Category Archives: MEMS

The tiny transistor is the heart of the electronics revolution, and Penn State materials scientists have just discovered a way to give the workhorse transistor a big boost, using a new technique to incorporate vanadium oxide, one of a family of materials called functional oxides, into the device.

The researchers knew that vanadium dioxide, which is just a specific combination of the elements vanadium and oxygen, had an unusual property called the metal-to-insulator transition. In the metal state, electrons move freely, while in the insulator state, electrons cannot flow. This on/off transition, inherent to vanadium dioxide, is also the basis of computer logic and memory.

The researchers had the idea that if they could add vanadium oxide close to the transistor it could boost the transistor’s performance. Likewise, by adding it to the memory cell, it could improve the stability and energy efficiency to read, write and maintain the information state. The major challenge they faced was that vanadium dioxide of sufficiently high quality had never been grown in a thin film form on the scale required to be of use to industry, the so-called wafer scale. Although vanadium dioxide, the targeted compound, looks simple, it is very difficult to synthesize. In order to create a sharp metal-to-insulator transition, the ratio of vanadium to oxygen needs to be precisely controlled. When the ratio is exactly right, the material will show a more than four-order-of-magnitude change in resistance, enough for a sufficiently strong on/off response.

In a paper in the online journal Nature Communications, the Penn State team reports for the first time the growth of thin films of vanadium dioxide on 3-inch sapphire wafers with a perfect 1:2 ratio of vanadium to oxygen across the entire wafer. The material can be used to make hybrid field effect transistors, called hyper-FETs, which could lead to more energy efficient transistors. In a paper published earlier this year, also in Nature Communications, the research group led by Prof. Suman Datta at Penn State showed that the addition of vanadium dioxide provided steep and reversible switching at room temperature, reducing the effects of self-heating and lowering the energy requirements of the transistor.

The implementation of vanadium dioxide can also benefit existing memory technologies, a quest that Penn State researchers are actively pursuing.

mCube, provider of MEMS motion sensors, today announced the sampling of its new MC3635 3-axis accelerometer featuring the industry’s lowest power consumption and a microscopic 1.6×1.6 mm Land Grid Array (LGA) package. The MC3635 will enable developers to design a complete 3-axis inertial solution, with only a single resistor, in less than 1/10 of a square centimeter of space on a printed circuit board. These advancements will enable a new generation of wearable devices and Internet of Moving Things (IoMT) that require significantly extended battery life and very small form factors.

As the newest member of mCube’s MC3600 family of ultra-low power, high-performance 3-axis accelerometers, the MC3635 is built upon the company’s award-winning 3D monolithic single-chip MEMS technology platform, which is widely adopted in mobile handsets with over 100 million units shipped. With the mCube approach, the MEMS sensors are fabricated directly on top of IC electronics in a standard CMOS fabrication facility. Advantages of this monolithic approach include smaller size, higher performance, lower cost, and the ability to integrate multiple sensors onto a single chip.

“The MC3635 delivers on the miniaturization and extended battery life needed to enable the next generation of fashionable wearable products,” said Ben Lee, president and CEO, mCube. “As IoT devices continue to be widely adopted around the world, mCube will continue to deliver new sensing innovations that help extend battery life to the point where the batteries last the lifetime of the products. mCube has taken the next step in delivering the best accelerometer solution to IoT developers in terms of size and power savings.”

About the MC3635 Accelerometer

The new MC3635 accelerometer consumes less than 0.9uA of current at 25Hz Output Data Rate (ODR), which is less than half the power consumption of competing accelerometers. In order to further reduce system power consumption, it offers an ultra-low power wake mode that consumes 0.3uA at 1Hz ODR and sniff mode that consumes only 0.4uA at 6Hz ODR. These modes are ideal for wearables during periods of rest or inactivity. In addition to these ultra-low power modes, the MC3635 has been optimized by increasing its Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI) bus speed and reducing the number of transactions per SPI transfer, both of which further extends the battery life of systems.

Samples of the world’s smallest 1.6×1.6mm LGA accelerometers are available to selected lead customers now. General sampling is scheduled for December 2015 with volume production scheduled for the first quarter of 2016.

Internet of Moving Things

By 2020, analysts predict more than 50 billion devices will be connected to the Internet (TechLucia 5/15/2014) and a large percentage of those devices will be in motion. From smartphones and tablets to smart clothing and wearables, mCube is enabling a new era called the “Internet of Moving Things”, where the movement and context of everyday objects and devices can be measured, monitored and analyzed, generating valuable data and insights that will transform consumer experiences.

