Printed programmable logic startup secures support Nov 20, 2009
Such structures therefore for do not require dielectric materials, or conductive contacts for source, drain and gate. For relatively simple circuits or functional units, such as logic gates and basic analog blocks, the interconnect between adjacent devices can be achieved directly within the semiconductor layer. (EETimes)
Sculptured Materials Allow Multiple Channel Plasmonic Sensors Nov 16, 2009
Surface plasmon-polaritons are electromagnetic waves that flow along a sandwich of a metal and a dielectric. When light shines through a prism onto the sandwich, electrons form a cloud or plasma in the metal and the molecules of the dielectric get stretched or polarized ... The formation can be disturbed by the presence of an additional chemical in the dielectric. (Science Daily)
New 'FinFETs' Promising For Smaller Transistors, More Powerful Chips Nov 12, 2009
One potential solution to this leaking problem is to replace silicon dioxide with materials that have a higher insulating value, or "dielectric constant," such as hafnium dioxide or aluminum oxide. The Purdue research team has done so, creating finFETs that incorporate the indium-gallium-arsenide fin with a so-called "high-k" insulator. (Science Daily)
IEDM to detail SRAM research firsts Oct 28, 2009
The reaction can deposit both dielectric and conductive masking materials. The lithography process incorporates a full TiN gate and dynamic supply-voltage regulator, and promises to be a low-cost way to perform device and circuit verification for 16-nm technology development, according to the researchers from National Nano Device Laboratories and UC-Berkeley. (EETimes)
IEDM offers most recent research nuggets Oct 16, 2009
This year, Intel researchers will describe InGaAs quantum-well field effect transistors (QWFETs) with an integrated composite high-k dielectric for reduced gate leakage ... Everything was inkjetted including the semiconducting layers, metallization and dielectrics. (EETimes)
High-efficiency Low-cost Silicon Solar Cell Demonstrated Oct 7, 2009
Using IMEC s advanced processes such as dielectric passivation and a localized back surface field, a conversion efficiency of 18% for the new low-cost Mono2 silicon solar cells, which is in the range of the current commercial solar cells, has been demonstrated with a dramatic reduction in cell thickness. Jef Poortmans, Program Director Photovoltaics said, IMEC s photovoltaic research aims towards a sharp reduction in production cost and at the same time an increase of the efficiency of... (Science Daily)
IBM Builds 'Bar Code Reader' for DNA Oct 6, 2009
The company's researchers are currently investigating various housings for the pore as well, honing the multilayer (metal and dielectric) nano-structures to move samples through more evenly. The technologies that make reading DNA fast, cheap and widely available have the potential to revolutionize bio-medical research and herald an era of personalized medicine, said IBM research scientist Gustavo Stolovitzky. (Fox News)
New Findings Could Help Hybrid, Electric Cars Keep Their Cool Sep 24, 2009
The researchers studied a "dielectric liquid," a fluid that doesn't conduct electricity, which allows it to be used directly in circuits without causing electrical shorts. "We have finally made sense of boiling in small-scale channels and now have a nice understanding of the physics," said Garimella, director of the NSF Cooling Technologies Research Center. (Science Daily)
Proton Cancer Therapy Accelerates Aug 21, 2009
For the past five years, scientists have been working on a compact proton-beam machine called a dielectric wall accelerator (DWA), which works similarly to the giant machine in Loma Linda but is a fifth the cost and only the size of a traditional X-ray machine. Originally, George Caporaso, the beam research program leader at Lawrence Livermore, was working to develop compact flash X-ray accelerators for nuclear weapons stockpile stewardship. (CBS News)
Braille Displays Get New Life With Artificial Muscles Aug 18, 2009
A blind person uses the dielectric elastomer EAP based refreshable Braille display developed at Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea. (Credit: HR Choi, Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea). (Science Daily)
Nanocrystal Growth Spurts: First Real-Time Direct Observations Of Nanocrystal Growth In Solution Aug 14, 2009
While the past two decades have seen tremendous advances in the synthesis of semiconductor, metal and dielectric nanocrystals, these advances have generally been realized through trial and error chemistry. A much more directed and controlled approach to nanocrystal synthesis is needed. (Science Daily)
Nanoscale Lasers May Open Door To Faster Computers, More Reliable Internet Access Aug 6, 2009
Ning and Hill have achieved something like that by using a "metal-semiconductor-metal sandwich structure," in which the semiconductor is as thin as 80 nanometers and is sandwiched between 20-nanometer dielectric layers before putting metal layers on each side. They have demonstrated that such a semiconductor/dielectric layer, thinner than the diffraction limit, and squeezed between metal layers, can actually emit laser light a laser with the smallest thickness of any ever produced. (Science Daily)
