Chip Market Brightens in 2017. The semiconductor industry may yet have been flat in 2016, but expects it is expected that the electronics industry rebounds in 2017, probably in the first half. Wall Streeter predicts return to 5% growth. Total IC business growth is expected to be around five percents for few years to come.There seems to several promises to this direction, especially in memory business. Chips Execs See Maturing Industry article says that pessimism about immediate revenue and R&D growth is a sign of a maturing industry.
Thanks to both rising prices and volume sales, the memory sector is expected to lead overall semiconductor sales growth. Sales of memory chips will increase 10% next year to a new record high of $85.3 billion, according to the latest report from IC Insights. NAND flash will grow almost as fast at 10% next year. The average annual growth rate for the memory market is forecast to be 7.3% from 2016-2021. Every year we need 5.6% more bits than previous year, and the unit prices are increasing on both DRAM and Flash.
There will be also other growth sectors. The data center will be the fastest growth segment next year, rising 10%, followed by automotive at 9% and communications at 7%. Consumer and industrial markets growing at about 4% in line with the overall industry. PCs will be the big drag on 2017, declining 2%.
China Dominates Planned Chip Fabs as more than 40% of front end semiconductor fabs scheduled to begin operation between 2017 and 2020 are in China, a clear indication that China’s long-stated ambition to build a significant domestic semiconductor industry is taking shape.
Trump Win Could Mean Big Questions for Manufacturing as while Trump vowed to keep American manufacturing jobs, he offered little in the way of stated policy other than the promise to punish companies that sent manufacturing job outside the US. Questions about trade also could directly affect US manufacturing. How that plays out is a big unknown.
Europe will try to advance chip manufacturing, but not much results in 2017 as currently there is almost no leading-edge digital chip manufacturing left in Europe as the local companies have embraced outsourcing of digital semiconductor manufacturing to foundries. The European Commission intends to reconvene a high-level group of European CEOs and executives to exchange views on Europe’s 10/100/20 nanoelectronics and chip manufacturing project and make adjustments as necessary for a wave of European Union investment supposedly starting in 2020. The two most advanced wafer fab locations left in Europe in terms of deep sub-micron miniaturization belong to Intel in Leixlip, Ireland and Globalfoundries in Dresden, Germany.
Smaller geometries are to be taken into use and researched in 2017. Several chipmakers ramp up their 10nm finFET processes, with 7nm just around the corner. As TSMC, GF/Samsung Battle at 7nm the net result is in the course of 18 months chip designers will see at least three variants of 7nm — separate immersion variants from TSMC and Globalfoundries and the EUV version from GF/Samsung. Intel has yet to detail its 7nm node.
At the same time R&D has begun for 5nm and beyond, but Uncertainty Grows For 5nm, 3nm as costs are skyrocketing. Both 5nm and 3nm present a multitude of unknowns and challenges. To put this in perspective, there are roughly two silicon atoms in 1nm of line width in a chip. Etching Technology Advances as atomic layer etch (ALE) moves to the forefront of chip-making technology—finally. TSMC recently announced plans to build a new fab in Taiwan at a cost of $15.7 billion targeted for TSMC’s 5nm and 3nm processes, which are due out in 2020 and 2022.
Moore’s Law continues to slow as process complexities and costs escalate at each node. Moore’s Law is dead, just not in the way everyone thinks. SiFive believes open source hardware is the way forward for the semiconductor industry. Technological advances keep allowing chips to scale, but the economics are another story – particularly for smaller companies that can’t afford chips in the volumes. The solution, according to San Francisco-based startup, SiFive, is open-source hardware, specifically an architecture developed by the company’s founders called RISC-V (pronounced “risk-five”). Done right SiFive, which was awarded Startup of the Year at the 2016 Creativity in Electronics (ACE) Awards, believes that RISC-V will do for the hardware industry what Linux has done for software. For example 5th RISC-V Workshop Points to Growing Interest in the RISC-V Platform.
Sensors are hot in 2017. These tiny, powerful solutions are creating the interface between the analog and the digital world. Data is everywhere, and sensors are at the very heart of that. While no one really knows what technology’s next “killer application” will be, we are confident that any killer app will rely on sensors.Appliance autonomy promises to make life simpler, but this field has still lots of to improve even after year 2017.
Interface ICs will continue to help simplify high-bandwidth designs while making them more robust and reliable. Application areas that will benefit include automotive, communications, and industrial. Both wired and wireless interface solutions have plenty of applications.
Analog’s status is rising as more sensors and actuators are added into electronic devices, pressure is growing to more seamlessly move data seamlessly back and forth between analog and digital circuitry. IoT pushes up demand for analog content and need for communication between these two worlds will continue to grow. Analog and digital always have fit rather uncomfortably together, and that discomfort has grown as SoCs are built using smaller feature sizes. The demand for analog silicon has always existed in the embedded space, but the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT) is increasing the demand for connected mixed-signal content. At 28nm and 16/14nm, standard “analog” IP includes a fair amount of digital content.
It seems that hardware designer is a disappearing resource and software is the king in 2017. It is becoming less and less relevant in what format the device is used in many applications. Card computers are standard products and are found in many different card formats that can be used in very many applications. Embedded development is changing to more and more coding. More software designers that understand some hardware are needed, but it is not easy to leap to move to the hardware to software.
The power electronics market is moving at very fast pace. Besides traditional industrial, renewable, and traction sectors, new applications such as energy-storage systems, micro-grids, and dc chargers are emerging. As the automotive world moves to electric vehicles, this creates challenges for IGBT and SiC-MOSFET ICs, and their associated gate drivers. New packages for high-voltage IGBTs and high-voltage SiC-MOSFETs are introduced.
More custom power distribution and higher voltages on data center computer systems in 2017. OpenRack and OpenCompute projects are increasing the distribution voltage inside the server itself. This approach, plus transitioning to new materials such as gallium nitride in the power-conversion systems, can reduce overall power consumption by 20% and increase server densities by 30-40%.”
Power Modules and Reference Designs will be looked at in 2017 even more than earlier in power electronics. The semiconductor and packaging technologies used in power modules have advanced considerably, and the industry is developing modules today that are denser, less expensive, and easier to use. Designers want to rely on power modules to speed up designs and optimize space using smaller, easy-to-use power modules. Module manufacturers hope that engineers will increasingly choose a module over a discrete design in many applications.
The bi-directional DC/DC converter has been around for a while, but new applications are quickly emerging which necessitate the use of this architecture in so many more systems. Battery back-up systems need bi-directional DC/DC converters. Applications today require better energy efficiency and such systems as green power with solar or wind generation, need storage so that when there is no wind or sun available the electricity flow is not interrupted.
