A Monash University study revealing new spin textures in pyrite could unlock these materials’ potential in future spintronics devices. The study of pyrite-type materials provides new insights and opportunities for selective spin control in topological spintronics devices. The new Monash Engineering study demonstrates for the first time that pyrite-type crystals can host unconventional energy- and direction-dependent spin textures on the surface, with both in-plane and out-of-plane spin components, in sharp contrast to spin textures in conventional topological materials.
Semiconductors
EV Group and Delo Partner to Expand Materials and Process Capability for Wafer-Level Optics and Nanoimprint Lithography
EV Group (EVG), a leading supplier of wafer bonding and lithography equipment for the MEMS, nanotechnology and semiconductor markets, today announced that it is partnering with DELO, a leading manufacturer of industrial high-tech adhesives, in the area of wafer-level optics (WLO). Both companies, well-known for their leading roles in optical sensor manufacturing, are combining efforts to enable novel optical devices and applications, such as biometric authentication and facial recognition, for the industrial, automotive and consumer electronics markets utilizing EVG’s leading lens molding and nanoimprint lithography (NIL) process equipment and DELO’s advanced adhesives and resist materials.
Renesas Electronics Expands RA Microcontroller Ecosystem with Ready to Use Partner Solutions
Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, today announced the first 10 ready to use partner solutions that support the Renesas Advanced (RA) microcontroller (MCU) Family of 32-bit Arm® Cortex®-M MCUs. RA MCUs deliver optimized performance and ease of use with the Flexible Software Package (FSP) and partner building block solutions that work out-of-box to address a range of Internet of Things (IoT) endpoint and edge applications.
Stretchable, Degradable Semiconductors
To seamlessly integrate electronics with the natural world, materials are needed that are both stretchable and degradable — for example, flexible medical devices that conform to the surfaces of internal organs, but that dissolve and disappear when no longer needed. However, introducing these properties to electronics has been challenging. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Central Science have developed stretchable, degradable semiconductors that could someday find applications in health and environmental monitoring.
Differential Hall Effect Metrology Enables High Resolution Electrical Property Depth Profiling
Electrical property depth profile data from semiconductor films can be obtained using the Differential Hall Effect Metrology approach. The technique can yield sub-nm depth resolution for Si and Ge. For III-V compounds depth resolution is ~1 nm.
The Holistic Approach to Materials and Processing for New and Scaled Devices
Taking a holistic approach to materials integration considering the subtle effects of seemingly simple materials challenges is required to ensure performance, yield, reliability, and overall cost of ownership.
SEMICON Europa Opens with SMART Mobility, MedTech, Design and Talent in Spotlight
SEMICON Europa, Europe’s largest event connecting the entire electronics design and manufacturing supply chain – from innovation to applications – opens today in strategic co-location with productronica at Messe München, in Munich, Germany. Themed Semiconductors Drive Smart, SEMICON Europa 2019 – Nov. 12-15 – highlights the vital importance of European sectors and ecosystems in propelling the semiconductor manufacturing industry and the broader electronics design and manufacturing supply chain worldwide.
Silicon Wafer Area Shipments Fall for Fourth Consecutive Quarter
Marking the fourth consecutive quarterly decline, worldwide silicon wafer area shipments totaled 2,932 million square inches in the third quarter of 2019, down 1.7 percent from the 2,983 million square inches shipped in the second quarter of the year and 9.9 percent lower than shipments during the same period in 2018, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG) in its quarterly analysis of the silicon wafer industry.
NXP Announces New Automotive Ultra-Wideband Chip Capable of Turning Smartphones into Car Keys
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI), the world’s largest provider of automotive semiconductors, today announced an addition to its UWB portfolio with a new automotive UWB IC. UWB provides precise, secure, real-time localization capabilities unrivaled by other wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. The technology is designed to give spatial awareness to UWB-equipped cars, mobiles, and other smart devices, to enable cars to know exactly where the users are. For the first time, smartphone-based car access offers the same level of convenience as state-of-the-art key fobs. Users can open and start cars, while leaving their phones in their pockets or bags, and enjoy secure remote parking via smartphone.
Inphi to Acquire eSilicon, a Leading Provider of 2.5D Packaging, SerDes and Custom Silicon
Inphi Corporation (NYSE: IPHI), a provider of high-speed data movement interconnects, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire eSilicon for $216 million in both cash and the assumption of debt.Inphi has familiarity with the eSilicon team and opportunity through past interactions, investment, and an ongoing board observer seat.