SILVACO 073125 Webinar 800x100

Challenges in IP Qualification with Rising Physical Data

Challenges in IP Qualification with Rising Physical Data
by Pawan Fangaria on 12-17-2015 at 7:00 am

With every new technology node, there are newer physical effects that need to be taken into account. And every new physical effect brings with itself several new formats to model them. Often a format is also associated with several of its derivatives, sometimes an standard reincarnation of a proprietary format further evolved… Read More


Why Did Apple Buy a Fab?

Why Did Apple Buy a Fab?
by Scotten Jones on 12-16-2015 at 4:00 pm

It was announced today that Apple has purchased a 200mm fab located in San Jose from Maxim Integrated Products for $18.2 million dollars. My initial reaction to this announcement was shock but then I started thinking through what Apple might use the fab for and I concluded this announcement is less significant and surprising than… Read More


IEDM Blogs – Part 2 – Memory Short Course

IEDM Blogs – Part 2 – Memory Short Course
by Scotten Jones on 12-16-2015 at 12:00 pm

Each year the Sunday before IEDM two short courses are offered. This year I attended Memory Technologies for Future Systems held on Sunday, December 6[SUP]th[/SUP]. I have been to several of these short courses over the years and they are a great way to keep up to date on the latest technology.… Read More


Tis the Season to be kWh Wasteful!

Tis the Season to be kWh Wasteful!
by Alex Lidow on 12-16-2015 at 7:00 am

As the world gears up for the upcoming holiday shopping season, the technology needed by online retailers to meet demands will bring with it many unintended negative byproducts: increased inefficiency, waste and pollution, to name a few. Online sales are expected to grow by 12 percent in the holiday season, on top of an already Read More


Why Connect to the Cloud with Atmel SMART SAM W25?

Why Connect to the Cloud with Atmel SMART SAM W25?
by Eric Esteve on 12-15-2015 at 4:00 pm

Atmel SMART SAM W25 is in fact a module, Atmel names it “SmartConnect Module”. As far as I am concerned I like SmartConnect designation and I think it could be used to describe any IoT edge device. The device is “smart” as it includes a processing unit, in this case ARM Cortex M0 based SAMD21G, and “connect” remind the Internet part of… Read More


Freescale Semiconductor: The End of a Long Journey

Freescale Semiconductor: The End of a Long Journey
by Majeed Ahmad on 12-15-2015 at 7:00 am

“You don’t argue with success,” said Paul Galvin back in 1949 at the creation of a new venture that would eventually become known as Motorola Semiconductor Products Sector. He was referring to how Daniel E. Noble, one of Motorola’s top managers, had persuaded him to set up a small electronics research… Read More


Semiconductor capital spending consolidating

Semiconductor capital spending consolidating
by Bill Jewell on 12-14-2015 at 10:00 pm

Shipments of semiconductor wafer fab equipment are expected to grow 2.5% in 2016 after 0.5% growth in 2015 according to the December forecast from Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI). Gartner is more pessimistic, with its October forecast calling for fab equipment to decline 0.5% in 2015 and drop 2.5%… Read More


Latest Crop of Energy Harvesting Chips Powers IoT Sensor Nodes

Latest Crop of Energy Harvesting Chips Powers IoT Sensor Nodes
by Tom Simon on 12-14-2015 at 12:00 pm

Like death and taxes, changing batteries in remote sensor nodes and wireless IoT devices is often inevitable. Huge effort has been expended on reducing power consumption for battery operated devices, but the day always comes when the battery goes dead. Taking care of this can be as simple as popping open a battery cover and swapping… Read More


Is That My Car on Fire?

Is That My Car on Fire?
by Daniel Payne on 12-14-2015 at 7:00 am

I was kind of shocked when the service manager at our local VW dealership told me that one of the wires in the ignition system of my wife’s New Beetle had started to overheat, melting the insulation and becoming a safety hazard. Why didn’t a fuze just blow, protecting the wiring from overheating? We decided to quickly … Read More


GSA Awards Dinner: Be Mindful!

GSA Awards Dinner: Be Mindful!
by Daniel Nenni on 12-13-2015 at 5:00 pm

The GSA Awards Dinner is the semiconductor version of the Oscars. Lights, cameras, and there is certainly plenty of action. This year there were close to 1,500 people to celebrate the semiconductor industry and all of our accomplishments so it is a networker’s paradise. Quite a few people mentioned purchasing our new book and photos… Read More