Power supplies need to become more efficient. Both European Union’s (EU) Code of Conduct (CoC) Tier 1 and CoC Tier 2 efficiency standards are to be taken into use. The European Union’s CoC Tier 1 effectively harmonizes the EU with US DoE Level VI and became effective as a voluntary requirement from January 2014, two years ahead of Level VI. Its adoption as an EU Ecodesign rule is currently under review to become law with an implementation date of January 2017. The key difference between the CoC requirements and Level VI is the new 10% load measure, which imposes efficiency requirements under a low-load condition where historically most types of power supplies have been notoriously inefficient. CoC Tier 2 further tightens the no-load and active mode power consumption limits.
During 2016, wireless-power applications started to pick up across many fields in the semiconductor industry, and it will continue to do so. Wireless power will continue to gain traction with increased consumer demand. Hewlett Packard, Dell, jjPlus, and Witricity have already announced products based on Airfuel standards. And, products based upon the Qi standard will continue to grow at a rapid pace.
Other prediction articles:
In Power & Analog 2017 Forecast: What Experts Are Saying article representatives from major players in the semiconductor industry share their predictions for 2017 regarding power modules, wireless power, data converters, wireless sensing, and more.
Looking Ahead to 2017 article tells on to what SIA is focused on working with. “U.S. semiconductor technology should be viewed as a strategic national asset, and the Administration should take a holistic approach in adopting policies to strengthen this vital sector,” the letter says
Hot technologies: Looking ahead to 2017 article collection has EDN and EE Times editors explore some of the hot technologies in 2017 that will shape next year’s technology trends and beyond.
1,115 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Get the Most Scope for Your Dollar
http://www.mwrf.com/test-measurement/get-most-scope-your-dollar?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170720_MWRF-001_495&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12114&utm_medium=email&elq2=8dd177072f69418eb72a5deb24b65a2a
By matching an oscilloscope’s capabilities to your applications’ needs, an optimum match can be made between price and performance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
BLDCs and Smart Gate-Drive Technology: A Match Made in (Power Tool) Heaven
http://www.electronicdesign.com/power/bldcs-and-smart-gate-drive-technology-match-made-power-tool-heaven?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170719_ED-003_334&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12098&utm_medium=email&elq2=45c6f8329c2a4c23a1da0ec4e86b69ce
Sponsored by: Texas Instruments. Designs based on BLDCs are becoming the preferred choice in cordless power-tool applications because they offer a combination of high efficiency and high performance.
1. Cordless power tools and BLDC technology are beginning to dominate the market for low-to-medium power applications. (Source: Acme Tools)
In battery-powered tools, the search for longer battery life has led to the increasing adoption of brushless dc motors (BLDCs) to provide drive power. Compared to their brushed-motor counterparts, BLDCs have higher efficiency, higher torque-to-weight ratio, lower maintenance, higher reliability, and lower noise.
In the midst of all this goodness, there’s just one (tiny) fly in the ointment: Controlling a BLDC requires considerably more electronic circuitry than its less-efficient, noisier, short-lived, slower, and less-powerful predecessors.
2. The BLDC demands a more complicated drive circuit than the earlier brushed DC motor.
The primary blocks in a BLDC controller are:
A supervisory microcontroller unit (MCU), DSP, ASSP, or similar device to run the motor control algorithm
A three-phase power stage with the required power capability
A gate driver to drive the three-phase power stage
A position sensor for accurate motor current commutation
A power supply to power up the MCU and other blocks
What’s the best way to architect a BLDC controller design? Partition options run the gamut—it all depends on the application.
Tomi Engdahl says:
What Keeps Electronics and Electrical Engineers Up at Night?
Topics run the gamut from education and human resources issues to concerns around pricing and products.
http://www.electronicdesign.com/community-home/what-keeps-electronics-and-electrical-engineers-night
10. Outsourcing Issues
9. Concerns about Job Security
8. Dealing with Reductions in Staff
7. Age Discrimination
6. Price/Performance Issues
5. Concerns about the General Health of the Economy
4. Product Quality Issues
3. Product Reliability Issues
2. Looming Project Deadlines
1. Staying Current with New and Emerging Technologies
The biggest concern for EEs in the job market today? How to stay ahead of the curve with the fast-paced development of new and emerging technologies. With the advent of machine learning, artificial intelligence, new materials, augmented reality, and deep learning, we’ve entered a whole new world of production and innovation. Then there’s the IoT revolution, 3D printing, and industrial automation. It’s all enough to make your head spin. The good news: staying informed and educated will provide the EE with the knowledge base to view these new and emerging technologies as opportunities instead of anxieties.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Manual Probe System Positioned for THz Testing
http://www.mwrf.com/test-measurement/manual-probe-system-positioned-thz-testing?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170718_MWRF-001_53&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12070&utm_medium=email&elq2=313a008a4d3d4cbf819f91494846588e
This stable, precise probe station and companion test probes provide the capabilities to make measurements at the limits of commercial VNAs, and well into the THz frequency range.
Practical semiconductor devices at millimeter-wave frequencies will be needed to enable the realization of the many small cells with high-data-rate capacities for Fifth Generation (5G) wireless communications networks. Part of developing those high-frequency, high-speed devices will be testing them during design and development and then in production. The TS150-THZ manual probe system from MPI Corp. has been designed for on-wafer measurements not just through the entire millimeter-wave frequency range, but at terahertz (THz) frequencies as well.
The TS150-THz manual probe system (Fig. 1) is designed for benchtop use, with easy access to a device under test, such as a semiconductor wafer.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Will Today’s Microwave Oven Soon be a Thing of the Past?
Solid-state RF energy has the potential to drastically change the way we cook food.
http://www.mwrf.com/systems/will-today-s-microwave-oven-soon-be-thing-past?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170711_MWRF-001_462&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=11946&utm_medium=email&elq2=ebb6ec453fbc41ffad463d93fa89c0a6
Odds are you currently have a microwave oven in your home. As you probably already know, those ovens, which can be found everywhere today, are based on magnetron technology. And while they have served households relatively well for many years, magnetron-based microwave ovens may likely disappear in the not-too-distant future. The reason why is solid-state RF energy.
Because the magnetron-based microwave oven has been used for so long and is so prevalent, it may be difficult to believe that it could simply go away. However, solid-state RF energy does offer several clear benefits that cannot be ignored. For one, it allows food to be cooked more precisely in comparison with the traditional magnetron ovens. Much healthier food can be cooked, too—surely an important aspect these days. In general, when you think of microwaveable food, “health” food is not exactly what comes to mind. But solid-state RF energy could revise our definition of the microwaved meal.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The new cell captures almost all the energy from sunlight
On today’s commercial cell phones, the efficiency is at best about 25 percent, usually below this.
