Category Archives: LEDs

February 8, 2007 – Foundry TSMC and Power Analog Microelectronics (PAM), a developer of Class-D digital audio amplifiers and high-power LED display drivers, say they have jointly developed a bipolar-CMOS-DMOS (BCD) technology based on a 0.25-micron high-voltage process, built for high-performance power analog ICs used in audio and video displays and devices.

The collaboration will help PAM “deliver the most advanced next generation products to satisfy customers’ increasing demand for high-power devices for applications in flat-panel displays, as well as consumer audio and video markets,” stated Johnston Chen, president and chief executive officer of PAM.

February 8, 2007 – Market conditions for NOR flash memory weren’t as harsh as in 2005, but it’s still no picnic with ASPs still getting pummeled, especially in the mobile phone sector, according to data from iSuppli Corp.

Worldwide NOR flash revenue rose about 8.1% to $8.49 billion in 2006, led by new king Spansion, which enjoyed 25% growth (and a 10% slide by Intel) to take the top spot for the year, and tack on four percentage points to its annual market share (30.4%). Nos. 3-4 STMicroelectronics and Samsung also surpassed the market’s total growth, with 21.2% and 36.1%, respectively, while Intel lagged behind in a tough year, falling nearly 10%.

Despite rebounding from a “brutal” 15.5% decline in 2005, the NOR flash market was still a tough place to be in 2006, according to Mark DeVoss, senior analyst with iSuppli. Despite increasing unit shipments, suppliers continued to post losses due to severely eroding ASPs in all market segments, but particularly in the largest market segment of mobile phones, he said, in a statement.

Spansion posted the top revenues in the segment in 4Q for the fifth consecutive quarter, but its $687 million in revenues were about 5% below expectations, and the company missed breakeven operating margins, “attributable mainly to a large miss at a single customer in the mobile-phone segment,” according to the analyst firm. Intel, meanwhile, boosted NOR flash sales by nearly 14% in 4Q to $531 million, which suggests it is “girding itself for a head-to-head battle with Spansion,” the firm said.

Intel and ST had a particularly challenging time this past year in the NOR flash segment, both trying to integrate their NAND flash operations and prop up bottom lines, and rumors have swirled about a possible consolidation or even an exit from the market. In December ST essentially created a separate flash memory group amid a product business reorg, to address “industry consolidation and financial deconsolidation.”

Top worldwide NOR flash suppliers, 4Q06 & 2006
(Revenues in US $M)

Company………….4Q06 sales (est.)…..vs. 3Q06……vs. 4Q05……2006 sales (est.)……vs. 2005
Spansion……………………..687…………………1.8%……….14.3%……………2579……………….25.6%
Intel…………………………….531……………….13.9%……..-11.5%……………2052………………..-9.9%
STMicroelectronics……….317……………….-5.4%………..-5.4%……………1340……………….21.2%
Samsung……………………..180……………….24.1%……….57.9%……………..584……………….36.1%
Silicon Storage Tech……….84………………..-2.3%……..-16.8%……………..329…………………0.0%
Others…………………………409………………..-5.1%…………2.5%……………1609……………….-3.2%
TOTAL……………………..2208…………………3.3%…………2.7%……………8493………………..8.1%

Company……….4Q06 share……….vs. 3Q06……….vs. 4Q05……….2006 share……….vs. 2005

Spansion…………………..31.1%…………..31.2%…………..28.0%………………30.4%…………….26.1%
Intel………………………….24.0%…………..21.6%…………..27.9%……………..24.2%…………….29.0%
ST Microelectronics……14.4%…………..15.5%…………..15.6%………………15.8%…………….14.1%
Samsung…………………….8.2%…………….6.7%…………….5.3%………………..6.9%………………5.5%
SST…………………………..3.8%……………..N/A……………..4.7%………………..3.9%………………4.2%
Others………………………18.5%…………..21.0%…………..18.6%………………18.9%…………….21.2%
TOTAL…………………..100.0%…………100.0%…………100.0%…………….100.0%…………..100.0%

WaferNEWS source: iSuppli Corp.

Imaging biomarkers may enable diagnosis of debilitating diseases before major symptoms set in

February 7, 2007 — LOS ANGELES & HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Siemens Medical Solutions today opened the doors to a new state-of-the-art research facility dedicated exclusively to the development of molecular imaging biomarkers, which will become in vivo diagnostic tools for identifying debilitating diseases such as cancer, and neurological diseases at their earliest stages.

