Lithium tantalate photonic integrated circuits. Credit: Tobias Kippenberg (EPFL) The rapid advancement in photonic integrated circuits (PICs), which combine multiple optical devices and functionalities on a single chip, has revolutionized optical communications and computing systems. For decades, silicon-based PICs have dominated the field due to their cost-effectiveness and through their integration with existing semiconductor manufacturing […]
Illustrations of the ferrodiode device. a–d, A schematic (a), AFM height image with root mean square (RMS) roughness (b), optical microscopic image of the upper surface (c) and cross-sectional TEM image (d) of the Ni/Al0.68Sc0.32N/Pt(111) MIM device. Credit: Nature Electronics (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41928-024-01148-6 A smartphone shutting down on a sweltering day is an all-too-common annoyance […]
Three 6502 microprocessors, from left to right: Si CMOS 6502 chip, flex 6502 LTPS chip and flex 6502 IGZO chip. Credit: KU Leuven–imec The mass production of conventional silicon chips relies on a successful business model with large “semiconductor fabrication plants” or “foundries.” New research by KU Leuven and imec shows that this “foundry” model […]