American scientists at George Washington University have developed a new type of solar cell prototype capable of capturing virtually all of the sun’s energy. The efficiency of the cell is 44.5 percent
The sensor developed by the researchers is based on panels with lenses focusing on small micro-sized cells of sunlight. The cells have a size of less than a square millimeter so they can utilize exotic materials cost-effectively.
Researchers recall that 99% of the sun’s energy coming from Earth is located at 250 to 2500 nanometer wavelengths. However, conventional solar cells can not capture this entire spectrum.
A cell built by researchers in Washington is particularly capable of capturing the light of a longer wavelength, based on gallium antimony (GaSb), usually used in infrared lasers and light detectors.
It is very expensive.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6596-uusi-kenno-vangitsee-lahes-kaiken-energian-auringonvalosta
Tomi Engdahl says:
Engineers invent the first bio-compatible, ion current battery
https://techxplore.com/news/2017-07-bio-compatible-ion-current-battery.html
Engineers at the University of Maryland have invented an entirely new kind of battery. It is bio-compatible because it produces the same kind of ion-based electrical energy used by humans and other living things.
In our bodies, flowing ions (sodium, potassium and other electrolytes) are the electrical signals that power the brain and control the rhythm of the heart, the movement of muscles, and much more.
In traditional batteries, the electrical energy, or current, flows in form of moving electrons. This current of electrons out of the battery is generated within the battery by moving positive ions from one end (electrode) of a battery to the other. The new UMD battery does the opposite. It moves electrons around in the device to deliver energy that is a flow of ions. This is the first time that an ionic current-generating battery has been invented.
“My intention is for ionic systems to interface with human systems,”
Bio-compatible, bio-material batteries
Because living cells work on ionic current and existing batteries provide an electronic current, scientists have previously tried to figure out how to create biocompatibility between these two by patching an electronic current into an ionic current. The problem with this approach is that electronic current needs to reach a certain voltage to jump the gap between electronic systems and ionic systems. However, in living systems ionic currents flow at a very low voltage. Thus, with an electronic-to-ionic patch the induced current would be too high to run, say, a brain or a muscle. This problem could be eliminated by using ionic current batteries, which could be run at any voltage.
The new UMD battery also has another unusual feature – it uses grass to store its energy. To make the battery, the team soaked blades of Kentucky bluegrass in lithium salt solution. The channels that once moved nutrients up and down the grass blade were ideal conduits to hold the solution.
The demonstration battery the research team created looks like two glass tubes with a blade of grass inside, each connected by a thin metal wire at the top. The wire is where the electrons flow through to move from one end of the battery to the other as the stored energy slowly discharges. At the other end of each glass tube is a metal tip through which the ionic current flows.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Will Your Engineering Industry See Jobs Growth Over Next 7 Years?
https://www.designnews.com/aerospace/will-your-engineering-industry-see-jobs-growth-over-next-7-years?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170726.tst004t
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects continual growth for engineering employment over the next 7 years, just not in every industry.
New projections from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate engineering jobs will grow 3% over the coming seven years. While some disciplines such as aerospace engineering will experience a small decline, jobs for most engineering disciplines are on the rise.
Employment for engineers will expand by roughly 67,200 new jobs. The growth rate is slower than the average for all occupations, in part, because several engineering technician categories are projected to decline as improvements in technology, such as design software, make workers more productive.
The median annual wage for engineering jobs is currently $77,900. The engineering median wages are higher than the median annual wage for all occupations, which is currently $37,040.
Computer Hardware Engineers
This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $115,080.
Employment of computer hardware engineers is projected to grow 3 percent through 2024, about average among engineering disciplines. A limited number of engineers will be needed to meet the demand for new computer hardware because more technological innovation takes place with software than with hardware.
Electrical Engineering Technicians
This associates degree job averages a salary of $62,190.
Employment of electrical engineering technicians is projected to decline 2 percent through 2024. Employment of these technicians is projected to decline in manufacturing and in the federal government.
Electrical Engineers
This bachelor’s degree job averages a salary of $96,270.
Employment of electrical engineers is projected to show little or no change through 2024. Change in employment is expected to be tempered by slow growth or decline in most manufacturing sectors in which electrical and electronics engineers are employed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
11 Myths About E-paper Displays
http://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded-revolution/11-myths-about-e-paper-displays?code=UM_NN7TT2&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12191&utm_medium=email&elq2=aeff0ada2b4943c0aa35c670fbdc13fd
Designers who want to add a display to their designs, but are hampered by limited power budgets, increasingly look to e-paper as a solution.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Machine Learning Popularity Grows
https://semiengineering.com/machine-learnings-popularity-grows/
After two decades of experimentation, the semiconductor industry is scrambling to embrace this approach.
Machine learning and deep learning are showing a sharp growth trajectory in many industries. Even the semiconductor industry, which generally has resisted this technology, is starting to changing its tune.
Both machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) have been successfully used for image recognition in autonomous driving, speech recognition in natural language processing applications, and for multiple uses in the health care industry. The general consensus is that it can be similarly applied to semiconductor design.
his isn’t exactly a new idea, though. The basis for ML and DL in chip design dates back nearly two decades, and the concept of ML/DL dates back another three decades before that.
“We called it ‘metrics’ in 1998-1999,” said Andrew Kahng, a professor of computer science and engineering at UC San Diego. “The main principle was measure everything, data-mine the log files, predict tool sweet spots and failures, and figure out how to tune specific tool options for a specific design instance.”
That made sense on paper, but actual adoption lagged.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Is Your Part Numbering Scheme Costing You Millions
http://www.electronicdesign.com/embedded/your-part-numbering-scheme-costing-you-millions?utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12086&utm_medium=email&elq2=85f216e199324185bd60e75d7960b0af
Manufacturers of complicated electronic products must manage, track and store hundreds, if not thousands of parts in their product development processes. And every time a new part is added to a company’s library, it can cost $15k in time and effort to qualify and rollout. That’s serious money. And that’s why choosing the proper part numbering scheme to reference your parts is critical to your manufacturing business’s success.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ions Power Machine-Human Interface Demo
Inverted battery forms artificial synapse
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332069&
An “inverted” battery that converts electrical signals into the ionic current used by the human brain’s neuron-to-neuron synapses could provide the perfect machine-to-human interface, according to the University of Maryland’s NanoCenter, which recently demonstrated an organic prototype using plant fibers to provide the ion channels.
Tomi Engdahl says:
ST Prepares for ToF Sensor Product Ramp
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332068&
STMicroelectronics has revealed better than expected second quarter results. Net revenues of $1.92 billion were up 5.6 percent sequentially, 12.9 percent year over year.
Of particular interest to analysts is the company’s imaging products sector, as there has been speculation in the industry that Apple’s iPhone 8, expected later this year, incorporates an ST time of flight (ToF) imaging sensor. ToF sensor technology is used in proximity and ranging sensors for smartphones. ST’s cumulative shipments for its FlightSense ToF technology have reached 300 million, and they are already in more than 80 smartphone models from 15 OEMs.