The opening of the Siemens Medical Solutions Molecular Imaging (MI) Biomarker Research facility is the latest step for the company in becoming the world’s first full-service diagnostics company, integrating in vivo and in vitro imaging diagnostics capabilities. Siemens recently launched Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics as the in vitro complement to the portfolio on the heels of acquisitions of Bayer Diagnostics and Los Angeles-based Diagnostic Products Corporation.

“Molecular medicine is heralding a new era in diagnostic capabilities that could change the lives of millions of Americans – and Siemens is helping lead the field out of the research lab and into practical use,” said Michael Reitermann, president, Molecular Imaging division, Siemens Medical Solutions. “Advancing this field brings with it the promise of personalized therapeutics, which would not only improve the efficiency of health care, but most importantly, would also improve the quality of health care for patients.”

Siemens Medical Solutions MI Biomarker Research facility will be dedicated solely to the discovery and development of new imaging biomarkers to spur the growth of in vivo molecular diagnostics. Imaging biomarkers are molecules that are specifically designed to seek out disease indicators that may appear in individual cells or tissue in the organism and that may provide early warning signs of disease. Once these imaging biomarkers bind to the diseased cells or tissues, they cause them to “light up” when scanned using PET-CT (Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography) or SPECT-CT (Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography).

Imaging biomarkers not only enable early diagnosis, but also allow the measurement of how well certain therapies, such as prescription drugs, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, may be working by measuring the impact of treatments on the disease indicators. This may aid the development of new therapies, and enable clinicians to non-invasively assess therapeutic success and quickly adjust therapeutic approaches to arrive at optimum outcomes.

The new Siemens’ facility will be led by Hartmuth Kolb, Ph.D, vice president, Siemens Medical Solutions MI Biomarker Research. The facility will house scientists, dedicated to the discovery of new imaging agents and their clinical development, with the goal of bringing several new agents to the market over the next 5 – 10 years. Research and development efforts conducted at the facility will focus largely on oncology and neurology, and also include other areas such as inflammation and microfluidics/nanotechnology research.

The facility features the latest technology in molecular medicine applied across its research portfolio, including the facility’s discovery chemistry lab, in vitro biology lab, preclinical imaging lab, clean room for microfluidics research, instrument room for microfluidics development and a PET radiochemistry lab.

In addition to continued work on the new research imaging agent to aid in Alzheimer’s detection, the Siemens Medical Solutions MI Biomarker Research team has a number of oncology-related compounds in the discovery and translational research pipeline, which are moving towards clinical development. In collaboration with academia and industry, molecular imaging tracers for cell proliferation (imaging of aggressive tumors), hypoxia (to aid the planning of radiation therapy), and angiogenesis (to aid chemotherapy) are currently being developed. Future research will branch out into neurology and cardiovascular disease areas.

“Imaging biomarkers have increasingly become an essential tool not only for the non-invasive diagnosis of disease such as cancer or cardiovascular disease, but also for the development of new therapeutic drugs by the pharma and biotech industry, said Kolb. “Our vision is to take the entire value chain that Siemens offers – imaging, in vitro diagnostics and IT – and use those offerings in combination with our biomarker research to find potential answers to some of the most complex and burdensome health conditions we face.”

Recent imaging biomarker studies on certain diseases such as Alzheimer’s or tumors have shown that these biomarkers are highly precise in identifying disease indicators. The imaging biomarkers work within the affected cells in a living organism without the need for taking tissue samples, in contrast to in vitro diagnostic tests, which typically require tissue, urine or blood samples to be taken. A December 2006 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reported that researchers at UCLA using a specific imaging biomarker in conjunction with PET scanning were 98 percent accurate in identifying Alzheimer’s disease among a group of volunteers who presented with only mild cognitive impairment. Siemens and UCLA are now in Phase I clinical trials with the Alzheimer’s imaging biomarker.

Siemens Medical Solutions of Siemens AG (NYSE:SI) is one of the world’s largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is known for bringing together innovative medical technologies, healthcare information systems, management consulting, and support services, to help customers achieve tangible, sustainable, clinical and financial outcomes. Recent acquisitions in the area of in-vitro diagnostics – such as Diagnostic Products Corporation and Bayer Diagnostics – mark a significant milestone for Siemens as it becomes the first full service diagnostics company. Employing more than 41,000 people worldwide and operating in over 130 countries, Siemens Medical Solutions reported sales of 8.23 billion EUR, orders of 9.33 billion EUR and group profit of 1.06 billion EUR for fiscal 2006 (Sept. 30). Further information can be found by visiting www.usa.siemens.com/medical-pressroom.