CEA-Leti today announced that it has joined the GLOBALSOLUTIONS ecosystem as an ASIC provider, specifically to support GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 22FDX (TM) technology platform.

Launched this summer, GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ 22FDX technology platform is the industry’s first 22nm FD-SOI semiconductor technology developed specifically to meet the ultra-low-power requirements of the next generation of connected devices. The versatility of the 22FDX platform is a result of unmatched design flexibility and intelligence, including software-controlled transistor body-biasing that provides real-time trade-offs between power and performance. Delivering FinFET-like performance and energy-efficiency at a cost comparable to 28nm planar technologies, the platform enables a new level of innovations on next-generation chips and sets new standards in-terms of user experience for Internet of Things (IoT), mainstream mobile, RF, and networking applications.

GLOBALSOLUTIONS was created more than five years ago to spur innovation in the semiconductor industry and assure chip designers receive world-class service from design conception to production. The ecosystem combines GLOBALSOLUTIONS’ internal resources with a broad spectrum of partners to efficiently enable the fastest time-to-volume for foundry customers.

“Together with our design services partners, we are able to offer a full suite of services and comprehensive turnkey solutions that confirms GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ leadership in providing high-performance customized products in the FD-SOI and ASIC markets,” said Gary Patton, chief technology officer and head of worldwide R&D at GLOBALFOUNDRIES. “Our expanded partnership with Leti further reflects our commitment to find design implementations that will accelerate time-to-volume and deliver ultra-low-power solutions to our customers.”

Earlier this year, Leti assigned a team of experts to GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ Dresden, Germany, Fab 1 to support ramp up of the platform. As an ecosystem partner, Leti will provide GLOBALFOUNDRIES’ customers circuit-design IP, including for its back-bias feature for FD-SOI, which enables exceptional performance at very low voltages with low leakage.

“This strategic partnership with GLOBALFOUNDRIES positions Leti to help a broad range of designers utilize FD-SOI technology’s significant strengths in ultra-low-power and high performance in their IoT and mobile devices with 22nm technology,” said Marie Semeria, Leti CEO. “In addition, it gives both sides’ customers increased access to our respective technologies. This kind of partnership is a key part of Leti’s global strategy.”

Entegris, Inc., a producer of yield-enhancing materials and solutions for highly advanced manufacturing environments, has expanded its wafer shipper family of products with the SmartStack (R) 300 mm Contactless Horizontal Wafer Shipper (HWS). The SmartStack 300 mm is the industry’s first contactless horizontal wafer shipper capable of holding a full lot of 25 wafers, almost twice the capacity of competitive wafer shippers. Entegris’ design departs from traditional interleaf inserts and foam cushions by using a perimeter support ring to contain wafers inside. The wafers are positioned so that they move in unison, preventing wafer-to-wafer contact and potential damage from impact.

“We designed an ideal solution for shipping and storing 25-lens bumped or thin wafers that offers improved safety over conventional wafer shippers,” said Entegris Product Marketing Manager, Doug Moser. “By placing the wafers on rings and removing the interleaf inserts and foam cushions, the wafers are protected from stains, imprints and scratches typically caused by these inserts. Additionally, the new design accommodates 25 wafers in one shipper, thereby increasing shipping density and lowering shipping cost 50% or more, compared with a conventional FOSB.”

The SmartStack 300 mm is designed to accommodate wafers of varied thickness (150 µm to 1100 µm), for a variety of applications including 3D, 2.5D, SoC, MEMS, LED and power semiconductors. The new design is also available in the 150 mm and 200 mm size. The automation-compatible features of the 300 mm HWS enable ease-of-use and limit manual intervention.

Altatech, a specialty equipment manufacturer for mature and advanced materials deposition and defect inspection, announced today the expansion of its Eclipse series with a new, high-speed inspection system dedicated to ultra-thin, transparent and bonded substrates inspection for 3D applications in power, MEMS, and mobile technologies. The Eclipse TS represents a unique high-reliability and easy-to-implement inspection system solution ready for mass production, in response to the demand for these advanced substrates being driven by the rapidly growing markets in automotive, industrial power and mobile electronics. The Eclipse TS has been qualified for volume manufacturing at a leading-edge semiconductor manufacturer.

“We have built a tool based on a strong IP portfolio with a unique capability to inspect the front side, back side and edge of very thin wafers. This is a cost-effective solution with very good throughput. It places Altatech in a leading position within a very large market opportunity,” said Jean-Luc Delcarri, general manager of Soitec’s Altatech Division.