Revenue for imaging products this quarter increased 60 percent compared to the same quarter last year, but was down slightly on a sequential basis to $68 million.
ST’s outlook for the third quarter has revenue over all product sectors expected to increase around 9 percent sequentially — this represents year on year growth of about 16.6 percent.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automotive, Industrial Continue to Drive TI’s Sales Gains
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332067&
Texas Instruments Inc. reported a second consecutive quarter of double digit year-over-year sales gains as continued strength in the automotive and industrial chip sectors continue to propel its business.
TI (Dallas) reported sales of $3.69 billion and a profit of $1.06 billion for the quarter, increases of 13 percent and 29 percent, respectively compared to the second quarter of 2016. The company said it expects sales for the third quarter to grow to between $3.74 billion to $4.06 billion, beating consensus analysts’ forecasts.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New York Times:
Foxconn says it plans to invest $10B in Wisconsin plant, creating 3,000 jobs, manufacturing flat-panel displays for TVs and other consumer electronics
Foxconn Says It Plans to Build Factory in Wisconsin, Adding 3,000 Jobs
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/business/foxconn-factory-wisconsin-jobs.html
Foxconn, the Taiwanese electronics supplier for Apple and other tech giants, said Wednesday it would open its first major American factory in Wisconsin, a boost both for the battleground state’s economy and the Trump administration’s efforts to bolster domestic manufacturing.
White House officials noted President Trump’s direct negotiations with Foxconn for the project, which they said would create at least 3,000 jobs and represent a $10 billion investment.
Mr. Trump joined Foxconn’s chairman, Terry Gou, at the White House for an announcement on Wednesday, with two Wisconsin Republicans, Gov. Scott Walker and Paul D. Ryan, the House speaker, in attendance.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Natalie Gagliordi / ZDNet:
Intel reports Q2 revenue of $14.8B, up 9% YoY, vs. 14.4B expected, net income of 2.8B, up 111%; IoT revenue was $720M, up 26% YoY; data center revenue was $4.4B
Intel tops Q2 targets, raises outlook
http://www.zdnet.com/article/intel-tops-q2-targets-raises-outlook/
Intel is raising its full-year revenue outlook, citing higher expectations for the PC business.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Much Verification Is Necessary?
https://semiengineering.com/how-much-verification-is-necessary/
Sorting out issues about which tool to use when is a necessary first step—and something of an art.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Explosive Growth Ahead
https://semiengineering.com/explosive-growth-ahead/
The saturation of the mobile market is just the beginning of the next big things.
Over the next five years, sales across the semiconductor supply chain will double from $2 trillion to $4 trillion, said Ajit Manocha, president and CEO of SEMI, during the opening presentation at Semicon West this month. These are gigantic numbers, and they reflect some massive shifts now underway across the semiconductor industry.
Many chipmakers have been trying to figure out the next big thing—a successor to the smart phone revolution, which succeeded the PC revolution before that, and the minicomputer revolution before that. What is becoming obvious is there is no single next big thing. There are many of them, including IoT, IIoT, augmented/virtual reality, AI/machine learning, health-care, automotive, and 3D printing. These markets have no precedent in electronics, which means all growth is new and not built on some previous architecture. The result is that no company has an unassailable lead position, and no one can sit back and rest on previous successes.
This is obvious in the automotive segment, which was considered impenetrable to outside companies for many years. The U.S. car industry was often referred to as the Big Three—GM, Ford and Chrysler. The genius of Tesla was to approach the market differently, creating electric vehicles rather than trying to compete on price or horsepower or gas mileage.
Then there is China, which is a huge opportunity unto itself. There were 24 new fab announcements last year in China.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SiC Power Modules Charge Up Venturi Formula E Cars
http://www.electronicdesign.com/power/sic-power-modules-charge-venturi-formula-e-cars?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170724_ED-003_138&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12151&utm_medium=email&elq2=0ba291ffbb0c49a59b131ec2d0955f8c
As more power electronic devices find their way into electrical racing vehicles, semiconductor companies and automakers partner up to develop better wideband-gap devices.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trying to Keep the Noise Down
http://www.mwrf.com/test-measurement/trying-keep-noise-down?NL=MWRF-001&Issue=MWRF-001_20170727_MWRF-001_591&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12227&utm_medium=email&elq2=7941b9f54bd249e3addc99b82d8bfd60
In electronic components and systems, noise is inevitable. While it can’t be stopped, it can be measured and understood to the point where its effects can be overcome.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Antennas Focus on Near-Field Applications
Antennas and antenna arrays can be optimized for improved near-field (NF) performance.
http://www.mwrf.com/components/antennas-focus-near-field-applications
Not all antennas are required to generate radiation patterns reaching “to the moon.” For some applications, it is an antenna’s near-field (NF) radiation characteristics that are of most interest, such as for short-distance communications, or for biomedical engineering where a focused electromagnetic (EM) field may be needed to irradiate a tumor. To better understand the design considerations in creating near-field-focused (NFF) microwave antennas, a pair of researchers from Italy’s University of Pisa explored the different types of antennas and arrays that could be used for NF applications, along with various techniques that could help optimize antennas and arrays for NF applications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Almost two square kilometers of silicon wafers
Semiconductor manufacturers, SEMI, have released data on silicon sales in the second quarter. All in all, the wafer was made up of an area of 2978 million square inches. It equals about 1.9 square kilometers – could have covered over three golf courses.
The sector is 4.2 per cent larger than in the first quarter of the year.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6599-lahes-kaksi-neliokilometria-piikiekkoja
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wall Street Journal:
Inside China’s government-led plans to conquer the semiconductor industry, which could cost around $150B, worrying US government and analysts
Globalization in Retreat
China’s Next Target: U.S. Microchip Hegemony
https://www.wsj.com/articles/chinas-next-target-u-s-microchip-hegemony-1501168303?mod=e2tw
The semiconductor industry, a stalwart of the global economy, is succumbing to fierce nationalistic competition
WUHAN, China—At a muddy construction site the size of 12 baseball stadiums, globalization is turning into nationalism.
Truck after truck delivers steel rods to China’s Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd., a state-owned firm that’s spending $24 billion to build the country’s first advanced memory-chip factories. It’s part of the Chinese government’s plan to become a major player in the global chip market and the move is setting off alarms in Washington.
China is aiming “to take over more and more segments of the semiconductor market,” says White House trade adviser Peter Navarro, who fears Beijing will flood the market with inexpensive products and bankrupt U.S. companies.
Unigroup’s CEO Zhao Weiguo says he is only building his own factories due to Washington’s refusal to let him invest in the U.S. “Chinese companies have faced discrimination in many areas,”
Semiconductors—the computer chips that enabled the digital age and power the international economy—have long been among the most globalized of industries, with design and manufacturing spread across dozens of countries.