Contacts
Siemens Medical Solutions
Amanda Naiman
Tel: 610-448-4531
E-mail: [email protected]

February 2, 2007 – Global sales of semiconductors rose 8.9% to a record $247.7 billion in 2006, driven mainly by a host of consumer-oriented end products including cell phones and HDTV sets, according to final tallies by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).

Chip sales in December fell 3.6% from the prior month, per the usual rampup to meet holiday demand, but were up 9% from December 2005. Sales for the entire fourth quarter were also up 9% year-on-year, and 1.9% vs. 3Q06, to $65.2 billion.

SIA President George Scalise pointed to growth driven by cell phones, MP3 players, and HDTV sets, all of which are seeing lower costs and improved functionality due to increased use of semiconductor technology. He cited iSuppli figures that semiconductor content of electronic systems now stands at 21.6% of total system cost, and is “increasing steadily.”

Average semiconductor content in a cell phone fell slightly to around $40 amid rising demand for lower-end phones, but overall cell phone shipments exceeded one billion units, Scalise noted.

Sales for MP3 players slowed as well in 2006, but their semiconductor content is rising due to increased storage capacity and functionality such as video, he added. HDTV unit shipments in the US more than doubled, he noted, due to falling prices and more programming choices, and sharp growth is expected for the next several years.

PC sales growth has slowed as developed regions become saturated, but still accounts for a significant portion of semiconductor consumption, he added.

Also contributing to semiconductor growth are favorable economic conditions, including a 3.4% GDP increase, strong consumer confidence and spending, and still-heavy semiconductor sales in the Asia-Pacific, which led all regions with 12.7% growth in 2006, Scalise said.

The SIA also pointed to a balance of supply/demand thanks to a steady ratio of capital expenditures to sales, currently at ~22% (citing figures from Strategic Marketing Associates).

“With generally healthy economic conditions in all of the world’s major semiconductor markets, we believe our forecast of 10 percent growth to $273.8 billion in worldwide sales in 2007 is aligned,” he stated.

Chip sales, December 2006 (US $B)

Market……………. Current month….vs. prior month….vs. year-ago

Americas………………..3.80………………..-4.2%………………..2.5%
Europe…………………..3.50………………..-5.1%………………..5.4%
Japan…………………… 3.88………………..-5.4%………………..7.1%
Asia Pacific…………… 10.57………………..-2.1%……………… 13.6%
TOTAL………………….21.74………………..-3.6%………………..9.0%

Chip sales, three-month moving average (US $B)

Market……………. Jul/Aug/Sep…. Oct/Nov/Dec…… % change

Americas………………..3.89………………..3.80……….-2.3%
Europe…………………..3.41………………..3.50………. 2.5%
Japan…………………… 4.02………………..3.88……….-3.7%
Asia Pacific…………… 10.02…………….. 10.57………. 5.5%
TOTAL………………….21.34…………….. 21.74………. 1.9%

Major product line summary (US $B)

Product………………….. 2005…………. 2006……… % change

Discrete…………………………15.2………….. 16.6………….. 9.2
Optoelectronics……………… 14.9………….. 16.3………….. 9.4
Analog…………………………..31.9………….. 36.9………….15.7
MOS microprocessors……… 35.0………….. 33.2…………..-5.1
MOS microcontrollers……….12.1………….. 12.4………….. 2.5
MOS DSP…………………………7.6……………..8.3………….. 9.2
MOS logic…………………….. 57.7………….. 60.2………….. 4.3
MOS DRAM…………………….25.6………….. 33.8………….32.0
Flash EEPROM………………..18.6………….. 20.1………….. 8.1
——————————————————-
TOTAL…………………………218.6………….237.8………….. 8.8

WaferNEWS source: WSTS/SIA

The rapidly building need for standards is driving increased committee activity and frequency of meetings

By David S. Ensor, PhD, IEST Fellow and director of IEST SPC 7: Nanotechnologies

In 2005, Technical Committee (TC) 229, Nanotechnologies (ISO/TC 229), was established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) with the British Standards Institute (BSI) serving as the secretariat and Dr. Peter Hatto of the United Kingdom as the chairman. The formation of this ISO technical committee was in response to the extraordinary worldwide growth of the nanotechnology field.

