University of Tokyo researchers have announced a new approach for electrical cooling without the need for moving parts. By applying a bias voltage to quantum wells made of the semiconductor aluminum gallium arsenide, electrons can be made to shed some of their heat in a process called “evaporative cooling.” Devices based on this principle may be added to electronic circuit boards using conventional semiconductor fabrication methods to help smartphones and laptops avoid performance issues caused by high temperatures.
Semiconductors
ClassOne’s Solstice Plating System Chosen by Taiwanese Semiconductor Foundry Yee Wei
Semiconductor equipment manufacturer ClassOne Technology announced the sale of its Solstice electroplating system to Yee Wei Co., Ltd , a semiconductor manufacturing foundry based in Taiwan. The Solstice will be installed in Yee Wei’s manufacturing facility in Toufen City, Taiwan. The Solstice family of wet-processing tools includes the 8-chamber Solstice S8, the 4-chamber Solstice S4 and the 2-chamber Solstice LT. The Solstice platform was specifically designed for ≤200mm wafers, which are used in compound semiconductor, emerging technologies, and numerous other fabs worldwide.
Researchers Repurpose Failed Cancer Drug Into Printable Semiconductor
Many potential pharmaceuticals end up failing during clinical trials, but thanks to new research from the University of Illinois, biological molecules once considered for cancer treatment are now being repurposed as organic semiconductors for use in chemical sensors and transistors. Organic semiconductors are responsible for things like flexible electronics and transparent solar cells, but researchers are working to expand their use in biomedicine and devices that require interaction between electrically active molecules and biological molecules.
Global Market Remains Strong for ALD & CVD Precursors in IC Fabs
TECHCET—the advisory services firm providing electronic materials information— announced that the global market for atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) precursors is showing strong growth despite semiconductor fabrication market challenges in 2019.
Plessey’s microLED Patented Growth Technology Combines Native Blue and Native Green Epitaxy on a Single Wafer
Plessey, an embedded technologies developer at the forefront of microLED technology for augmented and mixed reality (AR/MR) display applications has extended the capability of their proprietary GaN-on-Silicon process to enable Native Blue and Native Green emission from the same wafer.
Global Semiconductor Sales Down 15.9 Percent Year-to-Year in August
The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) today announced worldwide sales of semiconductors were $34.2 billion in August 2019, a decrease of 15.9 percent from the August 2018 total of $40.7 billion but 2.5 percent more than the July 2019 total of $33.4 billion. Monthly sales are compiled by the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS) organization and represent a three-month moving average. SIA represents U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research.
Curved Nanochannels Allow Independent Tuning of Charge and Spin Currents
To increase the efficiency of microchips, 3D structures are now being investigated. However, spintronic components, which rely on electron spin rather than charge, are always flat. To investigate how to connect these to 3D electronics, University of Groningen physicist Dr. Kumar Sourav Das created curved spin transport channels. Together with his colleagues, he discovered that this new geometry makes it possible to independently tune charge and spin currents.
Spying on Topology
Topological insulators are quantum materials, which, due to their exotic electronic structure, on surfaces and edges conduct electric current like metal, while acting as an insulator in bulk. Scientists from the Max-Born Institute for Nonlinear Optics and Short Pulse Spectroscopy (MBI) have demonstrated for the first time how to tell apart topological materials from their regular – trivial – counterparts within a millionth of a billionth of a second by probing it with ultra-fast laser light.
Catherine Failliet, Seasoned Industry Leader in Water and Energy Industries, Joins Kerlink’s Board of Directors
Kerlink, a specialist in solutions dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced Catherine Failliet’s appointment to its board of directors. Failliet brings more than 25 years of senior executive experience in business development and project management in water and energy systems and smart-city programs to Kerlink’s board.
Toshiba Memory Today Rebrands As “Kioxia”
Kioxia Holdings Corporation, formerly Toshiba Memory Holdings Corporation, today announced that it is officially operating under its new corporate identity, effective immediately.