Today, the industry is riven by a nationalist battle between China and the U.S., one that reflects broad currents reshaping the path of globalization. Washington accuses Beijing of using government financing and subsidies to try to dominate semiconductors as it did earlier with steel, aluminum, and solar power. China claims U.S. complaints are a poorly disguised attempt to hobble China’s development.
“If [the Chinese] become a very big and fully competitive technological competitor, then what does that do to our industry?” said Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in an interview. “Does it destroy our semiconductor industry economically?”
The U.S. views China as its biggest semiconductor challenge since Japan in the late 1980s.
Tomi Engdahl says:
The Week In Review: Manufacturing
UMC enters 22nm biz; Lam, KLA results; 5G; M&A slowdown.
https://semiengineering.com/the-week-in-review-manufacturing-167/
UMC has generated sales from its recently-announced 14nm finFET technology. The foundry vendor also plans to enter the 22nm process technology market. UMC will join other players in the 22nm arena, such as GlobalFoundries, Intel and TSMC. “
Samsung Electronics posted its results. It saw strength in both the memory and foundry businesses. ‘’Samsung avoided providing 2017 capex guidance once again; however, the company stated the obvious: that capex should be up ‘significantly’ over 2016. We model Samsung capex up 54% in USD in 2017, compared to 2016,”
Market research
The historic flood of merger and acquisition deals that swept through the IC industry in the past two years has slowed to a trickle in the first half of 2017, according to IC Insights.
SEMI reported that the three-month average of worldwide billings of North American equipment manufacturers in June 2017 was $2.29 billion. The billings figure is 0.8% higher than the final May 2017 level of $2.27 billion, and is 33.4% higher than the June 2016 billings level of $1.72 billion.
Worldwide silicon wafer area shipments increased during the second quarter 2017 when compared to first quarter 2017 area shipments, according to the SEMI Silicon Manufacturers Group (SMG).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Semiconductor Equipment Sales Rise Again
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332078&
Sales of semiconductor capital equipment continue to accelerate, boosted by a booming memory chip market and the migration to more advanced technology nodes.
North America based fab tool vendors posted both sequential and year-over-year increases in billings once again in June, as the industry remains on track for its record sales.
“Through the first half of the year, 2017 equipment billings are 50 percent above the same period last year,” said Dan Tracy, senior director for industry research and statistics at the SEMI trade association.
Tomi Engdahl says:
UMC Breaks into 14nm
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332073&
United Microelectronics Corp. (UMC), Taiwan’s second largest foundry, has started its first production of 14nm products, narrowing a technology gap with its larger competitors such as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) and Samsung.
UMC said that, during the second quarter this year, 14nm accounted for 1 percent of its total revenue for the first time.
In the meantime, the company slashed its 2017 capital expenditure budget to $1.7 billion from the $2 billion it had earmarked earlier this year. UMC’s capex for 2016 was $2.8 billion.
“Operational efficiency will be the focus,” said Jason Wang, the newly appointed co-president of UMC, at an event to announce the company’s second-quarter results. “We are aligning to the current demand outlook.”
The company said it may cede competition at the 10nm and 7nm nodes to larger rivals TSMC and Samsung, where UMC said there will be “less demand”. UMC said it will focus on addressable markets where there is still plenty of room to grow.
No. 1 foundry TSMC plans to hold steady, with capital expenditures reaching about $10 billion this year. In 2016, the company’s capex came in at $10.4 billion. TSMC, Samsung and Intel are the top three spenders in the chip industry.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SiC and GaN vs. IGBTs: The Imminent Tug of War for Supremacy
Automotive, industrial, and other applications that require smaller size, lighter weight, and more efficient operation are increasingly looking to SiC and GaN solutions.
http://www.powerelectronics.com/automotive/sic-and-gan-vs-igbts-imminent-tug-war-supremacy?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170731_ED-003_546&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12274&utm_medium=email&elq2=673f0e6c7ecd4dbd9528b01e1872f76c
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel is no longer the biggest
Intel has been the world’s largest semiconductor company since 1993 when it launched its first Pentium processors. But there is no more. During the second quarter of the year, Samsung went through the strong growth of the memory and the number one in the statistics.
The development was already predicted by several analysts. The figures for April-June confirm this. Samsung’s net sales in the second quarter were nearly $ 15.8 billion, while Intel was $ 14.8 billion.
In the memory circuit market, the castings are large and fast. Over the past year, the average prices of both NAND and DRAM have grown rapidly, which has increased the net sales of the largest manufacturer, Samsung.
At this point, very high growth appears to be folding in memory chips, so can Intel return to the semiconductor industry’s largest company? Analysts say this is not going to happen at least this year.
Source: http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/6609-intel-ei-enaa-ole-suurin
Tomi Engdahl says:
Bloomberg:
Sony’s Q1 profit of $1.4B tops estimates, thanks in part to 3.3M sales of PlayStation 4 consoles and demand for smartphone camera sensors
Sony Tops Profit Estimates as Chips, Music Lead Growth
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-01/sony-tops-profit-estimates-as-games-chips-music-lead-growth
Sony Corp.’s turnaround is right on track.
The Japanese electronics and entertainment company posted quarterly profit that topped analyst estimates, thanks to demand for smartphone camera chips, a healthy music business and brisk sales of PlayStation 4 consoles and games. Operating profit was 157.6 billion yen ($1.4 billion) in the fiscal first quarter that ended in June, beating analysts’ average projection for 133.3 billion yen. Sales rose 15 percent to 1.86 trillion yen, topping predictions.
After a tumultuous year that included an earthquake that crippled camera-chip production and a $1 billion writedown in films, the latest quarter is a return to stability for Chief Executive Officer Kazuo Hirai.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Intel Quashes Quark for IoT Nodes
Microcontroller-class x86 gives way to ARM
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332098
Intel has apparently ended efforts to drive its x86 architecture into microcontroller-class chips and end nodes on the Internet of Things. Analysts generally applauded the move, although they noted it reflects in part on a market for wearables that has not emerged as fast as predicted.
Multiple reports said Intel has ended sales of Currie and other IoT boards using its Quark processors. However, the company did not directly respond to questions about Quark, a stripped down x86 chip CEO Brian Krzanich announced in his first keynote at the company’s annual developer conference.
As recently as last August, Intel presented a paper describing its D2000, a 32-bit x86 processor that consumed as little as 35 milliwatts in active mode. At the time the engineer describing the device at Hot Chips said Intel had plans “to scale [Quark] from MCUs to right below the Atom X1000 for Linux with lots of implementation options in cores and SoCs.”