In 2004, the expenditures for nanotechnology research and development were estimated to exceed $4 billion USD. Forecasts indicate that, in the foreseeable future, nanotechnology will experience significantly accelerating worldwide activity. It is clear that international standards tailored specifically to nanotechnology are needed to support commerce.

The United States, represented by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), joined ISO/TC 229 as a charter participating country. The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) joined the ANSI-sanctioned U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO/TC 229 as a charter member to represent the fields of contamination control and environmental testing. The role of the U.S. TAG to ISO/TC 229 is to develop and represent the position of the United States in the ISO process. I have had the pleasure of serving as IEST’s representative since its inception.

Because of the rapidly building need for standards, the committee activity and frequency of meetings have been greater than most standards committees. ISO/TC 229 has been meeting biannually and national advisory groups have been meeting much more frequently. The U.S. TAG has been meeting bimonthly.

ISO/TC 229 currently has 28 “Participating” countries and 8 “Observer” countries. The inaugural plenary meeting was held in London, England, in November 2005. The United States delegation at this and the following plenary meetings was led by Dr. Clayton Teague, director to the National Nanotechnology Coordination Office and chairman of the United States TAG. At the London meeting, the scope of ISO/TC 229 was established as follows:

Standardization in the field on nanotechnologies that includes either or both of the following:

  1. Understanding and control of matter and processes at the nanoscale, typically but not exclusively below 100 nanometers in one or more dimensions where the onset of size-dependent phenomena usually enables novel applications.
  2. Utilizing the properties of nanoscale materials that differ from the properties of individual atoms, molecules and bulk matter, to create improved materials, devices and systems that exploit these new properties. Specific tasks include developing standards for: terminology and nomenclature; metrology and instrumentation, including specifications for reference materials; test methodologies; modeling and simulation; and science-based health, safety and environmental practices.

At the meeting in London, the following working groups were established:

  • Working Group 1-Terminology and Nomenclature, with the convenorship held by Canada.
  • Working Group 2-Measurement and Characterization, with the convenorship held by Japan.
  • Working Group 3-Health, Safety and Environment, with the convenorship held by the United States.

One principle established at the first meeting was that the interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology will require liaison and coordination with a large number of other ISO technical committees and other international standards bodies. For example, I was elected to represent ISO/TC 229 as liaison to ISO/TC 209, Cleanrooms and Associated Controlled Environments.

As the nanotechnology industry matures, facility requirements will need to be defined for the development and production of the wide range of potential products containing nanomaterials. It should be noted that at the national level, IEST, in anticipation of the need for information on designing, constructing and operating nanotechnology facilities, organized in 2005 a new working group, IEST-WG-CC210: Forum for Nanoscale Research Facilities. This IEST working group is lead by Ahmad Soueid of HDR Architecture, Inc. and Hal Amick of Colin Gordon and Associates.

The second plenary meeting of ISO/TC 229 was held in Tokyo, Japan, in June 2006. The emphasis of the Tokyo meeting was on organizing the work of the committee. For example, because the effort in TC 229 is expected to become quite large, a Chairman’s Advisory Group (CAG) was organized to work on policy issues. The CAG consists of the chairman, working group convenors, and other national members elected by region.

At the working group level, the priority in Japan was to develop “road maps,” structures or strategies so that appropriate standards are developed on a timely basis. Development of a structure is particularly important in the area of ISO/TC 229 Working Group 1-Terminology and Nomenclature. Because of the wide range of disciplines involved in nanotechnology, vocabularies are currently being developed in a haphazard manner. This may lead to imprecision and confusion as the field matures, thereby adversely affecting commerce and safety considerations. The principle activity within the TC at this point is the definition and writing of work item proposals for the development of documents. These work item proposals are championed by various national organizations and submitted to the TC for a formal vote by the participating member countries for approval by ISO. Upon approval, these proposals become work items within specific working groups. The first approved work item within ISO/TC 229 was ISO/AWI TS 27687 Nanoparticle-Terminology and Definitions, submitted and lead by the United Kingdom in Working Group 1. This document will be derived from BSI Publicly Available Specification (PAS) 71:2005 Vocabulary-Nanoparticles.

