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Apple Settles on Munich for Its European IC Design Center

In an effort to solidify its European presence and expand wireless technologies, Apple will soon break ground on a new silicon design center in Germany.

March 17, 2021 by Luke James

Scientists Reimagine Organic Transistors for Low-power, High-amplification Biowearables

Scientists at the Terasaki Institute have put their own spin on organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) to improve the performance in wearable health devices.

March 12, 2021 by Jake Hertz

How CMOS Image Sensors Are Making Strides in Pixel Count and Size

Companies like Sony and OmniVision continue to develop advanced CMOS image sensors, while the Emmys pay respect to Kodak as one of the forerunners in digital imaging.

March 11, 2021 by Adrian Gibbons

Another Industry Takes Hit From Global Chip Shortages: Crypto Mining

Cryptocurrency mining has only surged in popularity heading into 2021. Like many other industries, the mining sector is now facing the repercussions of global chip shortages, notably in China.

March 10, 2021 by Tyler Charboneau

DoD “RAMPs” Microelectronic Growth With Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes Program

The DoD is partnering with companies like IBM, Microsoft, Intel, and most recently Synopsys to speed microelectronic innovation within the government.

March 08, 2021 by Luke James

With a Legacy of 70 Years in Space, Renesas-Intersil Sends Rad-Hard ICs Aboard Perseverance

Renesas-Intersil continues its legacy of space-ready integrated circuitry with the successful landing of Perseverance on Mars.

March 01, 2021 by Adrian Gibbons

The Race Toward Room-temperature Superconductors Heats Up

This month alone, multiple research institutions have flooded the press with news of a singular goal: to create room-temperature superconductors.

February 25, 2021 by Jake Hertz

Why Are Semiconductor Fabs Dotting Arizona, the “Silicon Desert?”

Forget Silicon Valley—here’s how Arizona could become the "Silicon Desert" with more semiconductor titans considering the move.

February 24, 2021 by Luke James

Increased Funds Could Catalyze TSMC’s 3D IC Research

The world’s biggest contract chipmaker recently reported its best-ever quarterly financials along with its goals for delving into 3D IC research.

February 22, 2021 by Luke James

Since Three-Phase Motors Mean Triple the Components, TI Banks on Integration

Texas Instruments claims its highly-integrated BLDC motor driver can reduce PCB area by as much as 30%—a possible catalyst for speeding mild-hybrid EV adoption.

February 22, 2021 by Jake Hertz

Researchers Claim World’s First Terahertz IC May Leapfrog Past 5G to 6G

Working closely with ROHM Semiconductor, researchers at Osaka University have developed a device that operates in the terahertz spectrum to transmit large, uncompressed 8K videos uninterrupted within a 300 GHz bandwidth.

February 09, 2021 by Antonio Anzaldua Jr.

5G Plus GNSS? u-blox Aims for the Best of Both Worlds in a Small SiP

u-blox’s newest technology integrates both GNSS and 5G onto the same package. We had the chance to sit down with Senior Product Manager Samuele Falcomer to get the details.

January 26, 2021 by Jake Hertz

On a Single Chip, ST Integrates ESD Protection and Network Matching for GNSS

While impedance-matching and electrostatic-discharge protection usually fall on the shoulders of discrete components, a new chipset is said to integrate both features in the same IC package.

January 25, 2021 by Adrian Gibbons

Researchers Claim Record-Breaking Speeds in New Optical Neuromorphic Chip

According to the researchers, this new type of optical neuromorphic processor can operate more than 1,000 times faster than any previous type of processor.

January 17, 2021 by Luke James

DARPA “Toolbox” Lowers Barriers to Semiconductor IP for Researchers

Some challenges to EE research include tight budgets and limited access to reputable silicon IP. DARPA Toolbox hopes to open access to these resources to drive microelectronic innovation forward.

January 13, 2021 by Tyler Charboneau

IEEE Awards TSMC for 7nm Leadership. Where Is TSMC Going Next?

TSMC has been formally recognized by the IEEE with the 2021 IEEE Corporate Innovation Award. The 7nm node is just the beginning of TSMC's plans, though.

December 17, 2020 by Luke James

New Test Chip Analyzing 3D Thin Film Structures Hits the Market

Chipmetrics Oy, a Finnish company, has begun to commercialize a test chip for analyzing thin-film structures in 3D chips.

December 01, 2020 by Jake Hertz

Department of Defense Backs New Secure Electron Beam Lithography Initiative

U.S. Department of Defense-backed secure fab SkyWater is set to adopt Multibeam’s Multicolumn Electron-Beam Lithography system in its 45 nm process.

November 28, 2020 by Luke James

Security IC Solutions: Build or Buy?

Depending on the project, designers have a number of options to either etch security at the silicon level or buy a pre-fabricated and pre-programmed security IC.

November 13, 2020 by Antonio Anzaldua Jr.

Chipmakers Petition for Language Change in Funding Bill to Include Mission-Critical Devices

A bill currently going through Congress which would see semiconductor firms handed an extra $3 billion in funding could do more harm than good if its language isn’t modified, some defense firms have said.

November 07, 2020 by Luke James