The Eclipse TS is a high-speed inspection system for measuring very thin and stacked wafers down to 50 microns, Taiko rings, stacked substrates, and silicon-on-glass wafers. The system can conduct front-side, back-side and edge inspection in one pass with no back-side contact and accommodate very high bow and wrap wafers up to 6 mm. In today’s 3D technologies, substrates undergo grinding, stacking and gluing. The Eclipse system is able to monitor these processes. Inspection occurs without any contact on the active surface with a throughout of more than 90 wafers per hour for 300-mm substrates.

Compliant with the latest automation standards, the Eclipse TS offers comprehensive reporting for defects classification and yield maps.

The full Altatech Eclipse series of advanced metrology and holistic inspection systems ensure wafer-surface and edge quality by detecting, counting, and binning defects during the wafer manufacturing process as well as performing continuous outgoing wafer-quality inspection. Proprietary Eclipse sub-modules are designed to detect particles and defects of interest on the front surface and wafer edge of patterned or unpatterned wafers.

BY JEFF DORSCH, Contributing Editor

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing kicked off its Open Innovation Platform (OIP) Ecosystem Forum with thanks – not for another beautiful day in Silicon Valley, but for the collaborative work it does with its customers, suppliers, and other industry partners.

Rick Cassidy, the foundry’s senior vice president and president of TSMC North America, kicked off the all-day event in Santa Clara, Calif., saying he wanted to debunk the myth of the “lone creative genius” in the chip business. “It is a lot of geniuses working together,” he said. “Innovation happens collectively.”

While there has been much attention paid to the slowing growth in the smartphone market, mobile technology will continue to be a significant driver for the semiconductor industry, according to Cassidy. He reviewed the areas of mobile technology, the Internet of Things, and automotive electronics.

“IoT will require an incredible amount of interconnection technology,” Cassidy said.

Between IoT and automotive tech, there will be “a very significant amount of data that’s going to be needed to be stored and processed,” he added.

Cassidy emphasized TSMC’s relations with its many collaborators, large and small. “We’re a pure-play foundry,” he said. “We do not have any products.”

He added, “Nobody does yield better than TSMC.”

Cassidy noted that TSMC will spend more than $2.2 billion this year on research and development, compared with more than $1.9 billion last year. The foundry’s capital expenditure budget for 2015 is $10.5 billion to $11 billion, up from $9.5 billion in 2014, he added.

The opening session also heard from Jack Sun, TSMC’s vice president of R&D and chief technology officer, and Cliff Hou, vice president of the R&D design technology platform, as well as executives of Avago Technologies and Xilinx, two TSMC customers.

This article was originally published on SemiMD.com, part of the Solid State Technology network.

Peidong Yang is an inorganic chemist transforming the field of semiconductor nanowires and nanowire photonics and enabling wide-ranging practical applications. Nanowires are very small wires at the nano scale–so small that they behave differently, with quantum effects. Yang has led major breakthroughs in nanowire photonics over the last decade, from the initial development of nanowire lasers to the characterization of optical routing in nanowire assemblies and nanowire solar cells.

In addition to basic research, Yang has worked toward transitioning nanowire technology into real-world applications. Technology based on his findings is now being demonstrated in commercial devices for the conversion of waste heat into electricity, in chemical sensors, and in optical switches. Yang’s current research also focuses on artificial photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants gather sunlight and carbon dioxide from the air, combine them with water, and store energy in chemical compounds; previous attempts to replicate it as a means for converting solar energy into fuel have not been efficient enough for commercial use.

Yang and his collaborators have created a synthetic “leaf” that is a hybrid system of semiconducting nanowires and bacteria. The nanowires gather sunlight, and the bacteria trigger the use of carbon dioxide and water to complete the photosynthetic process and produce a targeted carbon-based chemical such as butanol. The team’s recent breakthrough in synthesizing carbon dioxide into methane, the primary component of natural gas, exhibits the potential to convert solar energy with an efficiency that makes it viable for commercial use. Yang’s advances in the science of nanomaterials are opening new horizons for tackling the global challenge of clean, renewable energy sources.

