ATR NewsWire

A new joint innovation by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and the University of Cambridge could pave the way for redefining the ampere in terms of fundamental constants of physics. The world's first graphene single-electron pump (SEP), described in Nature Nanotechnology, provides the speed of electron flow needed to create a new standard for electrical current based on electron charge.

Researchers from IMDEA-Nanociencia Institute and from Autonoma and Complutense Universities of Madrid (Spain) have managed to give graphene magnetic properties. The breakthrough, published in the journal 'Nature Physics', opens the door to the development of graphene-based spintronic devices, that is, devices based on the spin or rotation of the electron, and could transform the electronics industry.  Scientists were already aware that graphene, an incredible material formed of a mesh of hexagonal carbon atoms, has extraordinary conductivity, mechanical and optical properties. Now it is possible to give it yet one more property: magnetism, implying a breakthrough in electronics.

Non-volatile bistable memory circuits being developed by Satoshi Sugahara and his team at Tokyo Tech pave the way for highly energy-efficient CMOS logic systems. The details are described in the February 2013 issue of Tokyo Institute of Technology Bulletin. Developments in low power, high performance CMOS logic technology are vital to the future of microprocessors and system-on-chip (SoC) devices for personal computers, servers, and mobile/smart phones. Much of the processing in these computing systems is carried out using a volatile hierarchical memory system in which bistable circuits such as static random access memory (SRAM) and flip-flop (FF) play an essential role for fast data-access. However, the power to these bistable circuits cannot be switched off without losing their data. This inability to turn off power is a fundamental problem for energy consumption in CMOS logic systems.

Semiconductor industry saw strong demand in several market segments during 2012. Logic was the largest semiconductor category, reaching $81.7 billion in 2012, a 3.7 percent increase compared to 2011. MOS microprocessors ($60.2 billion) and memory ($57 billion) rounded out the top three segments, but both lagged behind 2011 sales totals. Optoelectronics was the fastest growing market on a yearly basis, increasing 13.4 percent in 2012 to reach $26.2 billion for the year. Optoelectronic applications offer energy efficiency and low cost in a wide range of products including mobile devices and cameras.  NAND flash – used in a host of mobile devices, USB flash drives, memory cards and related products for the storage and transfer of data – grew at the second-fastest rate of 4.1 percent to reach $25.4 billion in 2012.  

Scientists at RTI International are advancing the state of science in electronic devices for optical systems by using superlattice structures to optimize the performance of germanium optical detectors on silicon chips. Their research, highlighted in the December issue of Nature Photonics, explains their use of thin films to overcome inefficiencies in crystal-structure mismatch between silicon and germanium. This structural mismatch results in an efficiency loss in electronics and is a major challenge in fabrication processes and widespread implementation.

According to the company's executive vice president and co-operating officer, Chiang Shan-yi, Fab 14 is TSMC's first factory to mass-produce 16-nanometer FinFET transistors and the world's first factory to begin volume production of 20nm system-on-chips.

Transistors are electronic switches that control the flow of current from one part of a circuit to the next, and form the foundations of modern computing. Transistors are usually made from semiconductors – materials that allow electric current to flow through them only under certain controllable circumstances. Current research is looking into the possibility of using doped diamond as semi-conductors in order to create hard-wearing transistors with a wide band gap, high thermal conductivity and the ability to withstand high electric fields without breaking.

Eyeing high-growth in automotive panel applications, of more than 20% yearly, major thin film transistor-liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panel makers in Taiwan are aggressively tapping the segment.  Companies like AU Optronics Corp. (AUO), Chimei Innolux Corp., Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Ltd. (CPT) and Giantplus Technology Co., Ltd. have successfully tapped into supply chains of German, Japanese, American, Chinese and Korean automakers, achieving strong revenue growth in their small- and medium-sized panel business.

Taiwanese PCB (printed circuit board) makers reported mixed operation results for the third quarter, with Compeq Manufacturing Co., Ltd. witnessing after-tax net income surging the most sequentially and Unitech Electronics Co., Ltd. suffering escalating loss.

Unity Opto Technology Co., Ltd., I-Chiun Precision Industry Co., Ltd., Leadlink Optics Inc., Lextar Electronics Corp. and Formosa Epitaxy Inc. are expected to have brisk sales last month, with some even expected to set new highs.