Did TSMC delay high-k--again? Aug 2, 2009
KLA-Tencor's Quantox XP offers a gate monitoring solution for today's advanced gate dielectric processes ... Then, it had to resort to ''Plan B.'' In April, ASMI announced that an undisclosed Taiwanese foundry has selected ASMI's Pulsar atomic layer deposition (ALD) tool for the volume manufacturing of its 28-nm node high-k gate dielectric process. (EETimes)
Testing Relativity, Black Holes In The Lab Jul 21, 2009
Last year, he and his research group made headlines when they fashioned unique metamaterials - composites of metals and dielectrics that were able to bend light backwards, a property known as a negative refraction that is unprecedented in nature ... In their demonstration studies, the team showed a composite of air and the dielectric Gallium Indium Arsenide Phosphide (GaInAsP). (Science Daily)
New SAFC Hitech(R) Product Roadmap Plots Route for Future Generation Semiconductor Materials Jul 15, 2009
The roadmap outlines the development paths across current and future advanced memory and logic devices, which includes barrier layers, interconnects, dielectrics and metals, that the company expects to see play out between now and 2014 ... While so-called 'traditional' semiconductor materials, such as the commonly used dielectric silicon dioxide, are still found in high volume applications, the pace and breadth of new materials exploration and adoption beyond these traditional materials is... (PR Newswire)
Novellus, Albany NanoTech ink R&D deal Jul 14, 2009
A team of Novellus researchers will be located with CNSE staff at Albany NanoTech, where they'll conduct leading-edge research into advanced nanofabrication processes, including copper fill for interconnects, copper through-silicon via fill for 3-D packaging applications, tungsten deposition for transistor contacts, and thin dielectric film deposition. Separately, Novellus has also developed an advanced Hollow Cathode Magnetron (HCM) Ionx PVD copper seed process that will enable copper... (EETimes)
Semiconductor International Jul 5, 2009
By eliminating the oxide interface layer between the high-k dielectric and the silicon channel, the EOT can be sharply improved, reducing short channel effects while improving the drive current. This week's top stories included two 3-D-related pieces: a story on the SUSS MicroTec wafer bonding partnership with 3M, and a blog on promising start-ups that presented at ECTC. Growth possibilities in the MEMS markets, Dainippon Screen's deal with Applied to make track vendor Sokudo a DNS subsidiary,... (Multichannel News)
Strong Freestanding Nanoparticle Films Created Without Fillers Jun 20, 2009
This has led semiconductor manufacturers to retool their process to use high-k dielectric materials, such as hafnium oxide, because they have much higher electrical resistance. We have made high-k nanoparticle films that could be cheaper and more effective than the high-k materials the manufacturers are currently using, Dickerson says. (Science Daily)
Toshiba applies germanium to 16-nm MISFET gate stack Jun 16, 2009
LONDON Toshiba Corp., claims to have developed a novel high-k dielectric gate stack with high carrier mobility that can be applied to metal-insulator-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MISFETs) in future generations of integrated circuits ... There are reports of achieving high hole-mobility by adopting germanium dioxide (GeO2) in the gate stack insulating layer, but due to its low dielectric constant, there still remains the challenge of reducing the effective oxide thickness to 0 ...... (EETimes)
Novellus' Sub-45nm HDP Gapfill Process Provides 3x Reduction in Median Defect Density Jun 5, 2009
As device nodes shrink, memory and logic dielectric gapfill aspect ratios are creating a challenge for defect-free fill. Dielectric films that adhere to the process chamber components during the deposition process can be a source of particles and need to be efficiently removed on a periodic basis ... The occurrence of a random "killer" defect event during the gapfill process, as shown in Figure 1, can cause a failure of the dielectric isolation between transistors or memory cells. (PR Newswire)
A New Era in the Application of Lab-on-a-Chip to Rapid Point-of-Care Diagnosis May 18, 2009
The key differentiator of this technology is the use of a dielectric material for both electric field generation and capture probe DNA immobilization, thus avoiding adverse electrochemical effects that can lead to reduced sensitivity and accuracy of detection. The EFADchip is fabricated using widely available materials and common photolithographic techniques well known in the miniaturized electronics industry, resulting in a structure that is inherently stable under varying ambient conditions. (PR Newswire)
Terahertz waves are effective probes for IC heat barriers May 9, 2009
Because high electrical leakage and excess heat can cause nanoscale devices to operate inefficiently or fail, manufacturers need to know the dielectric and mechanical properties of these nanofilms to predict how well they will perform in smaller, faster devices. Manufacturers typically assay the structure of metal oxide films using X-ray spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy, both tedious and time-consuming processes. (EurekAlert!)