Peidong Yang received a B.A. (1993) from the University of Science and Technology in China and a Ph.D. (1997) from Harvard University. He was a postdoctoral fellow (1997-1999) at the University of California at Santa Barbara before joining the faculty of the University of California at Berkeley, where he is currently the S. K. and Angela Chan Distinguished Professor of Energy and Professor of Chemistry. His scientific papers have appeared in such journals as Science, Nature, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Journal of the American Chemical Society, among others.

ams AG, a provider of high performance sensors and analog ICs, today announced the launch of the AS7000, the first member of a new family of health/fitness solutions aimed at wearable devices. The AS7000 solution incorporates a highly integrated optical sensor module accompanied by software to provide industry-leading, highly accurate optical heart rate measurements (HRM) and heart rate variation (HRV) readings, backed by opto-mechanical design-in support from ams.

Housed in a compact 6.1mm x 4.1mm x 1.0mm package, the AS7000 is the industry’s first complete integrated health and fitness solution wearables intended to be worn constantly, at rest and when exercising. The introduction of the module raises the prospect of fitness bands as well as sports and smart watches allowing for accelerated design cycles and replacing the cumbersome, uncomfortable electro-cardiogram (ECG) chest strap in lifestyle, fitness, and health monitoring applications.

The ams solution contains the AS7000 module including the LEDs, photo-sensor, analog front end (AFE) and controller, as well as application software required to implement an accurate optical HRM/HRV fitness band product. In addition to HRM/HRV, the module also enables skin temperature and skin resistivity measurements by providing interfaces to external sensors.

Drawing on its expertise in optical sensing in mobile devices, ams provides OEMs with electrical, mechanical, and optical design guidelines to enable them to quickly realize a successful implementation. These guidelines address critical opto-mechanical challenges such as the design and material of the wrist strap and housing, and specific optical design considerations such as the air gap and glass thickness.

The operation of the AS7000 is based on photoplethysmography (PPG), an HRM method which measures the pulse rate by sampling light modulated by the blood vessels, which expand and contract as blood pulses through them. Unlike existing optical AFEs, which produce raw PPG readings, the AS7000 integrates a digital processor which implements algorithms developed by ams. These convert the PPG readings into digital HRM and HRV values.

When the AS7000 is paired with an external accelerometer, these algorithms also filter out motion artifacts attributable to the beating of the heart which interfere with PPG readings. Combined with the low noise and high sensitivity of the AS7000’s analog circuitry, this means that the module can maintain high accuracy whether the user is resting or exercising.

The AS7000’s low-power design is particularly well suited to applications in fitness bands, smart watches, sports watches, and devices in which board space is limited and in which users look for extended, multi-day intervals between battery recharges.

“Unique ams innovations which reduce noise, compensate for motion artifacts and conserve energy have resulted in a breakthrough for the health-monitoring and fitness-monitoring markets.The AS7000 is ideally suited to customers seeking a total solution that enables a quick time to market when adding health and fitness features to their wearables,” said Ronald Tingl, Biosensors Senior Marketing Manager for the Advanced Optical Solutions Division.

When the world’s leading scientists and engineers in micro/nanoelectronics convene in Washington, D.C. this December for the 61st annual IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), the subjects under discussion will encompass a range of topics critical to the continuing progress of the industry:

  • how to make transistors that are vanishingly small
  • a growing emphasis on low-power devices for mobile & Internet of Things (IoT)
  • alternatives to silicon transistors
  • 3D IC technology
  • a broad range of papers that address some of the fastest-growing specialized areas in micro/nanoelectronics, including silicon photonics, physically flexible circuits and brain-inspired computing.

The 2015 IEDM will take place at the Washington D.C. Hilton Hotel from December 7-9, 2015, preceded by day-long short courses on Sunday, Dec. 6 and a program of 90-minute tutorials on Saturday, Dec. 5. In addition to a technical program of some 220 papers, other events will take place during the meeting, including evening panels, special focus sessions, IEEE awards, and an entrepreneurial luncheon sponsored by IEDM and IEEE Women in Engineering.

Back for the third year, the 2015 IEDM will feature a slate of designated focus sessions on topics of special interest. This year’s topics are:

  • Neural-Inspired Architectures: From Ultra-Low Power Devices To Applications
  • 2D Layered Materials And Applications
  • Power Devices And Their Reliability On Non-Native Substrates
  • Flexible Hybrid Electronics
  • Silicon-Based Nano-Devices For Detection Of Biomolecules And Cell Functions

“From its inaugural meeting until today, the IEDM conference has been the place where breakthroughs that drive the electronics industry forward are unveiled,” said Mariko Takayanagi, IEDM 2015 Publicity Chair and Senior Manager at Toshiba. “For example, at the IEDM in 1975 Intel’s Gordon Moore gave a talk that refined his earlier prediction of transistor scaling into what has since become known as Moore’s Law. That tradition of attracting the best speakers and a large, diverse audience from around the world continues, with a focus this year on devices intended to support the Internet of Things and other emerging areas of importance that depend upon advances in semiconductor technology.”