The third plenary meeting of ISO/TC 229 was held in Seoul, Korea, in December 2006. The primary purpose of the meeting was to refine working group strategic plans. A survey conducted during the last six months was used to support working-group planning sessions. Work was continued on the second approved work item, Health and Safety Practices in Occupational Settings Relative to Nanotechnologies, lead by the United States in Working Group 3.

The national bodies of Japan, Korea and the United States within Working Group 2 were encouraged to submit work item proposals on the measurement of carbon nanotubes. Further development of liaisons with other organizations was an important item of business. For example, plans for coordination by ISO/TC 229 with the newly organized International Electromechanical Commission (IEC), a standards committee on nanotechnology related to electrical and electronic products and systems, are currently being developed.

The next planned plenary meetings of ISO/TC 229 will be held in Berlin, Germany, in June 2007 and in Singapore, Malaysia, in December 2007.

Click here to enlarge image

David S. Ensor is the director of the Center for Aerosol Technology and an RTI senior fellow. Dr. Ensor received his PhD in engineering from the University of Washington. He has conducted contamination control, aerosol and indoor air quality research for over 30 years, and is a founding editor of Aerosol Science and Technology. Dr. Ensor has served as President of the American Association for Aerosol Research and the International Aerosol Research Assembly, and he is the convenor of ISO/TC 209 WG 7. Dr. Ensor is a Fellow of the IEST and of the American Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers.

About IEST

IEST is an international technical society of engineers, scientists, and educators that serves its members and the industries they represent (simulating, testing, controlling, and teaching the environments of earth and space) through education and the development of recommended practices and standards. IEST is the Secretariat for ISO Technical Committee 209, Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments, charged with writing a family of international cleanroom standards. IEST is also an ANSI-accredited standards-development organization. For more information, contact IEST at [email protected] or visit the IEST Web site at www.iest.org.

Additional resources

  1. http://www.ansi.org/news_publications/news_story.aspx?menuid=7&articleid=1389
  2. http://www.bsi-global.com/Manufacturing/Nano/index.xalter
  3. http://www.iest.org
  4. http://www.iso.org/iso/en/commcentre/pressreleases/archives/2005/Ref980.html
  5. http://www.iso.org/iso/en/commcentre/pressreleases/archives/2005/Ref978.html
  6. http://www.nano.gov/NNI_07Budget.pdf

January 29, 2007 – Hours after Intel uncrated its 45nm transistors using high-k dielectric and metal gates for shipment later this year, SEMATECH and the IBM Common Platform Alliance both released statements indicating that they, too, are in the final stages of tinkering with the technologies. Both camps said they would be discussing details at upcoming venues.

IBM says that its work with partners AMD, Sony, and Toshiba also has led to insertion of high-k metal gates into a manufacturing line at its East Fishkill, NY facilities, and will be incorporated into 45nm chips starting sometime in 2008. Like Intel, IBM indicated that adding the high-k process to its manufacturing lines did not require major tooling or process changes.

Mukesh Khare, senior manager of IBM Research, provided WaferNEWS with few extra details about their process, saying only that they’re using “conventional processing” and that they weren’t “cutting any corners,” and that further details will be presented at an unidentified industry event sometime around midyear. Although high-k could be used “anywhere we like,” he did acknowledge that the first application would be for high-performance, with an eye toward IBM’s internal Power work.

He also pointed out that only the specific Common Platform alliance partners mentioned in the PR are involved in this high-k work: IBM, AMD, Sony, and Toshiba (note no Samsung or Chartered). Volume production ramp is scheduled vaguely for sometime in 2008, but Khare noted that work is focused in Fishkill and so IBM will be first to ramp production — then it’s up to those specific partners to decide when and how to take the technology back to their own facilities for production.

Meanwhile, SEMATECH says it has successfully integrated pMOS and nMOS materials into highly-scaled CMOS devices with low threshold voltage “similar to conventional polysilicon/SiO2 devices,” and with ultrathin equivalent oxide thicknesses “in the range of 1.0-1.2nm.” The group says the CMOS devices were fabricated with conventional gate-first, high-temperature processing flows, without using substrate counter-doping or other extraordinary or complicated measures, and showed no reduction to drive currents or other performance metrics.

Earlier this month, NEC Electronics revealed its CB-55L cell-based IC using its 55nm “UX7LS” process technology, which it says is the first 55nm device to use high-k dielectric to reduce leakage current. The device, initially available only to makers of digital cameras and other portable devices, also incorporates DM techniques including on-line/on-the-grid layout to prevent excessive parameter variations, resulting in “very high reliability,” the company claims.