At one time, Intel fielded as many as three Quark chips — the SE, D2000 and D1000. All were spins of the original synthesized Pentium-class core Krzanich announced in 2013 as a 32nm part, one-fifth the size and one-tenth the power of Intel’s Atom core.
Intel rolled out several IoT boards using Quark chips, including several compatible with Arduino starting in October 2013.
“IoT remains an important growth business for Intel and we are committed to IoT market segments that access, analyze and share data. These include retail, industrial, automotive and video, which will drive billions of connected devices,” the spokesman said, suggesting the company will focus on Atom-based gateways as its new low end.
“Intel tried to take the x86 everywhere but the MCU business is not amenable to Intel’s business model of high margins and volumes and they had no second sources for the modules,”
Krewell and others said Quark may continue as a block in future SoCs, but it is not likely to appear as a standalone chip. Lack of influence over the software stack in IoT end nodes shouldn’t have a big impact for Intel, said Linley Gwennap, principal of market watcher The Linley Group.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trump’s LCD Win—the Big Picture
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332074&
Foxconn is apparently considering smartphone manufacturing in the U.S., raising questions about what deals the Trump Administration is offering.
Buried in Foxconn’s press release yesterday about a $10 billion Wisconsin LCD fab was an eye-opening statement.
Chairman Terry Gou said the Wisconsin plant was “the first in a series of facilities we will build in several U.S. states, this is part of a bigger plan to create a robust 8K+5G ecosystem in the United States,” implying smartphone manufacturing. In remarks at the event President Trump alluded to other plants “in negotiations.”
Tomi Engdahl says:
ST Sprints While Q’comm Deal Hobbles NXP
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332087
STMicroelectronics is sprinting toward the winner’s circle in microcontrollers, near field communications (NFC) chips and sensors, while NXP Semiconductors is hobbled by its pending acquisition by Qualcomm.
ST, which just announced its Q2 financial results with net revenues of $1.92 billion, up 12.9 percent year over year, is invigorated.
Although ST remains mum about any upcoming design wins, the positive glow at the Franco-Italian company today is fueled by growing speculation among market analysts that ST’s time of flight (ToF) imaging sensors and NFC chips are getting designed into leading smartphones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MediaTek’s Market Share Continues to Slide
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332093&
MediaTek, the second-ranked smartphone chip supplier after Qualcomm, said that its market share has continued a slide that started earlier this year due to a slowdown in product upgrades.
MediaTek’s rivals, including some in China, appear to be making headway with handset makers such as Huawei, Oppo and Vivo, which have continued to outpace the growth of the top two smartphone makers, Samsung and Apple, according to a report from market research firm Gartner.
“We are still losing market share,” said MediaTek Senior Vice President David Ku on a conference call to announce the company’s second-quarter results. “We won’t reverse that trend until the fourth quarter this year.”
The company’s second-quarter revenue of NT$72.5 billion ($2.4 billion) plunged 19.9 percent from the same period a year ago. Net income was the worst in more than five years.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Fab: Millstone Around Your Neck. Or Pearls?
http://www.eetimes.com/author.asp?section_id=36&doc_id=1332097&
Our blind faith in fabless strategies must be challenged. Why does ST value its Rousset Fab, and why on earth is Apple sending a design team to Grenoble?
Those who have seen the rise and demise of integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) tend not to appreciate the value of fabs. We say, “Fab? Hardly!”
However, on a recent trip to Rousset, France, I chatted with industry executives and analysts, who opened my eyes to the fact that our blind faith in fabless strategies needs to be challenged.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Spin Wave Breakthrough Solves Signal Propagation Challenge
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332088&
Spin wave technology goes back decades, but as an alternative to semiconductor circuits that transmit information by electric charges, it’s been hampered by the fact that the properties of its signal propagation vary in different directions — until now.
Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a method of propagating spin waves that lead to the development of high speed, miniaturized data processing devices, which could have huge potential as memory devices that are more energy efficient, faster and higher in capacity.
Spin wave based devices use collective excitations of electronic spins in magnetic materials as a carrier of information. But as Professor Adekunle Adeyeye from NUS’ department of electrical and computer engineering explained in an interview with EE Times, the technology’s anisotropic signal propagation creates challenges for practical industrial applications of spin wave-based devices.
However, Adeyeye’s research team recently developed a method for the simultaneous propagation of spin wave signals in multiple directions at the same frequency, without the need for any external magnetic field
Tomi Engdahl says:
Touch-Sensitive Fibers Eyed for Use in Wearable Devices
https://www.designnews.com/materials-assembly/touch-sensitive-fibers-eyed-use-wearable-devices/41170072757180?cid=nl.x.dn14.edt.aud.dn.20170802.tst004t
Touch-sensitive technology could be coming to wearables thanks to new elastic fibers developed by researchers at North Carolina State University.
Touchscreen-like capability may be coming to wearables thanks to new touch-sensitive elastic fibers developed by researchers at North Carolina State University.
A team of scientists at the university have developed soft and stretchable fibers that can detect touch, strain, and twisting, said Michael Dickey, a professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. The fibers—which are microscopic—could be useful for integrating electronics in new places, including wearable technology, he said.
“They key idea is to be able to put touch sensitive technology in a fiber that is very stretchable,” Dickey told Design News in an interview.
Indeed, the technology invented by his team is “nearly identical to a touchscreen in terms of the sensing mechanism, [which is] capacitance, but there are two key physical differences,” he said. “It is in the shape of a fiber, which means it could–in principle–be incorporated into clothing for example and two, it is as stretchable as a rubber band.”
Dickey said the concept of the fibers is fairly simple. The team created hollow, elastic tubes and filled them with a liquid metal alloy of eutectic gallium and indium (EGaIn). The tubes, or fibers, consist of three strands that are only a few hundred microns in diameter, or just slightly thicker than a human hair.
Researchers filled the fibers with different volumes of EGaIn. One is completely filled with EGaIN, one is two-thirds filled, and one is only one-third filled with with the alloy. They then twisted the slim tubes together into a tight spiral, he said.
Because the metal is liquid, stretching the tube moves the metal along with it and stays conductive, Dickey explained. “It can sense touch due to changes in capacitance between the metal and your finger (your body is essentially a conductor) which are separated by the walls of the tube,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
How Will the U.S. Replace its Aging Engineering Workforce?
