pad and a passive self-alignment system, which does not require any active control during the attachment process. A perching mechanism using fiber-based dry adhesives was implemented on AirBurr. For its experiments, the organization used a polyurethane elastomer (ST-1060 A/B) with a hardness of 60 Shore A and a density of 1.05g=cm3.

Ghostly 3D Images
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has demonstrated a new type of lens that bends and focuses ultraviolet (UV) light. The images resemble ghostly, 3D-based objects. The lens could lead to improved photolithography, nanoscale manipulation and 3D imaging.

The new lens is based on a flat slab of metamaterial with special characteristics. It causes light to flow backward, creating a negative refractive index.

A NIST team has created an ultraviolet (UV) metamaterial formed of alternating nanolayers of silver (green) and titanium dioxide (blue). The metamaterial has an angle-independent negative refractive index, enabling it to act as a flat lens. When illuminated with UV light (purple) a sample object of any shape placed on the flat slab of metamaterial is projected as a three-dimensional image in free space on the other side of the slab. Here a ring-shaped opening in an opaque sheet on the left of the slab is replicated in light on the right. Bottom left: Scanning electron micrograph of a ring-shaped opening in a chromium sheet located on the surface of a flat slab of metamaterial. Bottom right: Optical micrograph of the image projected beyond the slab under UV illumination, demonstrating that the metamaterial slab acts as a flat lens.

In 1967, Russian physicist Victor Veselago predicted that a material with simultaneously negative electric and magnetic polarization responses would yield a negative refractive index. Veselago also proposed that a flat slab of left-handed material possessing an isotropic refractive index of −1 could act like an imaging lens in free space.

NIST devised an experimental implementation of a bulk metamaterial with a left-handed response to UV light. The UV metamaterial is based on alternating nanolayers of silver and titanium dioxide. The structure is built on stacked plasmonic waveguides. It yields an omnidirectional left-handed response for transverse magnetic polarization characterized by a negative refractive index.

By engineering the structure to have a refractive index close to −1 over a broad angular range, NIST achieved so-called Veselago flat lensing in free space. “Conventional lenses only capture two dimensions of a three-dimensional object,” said NIST’s Ting Xu, on the agency’s Web site. “Our flat lens is able to project three-dimensional images of three-dimensional objects that correspond one-to-one with the imaged object.”

Henri Lezec of NIST added: “Our lens will offer other researchers greater flexibility for manipulating UV light at small length scales. With its high photon energies, UV light has a myriad of applications, including photochemistry, fluorescence microscopy and semiconductor manufacturing. That, and the fact that our lens is so easy to make, should encourage other researchers to explore its possibilities.”

Nanorod Scaling
Nanorods are promising nanoscale objects that can be used in energy harvesting, medical applications, microelectronics and LEDs.

The ability to scale nanorods and duplicate the process is a challenge. Using physical vapor deposition (PVD), the University of Connecticut has demonstrated the ability to grow noble-metal nanorods down to 10nm. Until now, the ability to determine the diameter for nanorods have been theoretically unknown.

For years, it was believed that single-layer surface steps were the best way to enable nanorod growth because of the stability of the process. The University of Connecticut had other ideas, however. Instead, researchers found that multilayer surface steps are more stable.

In addition, PVD provides a controllable means of growing 2D metallic thin films and 1D metallic nanorods. By altering the type of substrate, the deposition angle, and the temperature used in the process, researchers were able to devise 10nm nanorods.

“This really opens the door for a multitude of technologies,” said Hanchen Huang, UConn’s Connecticut Clean Energy Fund Professor in Sustainable Energy, on the university’s Web site. “Without the theoretical framework, we would not have been able to make these small nanorods because we had no scientific guidance. This knowledge should have a major technological impact in electronics, energy, and manufacturing.”

—Mark LaPedus

Intel’s new CEO Brian Krzanich has implemented a sweeping reorganization at the chipmaker, according to Reuters.

ST-Ericsson, the failed cell-phone chip venture between STMicroelectronics and Ericsson, has sold its GPS mobile business to Intel, according to Reuters. “Intel has purchased ST Ericsson’s mobile GPS, called GNSS (or Global Navigation Satellite System) business unit which includes assets and IP associated with the business,” said Doug Freedman, an analyst with RBC Capital Markets. “We believe the acquisition is prudent as Intel is expected to grow its competitive presence in the mobile area, particularly in 2014 when mobile manufacturing is moved to leading-edge 14nm. Note that Intel does offer high-performance LNAs (low-noise amplifiers) using GiSe:C for GPS signals in mobile communications.”

A group of 19 European companies and academic institutions have launched a three-year, 360 million Euro ($464.5 million) pilot-line project to support the industrialization of fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technology. STMicroelectronics and GlobalFoundries will provide the manufacturing capabilities for the program.

Separately, GlobalFoundries also is joining Imec’s advanced MRAM project.

STMicroelectronics said its FD-SOI guru, Jean-Marc Chery, has been appointed general manager of the Embedded Processing Solutions Segment and vice-chairman of the corporate strategic committee. Chery will now be responsible for the digital convergence, imaging, BiCMOS ASIC and silicon photonics, and microcontroller, memory and secure MCU product groups, as well as for the related technology R&D and front-end manufacturing. He was formerly general manager of ST’s Digital Sector and of technology R&D and manufacturing.

Soitec announced the industry’s first four-junction solar cell for concentrator photovoltaic systems. The system has 43.6% efficiency.