January 25, 2007 – The semiconductor lithography market expanded at nearly twice the rate of the rest of the equipment industry in 2006 to top $6.7 billion, finally eclipsing the $6.0 billion mark achieved back in 2000, according to new data from The Information Network.

The litho market surged 40% in 2006, vs. 23% for the entire semiconductor frontend equipment market, due in part to “significant increases” in average selling prices (ASPs) caused by a shift to more advanced ArF systems, noted Robert Castellano, president of the analyst firm. Litho ASPs rose 15% during the year, while unit shipments increased 22%, he pointed out. On a unit basis, KrF tools still led the market with 38% share of shipments in 2006, though immersion DUV units surged fourfold to 29 units sold.

ASML is seen increasing its marketshare lead in 2006 to 60.8% of the $4.8 billion market for new litho tools, up from 53.5% in 2005, taking share from both rivals, Nikon (24.5%, vs. 30.0% in 2005) and Canon (14.7% vs. 16.7%). Castellano pointed out that the vast majority (60%) of Canon’s tool sales were for less-expensive i-line tools (~$3.25 million each), with no wet tool sales reported.

While projecting 2007 to be a slightly down year for the overall semiconductor equipment market, Castellano thinks the litho tool sector will rise another 11% in 2007 to $7.4 billion, because of a better mix of more higher-priced wet tools offsetting slightly fewer unit shipments.

He also projects another heavy surge (38.2%) in litho sales to $10.2 billion in 2008, as semiconductor companies “catch their breath” and install the excess equipment purchased in 2006. Unit shipments will grow about 18%, with ASPs rising at about the same rate, he noted. Also, by then “the 65nm node will be in full production, requiring a substantial amount of dry ArF tools, currently priced in the $17-$25 million range,” he added.

Jan. 25, 2007 — A team of UCLA and California Institute of Technology chemists reported in the Jan. 25 issue of the journal Nature the successful demonstration of a large-scale, “ultra-dense” memory device that stores information using reconfigurable molecular switches. This research represents an important step toward the creation of molecular computers that are much smaller and could be more powerful than today’s silicon-based computers.

The 160-kilobit memory device uses interlocked molecules manufactured in the UCLA laboratory of J. Fraser Stoddart, director of the California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), who holds UCLA’s Fred Kavli Chair in Nanosystems Sciences.

The research published in Nature describes the fabrication and operation of a memory device. The memory is based on a series of perpendicular, crossing nanowires, similar to a tic-tac-toe board, with 400 bottom wires and another 400 crossing top wires. Sitting at each crossing of the tic-tac-toe structure and serving as the storage element are approximately 300 bistable rotaxane molecules. These molecules may be switched between two different states, and each junction of a crossbar can be addressed individually by controlling the voltages applied to the appropriate top and bottom crossing wires, forming a bit at each nanowire crossing.

The 160-kilobit molecular memory was fabricated at a density of 100,000,000,000 (1011) bits per square centimeter – “a density predicted for commercial memory devices in approximately 2020,” Stoddart said.

“For this commercial dream to be realized, many fundamental challenges of nano-fabrication must be solved first,” Stoddart said in a prepared statement. “The use of bistable molecules as the unit of information storage promises scalability to this density and beyond. However, there remain many questions as to how these memory devices will work over a prolonged period of time. This research is an initial step toward answering some of those questions.”

“Using molecular components for memory or computation or to replace other electronic components holds tremendous promise,” Stoddart said. “This research is the best example – indeed one of the only examples – of building large molecular memory in a chip at an extremely high density, testing it and working in an architecture that is practical, where it is obvious how information can be written and read.”

“We have shown that if a wire is broken or misaligned, the unaffected bits still function effectively; thus, this architecture is a great example of ‘defect tolerance,’ which is a fundamental issue in both nanoscience and in solving problems of the semiconductor industry. This research is the culmination of a long-standing dream that these bistable rotaxane molecules could be used for information storage,” said Stoddart, whose areas of expertise include nanoelectronics, mechanically interlocked molecules, molecular machines, molecular nanotechnology, self-assembly processes and molecular recognition, among many other fields of chemistry.

“Our goal here was not to demonstrate a robust technology; the memory circuit we have reported on is hardly that,” said James R. Heath in the announced release. Heath is Caltech’s Elizabeth W. Gilloon Professor of Chemistry and a co-author of the Nature paper. “Instead, our goal was to demonstrate that large-scale, working electronic circuits could be constructed at a density that is well-beyond – 10 to 15 years – where many of the most optimistic projections say is possible.”