Today’s device manufacturers must piece together disparate, component-level software to create sensor-based wearable devices–often at the expense of accuracy and power consumption. Manufacturers of wearable devices are looking for cost-effective, turnkey solutions that function as a system to provide faster time to market, increased functionality, superior performance, and supply-chain flexibility. In response, Hillcrest Labs today unveiled its MotionEngine (TM) Wear software with always-on, sensor-enabled features optimized for the latest generation of wearable devices.

According to industry research firm IDC, the worldwide wearables market will reach a total of 76.1 million units in 2015, up 163.6% from 2014, and 173.4 million units by 2019, resulting in a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.9%. Hillcrest’s MotionEngine Wear offers device makers the ability to quickly create differentiated wearable products across the health, fitness, and lifestyle segments of this growing market. MotionEngine Wear is designed for smartwatches, activity and fitness bands, health and sleep monitors, and smart clothing. The small software footprint and low power profile make it a match for devices targeted to the mass market, active or sports segment, commercial and industrial markets, or for fashion accessories.

“Sensors play a key role in wearable devices but how these sensors are used to deliver a compelling and convenient user experience is even more critical to the success of a wearable product today,” said Chad Lucien, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Hillcrest Labs. “We are proud to offer our MotionEngine Wear software to manage and enhance the performance of sensors found in wearable devices–enabling high performance, low power motion-based applications, and providing the foundation for new user experiences.”

MotionEngine Wear provides high quality context awareness; tracks users’ daily activities such as walking, running, and sleeping; and simplifies the user experience with intuitive gesture controls. Unique power reduction algorithms provide always-on sensing without compromising the accuracy, reliability, or functionality of a wearable device. MotionEngine Wear is compatible with today’s widely used system architectures, including ARM Cortex-M, Cadence Tensilica Fusion DSP, and Synopsys ARC EM. It is OS independent, so it can be deployed when using platforms with Android, Android Wear, Tizen, WebOS, and RTOS, or others. Furthermore, it supports sensors from the leading suppliers to ensure lower costs, flexible implementations, and faster time to market.

Lucien continued: “With MotionEngine Wear, manufacturers are not locked into any one component supplier or system architecture. MotionEngine Wear therefore provides manufacturers with a highly flexible solution that enables faster time to market, product line diversity and lower costs.”

“Wearable devices are rapidly becoming more sophisticated, moving beyond simple health and fitness tracking devices to support a myriad of advanced features, from sleep monitoring to gesture recognition,” said Ramon Llamas, Research Manager with IDC’s Wearables Program. “For the next generation of wearable devices, manufacturers need simple, cost-effective solutions to meet consumers’ expectations for a consistent and accurate user experience. Solutions like Hillcrest’s MotionEngine Wear, that are compatible with a variety of low power MCUs and support sensors from leading suppliers, offer manufacturers maximum flexibility to innovate as new technologies are introduced in the wearables market.

There are many uses and applications for wearable devices, including Health and Fitness, Lifestyle, Augmented and Virtual Reality, and Motion Capture. These categories of devices each have distinct feature requirements but share in the need to maintain low costs, minimize power consumption, and extract maximum performance out of the available sensors. Hillcrest has developed a portfolio of products to address these needs. MotionEngine Wear offers the foundation for a variety of wearable device applications, including:

  • Accurate Activity Tracking: Algorithms specifically tuned for wearable devices can automatically track a variety of users’ daily physical activities, such as walking and running steps taken and stairs climbed, to provide an assessment of exercise program effectiveness.
  • Advanced Sleep Monitoring: The proprietary sleep-state algorithm uses a low power method to capture motion data related to users’ sleep quality and present results.
  • Context Awareness: Automatic detection of when the user is in a vehicle, such as a car, or if the user is riding a bicycle to allow the user interface to adapt to different modes of use.
  • Precise Compass Heading and Orientation: Hillcrest’s calibration and sensor fusion algorithms ensure precise, drift- and jitter-free device orientation and compass heading to provide the foundation for navigation applications.
  • Intuitive Gesture Controls: Users can perform motion gestures to interact naturally with devices, such as the “glance” gesture, which is used to detect when a user looks at the front-facing screen.