Method To Integrate Plasmon-based Nanophotonic Circuitry With State-of-the-art ICs Developed May 8, 2009
This is unlike conventional dielectric optical waveguides, which are limited by the wavelength of the light, and which therefore cannot be scaled down to tens of nanometers, which is the dimension of the components on today s nanoelectronic ICs ... As an important stepping stone to such components, IMEC has now demonstrated integrated electrical detection of highly confined short-wavelength surface plasmon polaritons in metal-dielectric-metal plasmon waveguides. (Science Daily)
Scientists demonstrate effect of confining dielectrics on semiconductor nanowire conductivity May 6, 2009
May 5, 2009 Researchers at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), in collaboration with researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), have demonstrated, for the first time, that the activation energy of impurities in semiconductor nanowires is affected by the surrounding dielectric and can be modified by the choice of the nanowire embedding medium. The finding, published in the April 6 issue of Applied Physics Letters, helps to confirm the "dielectric... (EurekAlert!)
'Invisibility Cloak' Successfully Hides Objects May 2, 2009
We have come up with a new solution to the problem of invisibility based on the use of dielectric (nonconducting) materials, says Zhang ... Previous work by Zhang and his group with invisibility devices involved complex metamaterials - composites of metals and dielectrics whose extraordinary optical properties arise from their unique structure rather than their composition ... The new cloak created by Zhang and his team is made exclusively from dielectric materials, which are often transparent... (Science Daily)
More Than One Nanostring To Their Bow: Scientists Moving Closer To 'Artificial Noses' Apr 30, 2009
rg Kotthaus of the Center for NanoScience (CeNS), the Faculty of Physics of LMU Munich and the cluster of excellence Nanosystems Initiative Munich (NIM) have constructed an NEMS in which the nanostrings are excited individually by dielectric interaction the same phenomenon that makes hair stand on end in winter ... Unterreithmeier et al. Universal transduction scheme for nanomechanical systems based on dielectric forces. (Science Daily)
Bridging the gap in nanoantennas Apr 20, 2009
For this work, they chose dielectric tips and operated in transmission mode, allowing for imaging local antenna fields in details as small as 50 nm without disturbing the antenna. "By monitoring the near-field oscillations of the different antennas with our novel near-field microscope, we were able to directly visualize how matter inside the gap affects the antenna response. The effect could find interesting applications for tuning of optical antennas" says Rainer Hillenbrand leader of the... (EurekAlert!)
ZettaCore(R) Launches Molecular Interface(TM) Technology Apr 16, 2009
ZettaCore MI(TM) technology enables deposition of copper on smooth dielectric, and lamination of dielectric on smooth copper in high-performance IC substrates, HDI boards, high-speed boards, flexible printed circuit boards, and wafer level packaging. Since surface roughening is eliminated, customers can realize finer line/space dimensions and improve signal integrity while using conventional materials and processes. (PR Newswire)
Nano Changes Rise To Macro Importance In A Key Electronics Material Apr 15, 2009
Silver niobate is a ceramic dielectric, a class of materials used to make capacitors, filters and other basic components of wireless communications equipment and other high-frequency electronic devices. A useful dielectric needs to have a large dielectric constant roughly, a measure of the material s ability to hold an electric charge that is stable in the operating temperature range ... The material also should have low dielectric losses which means that it does not waste energy as heat and... (Science Daily)
New 'near-field' radiation therapy promises relief for overheating laptops Apr 14, 2009
" A change advocated by ITRS from a silica substrate to one made of dielectric materials with a higher dielectric constant would give the substrate material an even stronger surface polariton, says Rotkin. Rotkin's group used microscopic quantum models to calculate heat dissipation as a function of electric field, doping and temperature. "Most of the energy losses are dissipated directly into the polar substrate and do not contribute to the field-effect transistor temperature rise," the... (EurekAlert!)
