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.
Industry Strategy Symposium 2020 to Highlight Data-Driven Innovation and Growth
SEMI announced today that Industry Strategy Symposium (ISS) 2020 will take place January 12-15 at the Ritz-Carlton in Half Moon Bay, Calif. with the theme Data Driven Innovation and Growth. ISS is the year’s first executive check-in, offering perspectives from leading analysts, researchers, economists, and technologists on forces impacting the semiconductor industry. The annual symposium provides insights into growth opportunities and industry intelligence to help inform company business plans and forecasts based on current market conditions. Registration is now open.
Cobalt and Nickel Targets Super Strategic for IC Fabs
TECHCET—the advisory services firm providing electronic materials information— announced that the global market for Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) Sputter Targets is declining by 1.5% in response to semiconductor fabrication market challenges in 2019. However, 5% growth is forecasted for 2020, with the non-precious-metal segment expected to reach US$690 million. Including precious metals the 2020 Sputter Target market is expected to reach US$1,084 million, as detailed in the latest Critical Materials ReportTM (CMR) quarterly update on Sputter Targets.
AMETEK France Opens New Technology Solutions Centre in Élancourt City
AMETEK France has established a Technology Solutions Centre as a regional headquarters in Élancourt City to support the growth of its electronic instrument and electromechanical product businesses in France. AMETEK France’s goal was to build a resource for showcasing the latest products and technologies from a variety of AMETEK businesses. The centre will serve as a hub of innovation for the European markets. Customers from across the region will have access to live demos, training sessions and top-of-the-line service to meet application needs. Overall, the facility will enhance the relationship between AMETEK and its end users, effectively sustaining a variety of different industries.
Netherlands Energy Harvesting Semiconductor Firm NOWI Reaches $14 Million in Funding
Investors from Disruptive Technology Ventures (DTV) announce a substantial additional Series A investment round for semiconductor firm Nowi. Initial DTV funding in March 2018 in conjunction with Dutch government backing enabled Nowi to reach several key milestones towards commercialization of its unique patented energy harvesting power management integrated circuit. Pushing past established competitors such as Texas Instruments, Analog Devices and others with a novel multi patented process, Nowi is now readying commercial release for 2020.
Research Shows Old Newspapers Can Be Used To Grow Carbon Nanotubes
A research collaboration between Rice University and the Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI) at Swansea University has found that old newspapers can be used as a low cost, eco-friendly material on which to grow single walled carbon nanotubes on a large scale. The new study, published in the MDPI Journal C , details the research experiments carried out in producing carbon nanotubes which could have the potential to solve some of the problems associated with their large scale production.
Carbon Nanotube Technology Exceeds 100GHz for First Time in RF Applications
Carbonics, Inc. today announced that carbon nanotube technology has for the first time achieved speeds exceeding 100GHz in-radio frequency (RF) applications. The milestone eclipses the performance – and efficiency – of traditional RF-CMOS technology that is ubiquitous in modern consumer electronics including cell phones. The news opens the door for this new technology to potentially provide a powerful boost for 5G and mm-Wave technologies. The milestone was reported in the paper, “Wafer-scalable, aligned carbon nanotube transistors operating at frequencies of over 100 GHz,” published this week in the journal, Nature Electronics. A separate commentary in Nature Electronics called the research “a remarkable technology milestone.”
A Super-Fast ‘Light Switch’ for Future Cars and Computers
Self-driving cars have become better and more reliable in recent years. Before they might be allowed to drive completely autonomously on our roads in the near future, however, a few hurdles have to be taken. Above all, the need to assess the surroundings at lightning speed and to recognize people and obstacles takes current technologies to its limits. A team of scientists led by Juerg Leuthold at the Institute for Electromagnetic Fields at ETH Zurich, together with colleagues at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the USA and at Chalmers University in Gothenburg (Sweden), has now developed a novel electro-opto-mechanical switch that might be able to elegantly solve both problems in the future.
Industry’s First 4Mbit EEPROM Memory Chips from STMicroelectronics Let Small Devices Handle Bigger User Data
STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, has introduced a new generation of memory chips that combine unprecedented storage density with speed and reliability, enabling the devices we use every day to do more to enrich life and work. With 4Mbit capacity, ST’s new EEPROM memories let small devices capture and store more data through the serial SPI bus. This enables equipment such as smart meters to intensify data logging for managing grids more effectively and providing more user-friendly billing. Also, portable medical devices can log patients’ data more intensively to improve care quality, and consumer devices such as smart wearables can support more user features and greater precision. In these applications, the memory’s low power consumption helps extend battery runtime. A wide range of applications in industrial controls and communication infrastructure such as network switches can also benefit from these higher density memories.
SET, Smart Equipment Technology, Introduces New Automatic Flip-Chip Bonder Dedicated to Device Production
SET, Smart Equipment Technology, the leading supplier in high accuracy die-to-die and die-to-wafer bonders, announced the release of NEO HB, an automatic flip-chip bonderdesigned for± 1 µm 3σ post-bonding accuracy, in stand-alone or full automatic mode (EFEM).NEO HB is suitable for direct hybrid bonding processes.
