MEMS

CEA-Leti Thin-Film Batteries Target Extended Applications and Improved Performance in Medical Implants

In a research result that potentially could expand the market for tiny energy-storage units in medical implantable, injectable and wearable solutions, CEA-Leti has fabricated all-solid, inorganic thin-film batteries (TFBs) that demonstrate better performance than existing devices. During its presentation at IEDM 2019, a CEA-Leti team reported that, “Thin-film batteries provide some of the highest energy densities of electrochemical energy storage devices, but the inability to increase the electrodes’ thicknesses and control the geometry on the micrometer scale has thus far hindered their effective areal energy density and integration in miniaturized devices.”

memsstar Ships MEMS Production System to University of Freiburg in Support of the PROMYS Project

memsstar Ltd., a provider of etch and deposition equipment to manufacturers of semiconductors and microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS), announced today shipment of its three-chamber ORBIS™ 3000 system for MEMS research and manufacturing to the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg, Germany. As part of the nationally funded project, “Processes and Materials for More-than-Moore Electronic Systems (PROMYS),” memsstar’s surface micromachining cluster tool will serve as a central unit for the micromechanical structuring of MEMS components for up to 200mm wafers.

Diamonds In Your Devices: Powering the Next Generation of Energy Storage

Our use of battery-operated devices and appliances has been increasing steadily, bringing with it the need for safe, efficient, and high-performing power sources. To this end, a type of electrical energy storage device called the supercapacitor has recently begun to be considered as a feasible, and sometimes even better, alternative to conventional widely used energy-storage devices such as Li-ion batteries. Supercapacitors can charge and discharge much more rapidly than conventional batteries and also continue to do so for much longer. This makes them suitable for a range of applications such as regenerative braking in vehicles, wearable electronic devices, and so on.

Boréas Technologies’ New Chip-Scale Haptic IC Drives HD Touch in Smallest Electronics

Boréas Technologies, developer of ultra-low-power haptic technologies, today introduced the BOS1901CW, a Wafer Level Chip Scale (WLCSP) version of its flagship low-power piezoelectric driver integrated circuit (IC) for high-definition (HD) haptic feedback in mobile and wearable consumer products, including buttonless smartphones, smartwatches, game controllers and other battery-powered devices. Featuring WLCSP packaging, the BOS1901CW is just 2.1×2.2×0.6 mm and consumes just one-tenth the power of its nearest piezoelectric (piezo) competitor, making it small and low-power enough for the most resource-constrained devices.

Properties of Graphene Change Due to Water And Oxygen

The research team consisted of Professor Sunmin Ryu, Kwanghee Park, and Haneul Kang, affiliated with Department of Chemistry, POSTECH, discovered that the doping of two-dimensional materials with influx of charges from outside in the air is by an electrochemical reaction driven by the redox couples of water and oxygen molecules. Using real-time photoluminescence imaging, they observed the electrochemical redox reaction between tungsten disulfide and oxygen/water in the air. According to their study¸ the redox reaction can control the physical properties of two-dimensional materials which can be applied to bendable imaging element, high-speed transistor, next generation battery, ultralight material and other two-dimensional semiconductor applications.

Towards High Quality ZnO Quantum Dots Prospective for Biomedical Applications

Recently, scientists from the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IPC PAS) and Warsaw University of Technology (WUT) in cooperation with the Interdisciplinary Research Institute of Grenoble (IRIG) used dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP)-enhanced solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy for detailed characterization of the organic-inorganic interfaces of ZnO QDs prepared by the traditional sol-gel process and the recently developed one-pot self-supporting organometallic (OSSOM) procedure.

Armored With Plastic ‘Hair’ and Silica Shell, New Perovskite Nanocrystals Show Enhanced Durability

Perovskite nanocrystals hold promise for improving a wide variety of optoelectronic devices – from lasers to light emitting diodes (LEDs) – but problems with their durability still limit the material’s broad commercial use. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have demonstrated a novel approach aimed at addressing the material’s durability problem: encasing the perovskite inside a double-layer protection system made from plastic and silica.

Intel Completes Sale of Smartphone Modem Business to Apple

Intel Corporation today announced it has completed the sale of the majority of its smartphone modem business to Apple. This transaction, valued at $1 billion, was announced on July 25, 2019. As previously disclosed, this transaction enables Intel to focus on developing technology for 5G networks while retaining the option to develop modems for non-smartphone applications, such as PCs, internet of things devices and autonomous vehicles.

STMicroelectronics Ships 1 Billionth Time-of-Flight Module

STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has announced the shipment of its 1 billionth Time-of-Flight (ToF) module. ST’s ToF sensors utilize the Company’s Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) sensor technology and are manufactured in ST’s 300mm front-end wafer fab in Crolles, France. The final module, which integrates the SPAD sensor, a Vertical Cavity Surface Emission Laser (VCSEL), and the necessary optical elements to enable the product’s outstanding performance, is assembled and tested in ST’s state-of-the-art internal back-end facilities.

Industry Strategy Symposium 2020 to Highlight Data-Driven Innovation and Growth

SEMI announced today that Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) 2020 will take place January 12-15 at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Calif. with the theme Data Driven Innovation and Growth. ISS is the year’s first executive check-in, offering perspectives from leading analysts, researchers, economists, and technologists on forces impacting the semiconductor industry. The annual symposium provides insights into growth opportunities and industry intelligence to help inform company business plans and forecasts based on current market conditions. Registration is now open.

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