Julian S. Smith is Legion of Honor inductee Mar 28, 2009
Discouraged, Smith resigned from WFBR and joined the Institute for Cooperative Research with Johns Hopkins University, where he researched the field if dielectric measurement. In 1955, he joined the Glenn L. Martin Company, now Martin Marietta, and worked as an assistant design engineer in electronics. (Keyser Mineral Daily News Tribune, WV)
SUPER3C project, superconducting coated conductor cable Mar 26, 2009
The project resulted in a one-phase 30-meter cable system which was submitted to a full characterization program including 24 kV class dielectric tests and short-circuit tests up to 40 kA for 1 second. Due to improved design of internal cable architecture, the targeted transmitted power of 17 MVA was demonstrated by lower number of CC tapes and higher dielectric properties. (EurekAlert! -- Business News)
The 50-nm DRAM battle rages on: An overview of Micron's technology Mar 25, 2009
To maximize the capacitance value of the cell in high-performance DRAM devices, it is important to form the capacitor dielectric and top electrode, or cell plate, on both inner and outer surfaces of the tube. To achieve this double coverage, the dielectric material surrounding the storage nodes needs to be removed during the fabrication process ... However, Micron's implementation is slightly more elegant and efficient in that it removes the dielectric material only in the memory cell array and... (EETimes)
With new material, invisibility cloaks near reality Mar 15, 2009
The cups that formed around the particles - and the dielectric particles themselves - were locked into an elastomer and lifted off of the substrate. "You end up with this transparent thing with structures all oriented the same way," said Mirin. (India Times, India -- Health/Science)
Engineers Tune A Nanoscale Grating Structure To Trap And Release A Variety Of Light Waves Mar 1, 2009
Gan and his colleagues accomplished this by covering the structure with dielectric materials. "By tuning the temperature of the dielectric materials, we were able to change the optical properties of the metal grating structure," he said. (Science Daily)
Probing and controlling 'molecular rattling' may mean better preservatives Feb 26, 2009
Quantifying changes in the high-frequency dynamics of mixtures by dielectric spectroscopy. Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2008, 112, 15980-15990. (EurekAlert!)
IBM, JSR expand materials development partnership Feb 20, 2009
The partnership will focus on advancing materials JSR has had in development and commercial production, including low-k dielectric solutions and a range of 32- and 22-nm photoresist systems, the companies said ... The companies are working to pave the way for the adoption of three new low-k dielectric technologies including new chemical vapor deposition (CVD) low-k materials, novel photo-patternable low-k dielectric materials, and ultra-low-k dielectric materials, they said. (EETimes)
New Plasma Transistor Could Create Sharper Displays Feb 18, 2009
In previous work, Eden's team created flat-panel plasma lamps out of two sheets of aluminum foil separated by a thin dielectric layer of clear aluminum oxide. More than 250,000 lamps can be packed into a single panel. (Science Daily)
After Chandrayaan, ISRO readies for twin launch Feb 17, 2009
SAR, being an active sensor, operating in the microwave range of electromagnetic spectrum, provides the target parameters such as dielectric constant, roughness, and geometry, and has the unique capability for day-night imaging, and imaging in all weather conditions including fog and haze, and also provide information on soil moisture. "So far, all satellites launched by ISRO are optical remote sensing satellites. But RISAT will have all other capabilities," ISRO spokesperson S Satish told PTI.. (Sify.com, India)
OmniVision Demonstrates Latest OmniBSI 8 Megapixel Solution at Mobile World Congress Feb 16, 2009
This approach differs from conventional front-side illumination (FSI) image sensors, where the amount of light reaching the photo-sensitive area is limited, in part, by the multiple metal and dielectric layers required to enable the sensor to convert photons into electrons. About OmniVision. (PR Newswire)