North America-based manufacturers of semiconductor equipment posted a book-to-bill ratio of 1.08 in April, down from 1.11 in March, according to SEMI.

Mentor Graphics reported its financial results for the company’s fiscal first quarter ended April 30. “Sales force execution and strong customer demand produced an all-time bookings record for a first quarter,” said Walden Rhines, chairman and CEO of Mentor Graphics.

Mentor Graphics has teamed with OpSIS and Lumerical Solutions to develop a complete EDA-style, full flow process design kit (PDK) for the OpSIS IME (Institute of Microelectronics) silicon photonics process.

In a move to ease and speed the development of complex ICs, Cadence introduced the Tempus Timing Signoff Solution, which significantly speeds up signoff using up to hundreds of processors in parallel.

Look for changes at Tessera Technologies. The chip-packaging IP firm has entered into a settlement agreement with activist firm Starboard Value regarding the composition of the company’s board. The board will consist of 10 directors, including six of Starboard’s nominees and four of Tessera’s nominees.

Now, Starboard Value is looking to gain control of DSP Group. The firm owns approximately 10.1% of DSP Group’s outstanding common stock.

Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) has acquired shares of Wuxi Tongzhi Microelectronics from Toshiba. The move will strengthen ASE’s ability to provide IC assembly and testing services in China.

Worldwide semiconductor revenues decreased by 2.2% to $295 billion in 2012, according to IDC. The firm expects the semiconductor market to return to growth in 2013 with revenues forecast to increase by 3.5% this year.

A slowdown in notebook and desktop PC purchases coupled with strong growth in smartphones and tablet PCs knocked Advanced Micro Devices down to fourth place in microprocessor sales in 2012 from second, according to IC Insights. Moving ahead of AMD in the 2012 microprocessor rankings were Qualcomm and Samsung.

The solar photovoltaic (PV) market is poised to rise from the ashes of its 2011 crisis to grow to $155 billion in 2018, says Lux Research. In the most likely scenario, the PV market will grow at a modest clip to 35 GW in 2013 before rapidly ramping up to 61.7 GW in 2018.

A group of 19 European companies and academic institutions have launched a three-year, 360 million euro ($464.5 million) pilot-line project to support the industrialization of fully-depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technology.

The project, dubbed Places2Be, is led by one of the biggest proponents of FD-SOI–STMicroelectronics. In addition, STMicroelectronics and GlobalFoundries will provide the manufacturing capabilities for the program. Separately, GlobalFoundries is also joining Imec’s advanced MRAM project.

Meanwhile, Places2Be, which stands for “Pilot Lines for Advanced CMOS Enhanced by SOI in 2x nodes, Built in Europe,” is aimed to support the deployment of FD-SOI pilot lines at 28nm and beyond.  It will also drive the creation of a European microelectronics design ecosystem using this FD-SOI platform and explore the path towards the next step for this technology at 14nm and 10nm.

The FD-SOI manufacturing sources for the project are located in two fabs. The first is the pilot line in STMicroelectronics’ Crolles fab, near Grenoble, France. The dual-source is in GlobalFoundries’ fab 1 in Dresden, Germany. STMicroelectronics and IBM are the biggest proponents for FD-SOI. Not long ago, STMicroelectronics signed an FD-SOI foundry deal with GlobalFoundries.

FD-SOI is a low-power, high-performance alternative to conventional bulk silicon and finFET technologies. The first FD-SOI systems-on-chips are expected to be used in consumer electronics, high-performance computing and networking.

The project includes participation of 19 partners from 7 countries, and the planned involvement of about 500 engineers over three years across Europe. Places2Be is the largest ENIAC Joint Undertaking project to date and is supported as well by the National Public Authorities in the participating countries. The ENIAC JU was set up in 2008 and will allocate grants throughout 2013. The projects selected for funding shall be executed till December of 2017. The total value of the R&D activities generated through ENIAC JU is estimated at 3 billion euros ($3.8 billion).

“The Places2Be project will reinforce the ecosystems of both Grenoble and Dresden clusters, while also positively impacting the whole value chain of microelectronics in Europe–large companies, SMEs, start-ups and research organizations–beyond the direct impact induced by the material and IP investments,” said François Finck, director of ST’s R&D cooperative programs and project coordinator, in a statement.

The Places2Be members include ACREO Swedish ICT AB,  Adixen Vacuum Products,  Axiom IC, Bruco Integrated Circuits, Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives, Dolphin Integration,  Ericsson AB, eSilicon Romania S.r.l., Forschungzentrum Jülich Gmbh, GlobalFoundries Dresden, Grenoble INP, IMEC,  Ion Beam Services, Mentor Graphics France Sarl, Soitec, ST-Ericsson, STMicroelectronics, Université Catholique de Louvain, and the University of Twente.

In a separate move, GlobalFoundries is joining Imec and others to advance STT-MRAM (spin-transfer torque magnetoresistive random access memory) technology. The first IC manufacturer to join Imec’s R&D program on emerging memory technologies, GlobalFoundries completes the value chain of Imec’s research platform.

GlobalFoundries is joining a team with Qualcomm and several worldwide equipment suppliers providing the complete infrastructure necessary for R&D on STT-MRAM. In January, Qualcomm joined Imec’s STT-MRAM program.

STT-MRAM technology is a promising high-density alternative to existing memory technologies, like SRAM and DRAM. Together, imec and the program members aim to explore the potential of STT-MRAM, including performance below 1ns and scalability beyond 10nm for embedded and standalone applications.