microchips

New method could lead to narrower chip patterns

harminka — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:03:03 -0500

Researchers at MIT have found a novel method for etching extremely narrow lines on a microchip, using a material that can be switched from transparent to opaque, and vice versa, just by exposing it to certain wavelengths of light.

MIT reports finer lines for microchips

harminka — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:52:06 -0500

MIT researchers have achieved a significant advance in nanoscale lithographic technology, used in the manufacture of computer chips and other electronic devices, to make finer patterns of lines over larger areas than have been possible with other methods.

Harnessing power of light to pattern surfaces on nanoscale

harminka — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:32:19 -0500

Princeton engineers have invented an affordable technique that uses lasers and plastic beads to create the ultrasmall features that are needed for new generations of microchips.

Microchip sets low-power record with extreme sleep mode

harminka — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:19:03 -0500

A low-power microchip developed at the University of Michigan uses 30,000 times less power in sleep mode and 10 times less in active mode than comparable chips now on the market.

Designing microchips that contain multiple selves

harminka — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 06:58:57 -0500

Rice University computer engineers have created a way to design integrated circuits that can contain many multiple selves. The chips can assume one identify or a subset of identities at a time, depending on the user's needs.

Melting defects could lead to smaller, more powerful microchips

harminka — Mon, 05 May 2008 04:46:59 -0500

As microchips shrink, even tiny defects in the lines, dots and other shapes etched on them become major barriers to performance. Princeton engineers have now found a way to literally melt away such defects, using a process that could dramatically improve chip quality without increasing fabrication cost.

NIST micro sensor and micro fridge make cool pair

harminka — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:42:38 -0500

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have combined two tiny but powerful NIST inventions on a single microchip, a cryogenic sensor and a microrefrigerator. The combination offers the possibility of cheaper, simpler and faster precision analysis of materials such as semiconductors and stardust.

Tiny torrents

harminka — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:12:08 -0500

Silent, microchip-sized "fan" has no moving parts, yet produces enough wind to cool a laptop

Microchip fingerprints used to lock out chip pirates

harminka — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 07:22:21 -0500

Pirated microchips -- chips stolen from legitimate factories or made from stolen blueprints -- account for billions of dollars in annual losses to chipmakers.

Unique locks on microchips could reduce hardware piracy

harminka — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 01:54:00 -0600

Hardware piracy, or making knock-off microchips based on stolen blueprints, is a burgeoning problem in the electronics industry.

Team develops energy-efficient microchip

harminka — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 10:30:50 -0600

Researchers at MIT and Texas Instruments have unveiled a new chip design for portable electronics that can be up to 10 times more energy-efficient than present technology. The design could lead to cell phones, implantable medical devices and sensors that last far longer when running from a battery.

New microchip for PCR testing at crime scenes, doctors’ offices

harminka — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:52:22 -0600

Researchers in Hong Kong have miniaturized technology needed to perform the versatile polymerase chain reaction (PCR) — widely used in criminal investigations, disease diagnosis, and a range of other key applications.