Caltech chemists and chemical engineers, led by Heath, are the world leaders at making nanowires, according to Stoddart. “Nobody can equal them in terms of the precision with which they carry this research out,” he said. The memory device’s top and bottom nanowires, each 16 nanometers wide, were fabricated using a method developed by Heath’s group.

Stoddart’s research team is widely considered the world’s leader in making molecular switches, an area in which Stoddart and his colleagues have conducted 25 years of research that has laid the foundation for this current work. Stoddart’s group designs and manufactures intricate interlocked molecules in which the relative motions of the interlocked components can be switched in controlled ways.

While this research could affect the computer industry dramatically, it also may have a significant impact on very different uses of information technologies as well, said Heath and Stoddart, whose research is funded primarily by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the central research and development organization for the U.S. Department of Defense, with additional funding by the National Science Foundation.

“Molecular switches will lead to other new technologies beyond molecular electronic computers.” Stoddart said. “It is too soon to say precisely which ones will be the first to benefit, but they could include areas such as health care, alternative energy and homeland security.”

January 19, 2007 – QD Vision, a startup founded by MIT scientists in 2004 says it has received a US patent for “Stabilized Semiconductor Nanocrystals,” materials that the company says can enhance the performance of quantum dots, for use in quantum dot light-emitting devices (LED) for flat displays.

“The issuance of this patent represents a key milestone toward our goal of enabling display manufacturers to produce the next generation of displays,” said Mark Comerford, QD Vision’s CEO, in a statement.

The patented technology describes a semiconductor nanocrystal stabilized with a polydentate ligand on its surface. Monodentate ligands can exchange and diminish emissions from the nanocrystal, and such nanocrystals embedded in a nonpassivating environment tend to lose their high luminescence and initial chemical inertness, including phase separation.

By contrast, polydentate ligands (a polyphosphine, a polyphosphine oxide, a polyphosphinic acid, or a polyphosphonic acid, or a salt thereof) bind more strongly to the surface of the nanocrystal, stabilizing it and preserving high luminescence. In addition, the outer portion of the polydentate ligand can be chosen to be compatible with the nanocrystal’s surrounding environment, e.g., organic solvent, aqueous media, or polymer matrix.

The semiconductor forming the core of the nanocrystal can include a variety of Group II-VI, Group II-V, Group III-VI, Group III-V, Group IV-VI, Group I-III-VI, Group II-IV-VI, and Group II-IV-V compounds.

Comparison of nanocrystal stability in the presence of oligomeric phosphine ligands vs. monomeric ligands is shown in the image below, taken from the US Patent and Trademark Office’s filing for this patent. Stabilities of photoluminescence are used to measure the different binding affinities and passivating powers of the ligands on nanocrystal surface. The top panel shows that nanocrystals dispersed in THF, passivated by oligomeric phosphine with hexadecyl alkyl chain (solid line) are more stable than those passivated by trioctylphosphine (dotted line). In the bottom panel, in aqueous 0.1 M potassium hydroxide, nanocrystals passivated by oligomeric phosphine with carboxylic acid (solid line) are greatly stabilized compared to nanocrystals passivated by mercaptoundecanoic acid (dotted line).

QD Vision was founded in August 2004 by a trio of MIT scientists to commercialize their work on quantum-dot display materials, processes, and devices.

Last summer the company revealed it had fabricated a 32×64 pixel red quantum-dot device achieving external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of 2.2% and luminous efficiencies of 2.7 lm/W (3.7 Cd/A) at a brightness of 100 nits and with CIExy color coordinates of (0.65, 0.32), exceeding NTSC standards. The quantum dots were printed within a sandwich of organic semiconductor thin films, which deliver energy to the quantum dots enabling light emission. In November the company said it boosted EQE to 3.1%, and luminous efficiencies to 3.4 lm/W (4.2 Cd/A) at a brightness of 210 nits, and with CIExy color coordinates of (0.66, 0.33). In October the company announced it had made a green quantum-dot LED, with a blue quantum-dot LED is still in development.

(January 18, 2007) EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands &#151 OTB Display, a subsidiary of OTB Group BV, created a method of producing thin-film-encapsulated organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices for commercial applications. The process of multilayer thin-film stacking eliminates clean room equipment, facilitating mass production.