Semiconductors

The semiconductor CVD equipment market size is expected to post a CAGR of close to 8% during the period 2019-2023, according to the latest market research report by Technavio. The demand for semiconductor CVD equipment is increasing owing to the growing demand for semiconductor lasers. This deposition equipment is used to grow a semiconductor layer on epitaxial wafers that are used in the manufacturing of lasers. MOCVD systems are the most common type of equipment used in the process. The demand is primarily driven by the use of this equipment in the production of VCSELs, which are used for applications in 3D sensing and optical data transmission.

Scientists from Tokyo Metropolitan University have used aligned “metallic” carbon nanotubes to create a device which converts heat to electrical energy (a thermoelectric device) with a higher power output than pure semiconducting carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in random networks. The new device bypasses the troublesome trade-off in semiconductors between conductivity and electrical voltage, significantly outperforming its counterpart. High power thermoelectric devices may pave the way for more efficient use of waste heat, like wearable electronics.

SEMI today announced that Mitsunobu (Nobu) Koshiba of JSR Corporation has won the SEMI Sales and Marketing Excellence Award, inspired by Bob Graham, for 2019. The 22nd recipient of the award, Koshiba will be honored for his role in developing and bringing to market multiple photoresist generations that have been critical to the semiconductor industry. He will be recognized during ceremonies at SEMICON Japan 2019, December 11-13, at Tokyo Big Sight in Tokyo. “SEMI is proud and grateful to count Mitsunobu Koshiba among our most inspirational and progressive industry leaders,” said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI. “His vision, resolve and innovative spirit have been instrumental in advancing our industry. Today, SEMI and its membership honor Koshiba-san for his major contributions to semiconductor manufacturing.”

As computers continue to infiltrate almost every aspect of modern life, their negative impact on the environment grows. According to recent estimates, the electricity required to power today’s computers releases a total of more than 1 gigatonne of carbon emissions to the atmosphere each year. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Nano have developed a new manufacturing process that could enable ultra-efficient atomic computers that store more data and consume 100 times less power. Scientists have previously manipulated single atoms to make ultra-dense memory arrays for computers, which store more data in a much smaller space than conventional hard drives and consume much less power. In a technique known as hydrogen lithography, researchers use the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) to remove single atoms of hydrogen bonded to a silicon surface.

In the world of materials science, many have heard of crystals, highly ordered structures in which atoms are arranged in a tight and periodic manner (in which the atomic arrangement is repeated). But, not many people know about quasicrystals, which are unique structures with strange atomic arrangement. Like crystals, quasicrystals are also tightly arranged, but what’s different about them is the fact that they possess an unprecedented pentagonal symmetry, such that the atomic arrangement is highly ordered but not periodic. This distinctive feature gives them unique properties, like high stability, resistance to heat, and low friction. Since their discovery only about 30 years ago, scientists globally have been trying to understand the properties of quasicrystals, in an effort to make more advancements in materials research. But, this is not easy, as quasicrystals are not prevalent in nature. Luckily, they have been able to make use of structures similar to quasicrystals, called “Tsai-type approximants.” Understanding these structures in detail could give insights into the many properties of quasicrystals. One such property is antiferromagnetism, in which magnetic moments are aligned in a quasiperiodic order, strikingly distinguished from conventional antiferromagnets. This property has never been observed in quasicrystals so far, but the possibility was exciting for materials scientists, as it could be a gateway to a plethora of new applications.

Seoul Semiconductor Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ 046890), a global innovator of LED products and technology, announced that it will auction its radio frequency (RF) semiconductor patent portfolio and its high power LED package patent portfolio. In the first auction, Seoul Semiconductor is seeking the top bidder for 98 patent assets related to power amplifiers and gallium nitride (GaN) RF semiconductors, including 55 U.S. patents. Three of the patents are licensed to the U.S. Air Force or the U.S. Army, confirming the value of the portfolio.

SiFive, Inc., the leading provider of commercial RISC-V processor IP and silicon solutions, today announced that Stuart Ching has joined the company as Chief Revenue Officer. He will lead sales for the company, which has experienced hypergrowth this year, recently disclosing 130 design wins, over 500 employees worldwide and several new technologies. SiFive most recently unveiled the world’s first RISC-V based out-of-order superscalar processor IP, SiFive U8-Series Core IP; and the SiFive Shield security platform architecture, including SiFive WorldGuard, for whole SoC security.

The near-infrared light is a light source with the shortest wavelength, indicated outside of the red color in the light spectrum. The near-infrared light has been widely used in optical communications, medical lasers, LiDAR of self-driving vehicles, and security and surveillance instruments, ranging from private to defense industry. To utilize this near-infrared light, the technology that converts light into an electrical energy through a photodetector is crucial. The research team from POSTECH successfully developed a photodiode with increased absorption of the near-infrared light by using the hourglass principle.

Weebit Nano (ASX: WBT), a developer of next generation memory technology for the global semiconductor industry, has confirmed test results showing its arrays can be manufactured for embedded applications with just a single added mask, as the Company continues towards productisation. Testing conducted over recent months with research partner Leti, the French research institute recognised as a global leader in the field of micro-electronics, confirmed it is possible to produce Weebit’s ReRAM technology as an embedded memory using two, or possibly only one, additional mask, compared to the seven to 10 additional masks normally required for current Flash memory. A second study by the joint Weebit-Leti team confirms novel methodologies can improve production yield by mitigating device malfunctions. These achievements can significantly benefit manufacturing costs and potential profits.