Trions consist of three charged particles bound together by very weak bonding energy. Although trions can potentially carry more information than electrons in applications such as electronics and quantum computing, trions are typically unstable at room temperature, and the bonds between trion particles are so weak that they quickly fall apart. Most research on trions requires supercooled temperatures, and even then, their fleeting nature has made trions difficult to control and hard to study. A University of Maryland-led team of researchers has discovered a method to reliably synthesize and trap trions that remain stable at room temperature.
Semiconductors
Cornell NanoScale Facility (CNF) and Plasma-Therm Collaborate on Atomic Layer Etching (ALE)
The Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF), a leading university research facility at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY and Plasma-Therm LLC, an innovator in plasma processing technology, located in St. Petersburg, FL, announce a joint development agreement (JDA) to advance atomic layer etching (ALE) for nanoscale device fabrication. Under this agreement, Plasma-Therm will provide a state-of-the-art ALE system, while CNF will provide ALE process and device development on a wide range of materials serving a broad research community.
Panasonic to Team up with IBM Japan in Improving Semiconductor Manufacturing Processes
On October 15, 2019, IBM Japan, Ltd. and Panasonic Corporation’s subsidiary, Panasonic Smart Factory Solutions Co., Ltd, announced that the companies have agreed to collaborate to develop and market a new high-value-added system to optimize the overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) of customers’ semiconductor manufacturing processes and to realize high-quality manufacturing. As part of its circuit formation process business, Panasonic currently develops and markets edge devices and manufacturing methods that contribute to improving semiconductor manufacturing of advanced packaging.
Creating 2D Heterostructures for Future Electronics
Nanomaterials could provide the basis of many emerging technologies, including extremely tiny, flexible, and transparent electronics. While many nanomaterials exhibit promising electronic properties, scientists and engineers are still working to best integrate these materials together to eventually create semiconductors and circuits with them. Northwestern Engineering researchers have created two-dimensional (2D) heterostructures from two of these materials, graphene and borophene, taking an important step toward creating intergrated circuits from these nanomaterials.
ClassOne’s Solstice CopperMax Plating System Chosen for MicroLink’s Advanced UAV Solar Cells
Semiconductor equipment manufacturer ClassOne Technology announced the sale of its Solstice® S8 electroplating system to MicroLink Devices, a manufacturer of advanced, lightweight, and flexible solar cells. The new 8-chambered Solstice equipment, designed specifically for ≤200mm processing, will be installed at the MicroLink facility in Niles, IL, where it will be used for electroplating of semiconductor based solar cells for use on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and space satellites. The announcement was made jointly by ClassOne Group CEO, Byron Exarcos, and MicroLink Devices CEO and President, Dr. Noren Pan.
Energy Taiwan Opens Tomorrow to Opportunities in Renewable Energy as Experts from Industry, Government and Academia Gather
Opening tomorrow, Energy Taiwan today hosts a pre-show press conference with photovoltaic (PV) and offshore wind power experts exploring the future of smart energy, industry trends, and strategies for seizing renewable energy business opportunities. The largest renewable energy event in Taiwan, Energy Taiwan connects the global green energy supply chain for three days of expert insights into the latest technologies and business opportunities in solar PV, offshore wind power, hydrogen energy, smart energy storage, and green finance and insurance.
UCI Scientists Reveal Mechanism of Electron Charge Exchange in Molecules
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have developed a new scanning transmission electron microscopy method that enables visualization of the electric charge density of materials at sub-angstrom resolution. With this technique, the UCI scientists were able to observe electron distribution between atoms and molecules and uncover clues to the origins of ferroelectricity, the capacity of certain crystals to possess spontaneous electric polarization that can be switched by the application of an electric field. The research, which is highlighted in a study published today in Nature, also revealed the mechanism of charge transfer between two materials.
Chinese and Korean Materials Suppliers Profiting from Japanese Politics
Chinese materials suppliers are moving to take market- share at South Korean chip fabrication (fab) lines. Due to residual animosity from 20th century wars, Japanese politicians decided to use the semiconductor materials supplier-chain as a pawn in a political chess game and un-white-listed South Korea from exports. Any good-will between the two nations was immediately erased, and South Korea announced a US$6B government investment to as a huge driving force to help develop local supplies. Now Chinese chemical suppliers have unprecedented openings to qualifications at Korean-owned fabs, including commercial memory fabs in China.
Watching Energy Transport Through Biomimetic Nanotubes
Scientists from the University of Groningen (the Netherlands) and the University of Würzburg (Germany) have investigated a simple biomimetic light-harvesting system using advanced spectroscopy combined with a microfluidic platform. The double-walled nanotubes work very efficiently at low light intensities, while they are able to get rid of excess energy at high intensities. These properties are useful in the design of novel materials for the harvesting and transport of photon energy. The results were published in the journal Nature Communications on 10 October.
2019 Microprocessor Slump Snaps Nine Years of Record Sales
The microprocessor market’s string of nine straight record-high annual sales between 2010 and 2018 is expected to end this year with worldwide MPU revenue dropping 4% to about $77.3 billion because of weakness in smartphone shipments, excess inventories in data center computers, and the global fallout from the U.S.-China trade war, according to IC Insights’ recently updated forecast.