As more U.S. engineers retire, the U.S. education system will be taxed to provide enough native-born replacement engineers. Or, this may require foreign-born engineers as replacements.
http://www.powerelectronics.com/power-management/how-will-us-replace-its-aging-engineering-workforce?code=UM_NN7TT1&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12265&utm_medium=email&elq2=ede28b320cf34af7864234d7869c1c72
Tomi Engdahl says:
Step-Down dc-dc Converter Eliminates Ferrite Cores at 50kHz Enabling Power Supply on Chip with One-Cycle Transient
http://www.powerelectronics.com/power-management/step-down-dc-dc-converter-eliminates-ferrite-cores-50khz-enabling-power-supply-chip?code=UM_NN7TT1&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12265&utm_medium=email&elq2=ede28b320cf34af7864234d7869c1c72
Virtually all present-day DC-DC converters store DC energy in magnetic devices with ferrite cores, such as inductors with DC bias. A new topology for non-isolated step-down dc-dc converters discards ferrite cores completely. The new Resonance Scaling Method results in use of 10nH resonant inductors even at 50kHz switching frequency and an effective factor of 1,000 times reduction of the magnetic size and weight of comparable buck converter at 50kHz.This opens a new power electronics era with the first true Power-Supply-on-a-Chip.
The groundbreaking PWM-Resonant Ćuk topology could revolutionize the design of non-isolated, step-down dc-dc converters. This new topology provides much higher-efficiency, fast-transient response settling in one cycle, with much smaller size and lower weight than its ferrite core cousins. This converter is ideal for 12V to 1V applications for supplying microprocessors, as it replaces four to eight modules of a multiphase buck converter with a single converter.
Tomi Engdahl says:
New Storage Options Dominate Flash Memory Summit
Check out some of the latest storage technology making its way to this year’s Flash Memory Summit.
http://www.electronicdesign.com/industrial-automation/new-storage-options-dominate-flash-memory-summit?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170802_ED-003_274&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12301&utm_medium=email&elq2=9564acd6a13d45fa951373e07cf3dab4
This year’s Flash Memory Summit (FMS) will be the showcase for all things storage, highlighting technologies just breaking into the market. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express), an important player at FMS since its inception, will continue make its presence felt, especially in terms of mobile and automotive applications. Another hot topic will be quadruple-level-cell (QLC) NAND flash, such as Western Digital’s and Toshiba’s 768-Gb, 3D BiCS flash-memory chips.
Tomi Engdahl says:
LDOs Bring High Efficiency and Low Noise Regulation to Industrial Automation
http://www.electronicdesign.com/power/ldos-bring-high-efficiency-and-low-noise-regulation-industrial-automation?code=UM_NN6TI79&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12312&utm_medium=email&elq2=697ed02dcf0e4c18af9096d1bba5c283
Sponsored by: Texas Instruments. Switched mode or linear? Often times, the best solution for industrial equipment is a linear power supply that incorporates a low-dropout regulator with overcurrent and thermal protection.
Designing a power-supply system for industrial automation equipment requires a thorough understanding of the surroundings and conditions that affect the functionality of the wide range of equipment involved. The most important design decision is whether to use linear power supplies or switch-mode power supplies (SMPS).
Today, SMPS are the most popular because of their high efficiency. However, they do have downsides that make linear supplies more desirable. Linear supplies also have their disadvantages, but often turn out to be the best choice for industrial use. Even better is a “have your cake and eat it too” solution: Use a linear supply with low-dropout (LDO) regulators.
The main disadvantage of the SMPS is its noise generation.
Linear supplies with linear regulators don’t have the noise problem. Furthermore, ripple is greatly reduced by large capacitive filters and the feedback action of the regulator circuitry.
The big issue with these supplies, though, is that the efficiency is very poor
This linear operation requires the minimum overhead be observed to maintain regulation. The overall benefit is no noise generation traded off for efficiency.
One definition of LDO is a regulator that operates with a series-pass-transistor voltage drop of less than 1 V. A dropout voltage of 1 V or more defines a conventional linear regulator.
A dropout of less than 1 V can be achieved with a PNP bipolar series pass transistor, but modern designs generally use a P-type MOSFET with very low dropout voltages of less than 100 mV (in addition to low on-resistance)
The Current-Limiting Issue
Some applications put excessive stress on power supplies, especially in industrial automation. High temperature and high voltages are very common. Another potential problem is excessive current draw or a short circuit. Sudden high current flow will typically damage the regulator unless it’s compensated for. That problem can be handled by incorporating LDOs with internal overcurrent protection.
The foldback method of current limiting attempts to keep total power dissipation at a constant level. If overcurrent conditions occur, the circuitry reduces the output current and there’s a decrease in output voltage (Fig. 3). This keeps the power dissipation within the capability of the device.
Different LDOs use different methods of current limiting
While LDOs are more efficient than standard linear regulators, they still dissipate power. Most LDOs also include thermal-shutdown circuitry, which turns off the device if the temperature exceeds the limit—usually in the 150-170º range. In some applications, a heat sink may be needed.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Two New SAM Microcontroller Families with Extensive CIO
https://www.eeweb.com/news/two-new-sam-microcontroller-families-with-extensive-cio
The SAM D5x and SAM E5x microcontroller (MCU) families are now available from Microchip Technology Inc. These new 32-bit MCU families offer extensive connectivity interfaces, powerful performance and robust hardware-based security for a wide variety of applications.
The SAM D5/E5 microcontrollers combine the performance of an ARM® Cortex®-M4 processor with a Floating Point Unit (FPU). This combination offloads the Central Processing Unit (CPU), increasing system efficiency and enabling process-intensive applications on a low-power platform. Running at up to 120 MHz, the D5x and E5x MCUs feature up to 1 MB of dual-panel Flash with Error Correction Code (ECC), easily enabling live updates with no interruption to the running system. Additionally, these families are available with up to 256 KB of SRAM with ECC, vital to mission-critical applications such as medical devices or server systems.
Additionally, the SAM E5 family includes two CAN-FD ports and a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet Media Access Controller (MAC) with IEEE 1588 support, making it well-suited for industrial automation, connected home and other Internet of Things (IoT) applications.
Both the SAM D5x and E5x families contain comprehensive cryptographic hardware and software support, enabling developers to incorporate security measures at a design’s inception. Hardware-based security features include a Public Key Cryptographic Controller (PUKCC) supporting Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) and RSA schemes as well as an Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) cipher and Secure Hash Algorithms (SHA).
Tomi Engdahl says:
Flexible Devices Drive New IoT Apps
Flexible technology becomes a critical component of new markets.
https://semiengineering.com/flexible-devices-drive-new-iot-apps/
Printed and flexible electronics are becoming almost synonymous with many emerging applications in the IoT, and as the technologies progress so do the markets that rely on those technologies.
Flexible sensors factor into a number of IoT use cases such as agriculture, health care, and structural health monitoring. Other types of flexible devices are essential to the IoT, especially in wearable gadgets, such as fitness bands and smartwatches.
BeBop Sensors of Berkeley, Calif., is a case in point. The company supplies smart fabrics to develop flexible pressure sensors for OEMs. BeBop’s sensors go into bicycle helmets, car seats, data gloves, shoes, Spandex clothing, and steering wheels, among other products. The smart fabric sensors were originally developed for musical instruments by BeBop founder Keith McMillen for his older company, Keith McMillen Instruments, tying instruments to computers and software.
