Flexible hybrid electronics breakthroughs are driving the next wave of smart MEMS and sensing solutions for more personalized, portable electronics, setting the stage for the co-located Flexible Hybrid Electronics Conference and Exhibition (FLEX) and MEMS & Sensors Technical Congress (MSTC) Feb. 24-27, 2020. Co-sponsored by SEMI FlexTech and SEMI MEMS & Sensors Industry Group, FLEX and MSTC will gather more than 100 global experts for market and technical presentations, tech courses, and more than 50 exhibit opportunities for connecting with industry visionaries at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in San Jose, Calif. Registration is now open.
MEMS
ULVAC Inc. and Silex Microsystems AB Sign Joint Development Agreement on Leading-Edge Sputtered PZT for MEMS
ULVAC, Inc. (ULVAC), headquartered in Kanagawa, Japan and lead by CEO Setsuo Iwashita and SILEX Microsystems AB (Silex), headquartered in Järfälla, Sweden and lead by CEO Edvard Kälvesten, today announced they have signed an agreement to develop a production thin film piezoelectric process (PZT) for MEMS actuators and sensors with cutting edge performance and reliability.
Member of the Executive Board of the HARTING Technology Group Honored with the Karmarsch Medal
Dr.-Ing. e. h. Dietmar Harting has been honoured with the Karmarsch Medal of the Leibniz University Society Hanover e.V. for his outstanding commitment as a shaper and supporter of technology, science and industry. The speech of congratulations was given by former German President Christian Wulff. Dietmar Harting, longstanding CEO and personally liable partner of the HARTING Technology Group, was actively engaged as president of national and international associations and bodies for norm setting, standardisation and innovation, thereby contributing significantly to the positive development of the German electronics and electrical engineering industry.
Kandou Demonstrates Prototype of First USB4 Multiprotocol Retimer at CES
Kandou, an innovative leader in high-speed, energy efficient, chip-to-chip link solutions, will demonstrate a working prototype of the industry’s first USB-C® multiprotocol retimer solution with USB4™ support at CES January 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nev. The prototype will showcase the benefits of Kandou’s Matterhorn USB Type-C® 40 GB/s multiprotocol switch and bidirectional bit-level retimer solution for faster video processing and data transfer connections to drive next-generation USB-enabled devices. It follows the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) specification for USB4 and targets a wide range of applications that include mobile, tablet and desktop PCs, active cables, monitors, docking stations, external hard solid-state drives, and gaming consoles.
Weebit Moving Towards Commercialisation Ahead of Schedule, with External Technology Verification by XTX
Weebit Nano (ASX: WBT), a developer of next generation memory technology for the global semiconductor industry, is pleased to advise that it is now working with XTX Technology – a Chinese provider of high quality memory solutions for consumer electronics, industrial embedded systems, telecom and networking markets – to enable the adoption of Weebit’s silicon oxide ReRAM technology by XTX.
CEA-Leti Builds Fully Integrated Bio-Inspired Neural Network with RRAM-Based Synapses and Analogue Spiking Neurons
Leti, a technology research institute of CEA Tech, has fabricated a fully integrated bio-inspired neural network, combining resistive-RAM-based synapses and analog spiking neurons. The functionality of this proof-of-concept circuit was demonstrated thanks to handwritten digits classification. Resistive-RAM (RRAM) is a type of non-volatile random-access computer memory that works by changing the resistance across a dielectric solid-state material. The research work presented at IEDM 2019 measured a 5x reduction in energy use compared to an equivalent chip using formal coding. The neural network implementation is made such that synapses are placed close to neurons, which enables direct synaptic current integration.
Artilux Unveils World’s First GeSi Wide Spectrum 3D Sensor at CES
At CES 2020, Artilux, an innovator in photonics and electronics technology, will be unveiling its Explore Series, the world’s first wide spectrum 3D ToF (time-of-flight) sensor based on GeSi (germanium-on-silicon) photonic innovation. Operating at longer NIR (near infared) wavelengths, the sensor can be used in the area of the spectrum that is more than 10 times safer than the currently-used 940nm wavelength, as well as improving sensing accuracy and performance under sunlight. The demo, being shown live for the first time, will include a RGB-D camera for logistics applications and robot vision, and a 3D camera system that can operate at a longer wavelength. The sensor is projected to enter mass production in Q1 2020 and targets applications that will benefit from the improved 3D sensing performance such as mobile devices, automotive LiDAR, and machine vision.
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.
