In the future, ultrahigh-speed spintronics will require ultrafast coherent magnetization reversal within a picosecond — one-trillionth of a second. Spintronics centers on an electron’s spin and magnetic moment in solid-state devices. While this may eventually be achieved via irradiation with a nearly monocyclic terahertz pulse, the small change of magnetization, or modulation, it generates has […]
Semiconductors
Semiconductor Sphere: How FPGAs Will Change Our World
Field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) have always been highly flexible, but with the increasing processing power in ever smaller integrated chips, FPGAs are more adaptable than ever. Because they are more malleable in their ability to change computing architectures, FPGAs can help create tailored software solutions for customers. The FPGA market is growing at a […]
Metal Nanoclusters Can Be Used as Semiconductors: Key Properties Observed for First Time
Tiny nanoclusters of metal atoms—such as gold and silver—have properties which mean they can be used as semiconductors, a joint Swansea-Hamburg research team has discovered. The finding opens the door to a wide range of potential new applications, from phone displays and flatter screens to wearable technology. Semiconductors are at the heart of modern electronics. […]
One Transistor for All Purposes
In mobiles, fridges, planes – transistors are everywhere. But they often operate only within a restricted current range. LMU physicists have now developed an organic transistor that functions perfectly under both low and high currents. Transistors are semiconductor devices that control voltage and currents in electrical circuits. To reduce economic and environmental costs, electronic devices must become smaller and more […]
Semimetals Are High Conductors
Researchers in China and at UC Davis have measured high conductivity in very thin layers of niobium arsenide, a type of material called a Weyl semimetal. The material has about three times the conductivity of copper at room temperature, said Sergey Savrasov, professor of physics at UC Davis. Savrasov is a coauthor on the paper […]
Isolated Gate Drivers Save Energy and Protect High-Voltage Systems
Texas Instruments (TI) (NASDAQ: TXN) today introduced several new isolated gate drivers that provide unparalleled levels of monitoring and protection for high-voltage systems. The UCC21710-Q1 and UCC21732-Q1 and UCC21750 enable designers to create smaller, more efficient and higher-performing designs in traction inverters, onboard chargers, solar inverters and motor drives. For more information, see www.ti.com/UCC21710-Q1-pr, www.ti.com/UCC21732-Q1-pr and www.ti.com/UCC21750-pr. The devices are […]
Researchers Measure Near-Perfect Performance in Low-Cost Semiconductors
Tiny, easy-to-produce particles, called quantum dots, may soon take the place of more expensive single crystal semiconductors in advanced electronics found in solar panels, camera sensors and medical imaging tools. Although quantum dots have begun to break into the consumer market – in the form of quantum dot TVs – they have been hampered by […]
When Semiconductors Stick Together, Materials Go Quantum
A team of researchers led by the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) has developed a simple method that could turn ordinary semiconducting materials into quantum machines – superthin devices marked by extraordinary electronic behavior. Such an advancement could help to revolutionize a number of industries aiming for energy-efficient electronic systems – […]
Dialog Semiconductor Acquires WiFi Products Supplier
Power management products supplier Dialog Semiconductor plc has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Silicon Motion Technology Corporation’s Mobile Communications product line, branded as FCI. Dialog will reportedly pay $45 million in-cash, with the deal subject to regulatory approval. FCI is a leading supplier of mobile TV SoCs in T-DMB and ISDB-T, with RF tuner-demodulator […]
Light from an Exotic Crystal Semiconductor Could Lead to Better Solar Cells
Scientists have found a new way to control light emitted by exotic crystal semiconductors, which could lead to more efficient solar cells and other advances in electronics, according to a Rutgers-led study in the journal Materials Today. Their discovery involves crystals called hybrid perovskites, which consist of interlocking organic and inorganic materials, and they have shown […]