IDTechEx forecasts the world market for printed, flexible, and organic electronics will increase from $29.28 billion this year to $73.43 billion in 2027. Most of that revenue comes from organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) going into displays, lighting, and televisions, along with conductive inks. Emerging applications are stretchable electronics, logic and memory devices, and thin-film sensors, according to the market research firm.
Tomi Engdahl says:
IP Business Changing As Markets Shift
https://semiengineering.com/ip-business-changing-as-markets-fragment/
Experts at the Table, part 1: Rising complexity, new technologies, and the challenges of keeping track of and protecting intellectual property are straining the ecosystem.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Five-junction photovoltaic cell has 44.5% efficiency
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2017/07/five-junction-photovoltaic-cell-has-44-5-efficiency.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_lfw_detectors_and_imaging_newsletter_2017-08-03
Scientists at George Washington University and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (both in Washington, DC), Sotera Defense Solutions (Annapolis Junction, MD), Semprius (Durham, NC), and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have designed and constructed a prototype for a new solar cell that has five semiconductor junctions — three in a gallium arsenide (GaAs)-based section and two in a gallium antimonide (GaSb) section.1
The two overlapping types of photovoltaic cell each capture a different portion of the solar spectrum, allowing conversion of direct sunlight to electricity with 44.5% efficiency, giving it the potential to become the most efficient solar cell in the world. By comparison, the ubiquitous silicon solar cell converts only a quarter of the available energy into electricity.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Advances in Detectors: Graphene photodetectors advance with help from collective EU Flagship
http://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/print/volume-53/issue-07/features/advances-in-detectors-graphene-photodetectors-advance-with-help-from-collective-eu-flagship.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_lfw_detectors_and_imaging_newsletter_2017-08-03
The wideband optical response and excellent electronic transport properties of graphene enable photodetectors with high sensitivity, broad spectral range, and fast dynamics-critical advances that could lead to commercial on-chip detector platforms within 10 years.
Graphene is particularly attractive for optoelectronics applications, including telecommunications components, terahertz antennas and detectors, lasers, plasmonic sensors, and photodetectors. Its gapless electronic structure leads to extremely broadband optical absorption, and its high carrier mobility enables ultrafast response times. Graphene’s compact nature, high room-temperature mobility, and compatibility with silicon mean that these functions can be integrated into on-chip platforms, without the need for bulky optics and cooling systems.
Despite its single-atomic thinness, graphene absorbs 2.3% of incident light. There are several different mechanisms for photodetection for graphene-based devices, including photovoltaic current generation, bolometric conductance changes, the photothermoelectric effect, photogating using external photoabsorbers, and plasma-wave assisted detection.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Toshiba Cuts WD Out of New Fab Investment
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332114&
Toshiba announced it would go it alone in buying equipment for a new fab at its Yokkaichi Operations manufacturing site, shunning NAND flash technology and manufacturing partner Western Digital (WD) in the latest dust up in a spate between the firms that threatens to hold up the sale of Toshiba’s semiconductor business.
WD said it still plans to participate in the funding for equipping the fab.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chip Sales Forecasts Continue to Rise
http://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332107&
Market watchers keep raising their forecasts for 2017 semiconductor sales, and the number projections keep get bigger.
This week, market research firm IC Insights Inc. officially upped its estimate for the 2017 semiconductor market, saying it expects sales to increase 16 percent to reach $419.1 billion.
To a large extent, the chip market is booming more than expected thanks to a sustained surge in memory chip pricing driven by tight supply. IC Insights said the DRAM market is now expected to grow by 55 percent this year, while the market for NAND flash is now expected to grow by 35 percent. In both cases, the sales increases are being driven almost entirely by price increases rather than unit growth, the first noted.
The semiconductor industry now appears all but certain to enjoy its first double-digit percentage growth year since 2010, when sales expanded by 33 percent during a recovery from the global financial crisis and the recession that followed. IC Insights said it would mark the fifth time since 2000 that the industry grew by 10 percent or more.
Tomi Engdahl says:
MCU-Based UART Single Chip Communication Device
https://www.eeweb.com/company-news/ixys/mcu-based-uart-single-chip-communication-device
Zilog’s ZDU0110RFX Digital Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter (UART) is a single-chip CMOS communications device which provides full duplex asynchronous communications with a 128 byte FIFO buffer, of which 64 bytes each are allocated to receive and transmit operations.
The Digital UART is a single chip CMOS communications device that provides full duplex asynchronous communications with a 128 byte FIFO buffer (64 bytes for Receive, 64 bytes for Transmit). The Digital UART also contains a 4 Kbit EEPROM and General Purpose Input/Output (GPIO) with a programmable interrupt capability that can be tailored for multiple applications by software.
Tomi Engdahl says:
SiC and GaN vs. IGBTs: The Imminent Tug of War for Supremacy
http://www.powerelectronics.com/automotive/sic-and-gan-vs-igbts-imminent-tug-war-supremacy?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20170731_ED-003_546&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=12274&utm_medium=email&elq2=673f0e6c7ecd4dbd9528b01e1872f76c
Automotive, industrial, and other applications that require smaller size, lighter weight, and more efficient operation are increasingly looking to SiC and GaN solutions.
After years of R&D in the lab, compound semiconductor materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) used for ICs are taking a bigger role in handling electrical power. These wide-bandgap (WBG) devices are ready to carve out a niche in applications that demand the ability to work at high voltages and temperatures while demonstrating high efficiency. They’re poised to take over designs based on insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) technology.
One big factor to be overcome is a relatively higher price, which manufacturers are trying to tackle by using larger wafers. Another issue concerns instabilities in the threshold voltage level caused by a messy transition region between the pure SiC and the grown SiO2 that inhibits carrier mobility. Progress, however, is being made here as well.
Nevertheless, IGBT technology isn’t sitting back, with companies looking to make improvements. IGBTs can block high voltages with low on-state conduction losses and well-controlled switching times. But they’re limited by how fast they can switch while delivering low on-state conduction losses.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Connectors for circuit board without soldering
Phoenix Contact has provided circuit board connectors that are available on the card without any soldering or any tools. SKEDD connectors are based on Würth Elektronik licensed technology.
Würth introduced SKEDD technology initially in 2014. It has slowly become available in electronics manufacturing. According to Phoenix Contact, its SDC 2.5 and SDDC 1.5 series connectors are the market’s first printing connectors for circuit boards. They are sold by TTI.
With the SKEDD connector, the component is connected to the PCB in the finished holes. The part holds a spring in place. Joining does not require soldering or use of any kind of tools. This reduces process costs.
The company offers SKEDD connectors in various variant
Source: http://etn.fi/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6627&via=n&datum=2017-08-04_14:42:48&mottagare=30929
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