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February 15, 2010...The European project MOSEL,a three-year joint research program lead by CEA-Leti, developed efficient and reliable long-wavelength VCSELs (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers). The project is to address the ever-growing demands for bandwidth in telecommunication networks. The researchers point out that, VCSEL technology offers low power consumption (from five to 10 times less than the conventional edge-emitting lasers) and can be manufactured in volume at low cost.
Six partners worked together on the three-year project to help commercialize long-wavelength vcsel technology. the project was lead by cea-leti (france) and included three academic partners: dtu fotonik (denmark), epfl (switzerland), and kth (sweden), and two industrial partners: alight technologies (denmark) and beamexpress (switzerland).
The project demonstrated error-free 10gbase-lr operation up to 100 °c, concurrently with record performance: single-mode (>30dB SMSR) power of >1mW up to 100°C (>2mW at room temperature) and 10Gbps modulation and transmission over 10-km single mode fiber with BER <10–11 up to 100°C with <1-dB power penalty.
The researchers contend that these performances allow industrial partners to address previously established standards and pursue commercialization. The researchers also note that the development puts the emphasis on low-cost, intelligent and scalable networks ranging from metropolitan and local area networks (LANs) to access networks such as fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and passive optical networks (PONs). CEA-Leti News Release Skyworks Unveils Family Multimode Power Amplifier Modules for Mobile Data Market
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 15, 2010...Skyworks Solutions, Inc. has introduced several integrated multimode power amplifier modules (PAMs) for next-generation smart phones and data cards requiring multiple wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) bands. The products are first in a family to be released throughout 2010. According to Skyworks the new PAMs support up to five WCDMA bands, and they are optimized for specific mobile data requirements such as fixed supply voltage, reduced output power, and improved heat dissipation.
The SKY77601, SKY77604, SKY77605 and SKY77607 are multimode and multiband (MMMB) PAMs for next-generation high speed packet access (HSPA) 3G phones and data modules. The devices reportedly operate efficiently in quad band general packet radio service (GPRS) and enhanced data for GSM evolution (EDGE), and support bands 1, 2, 5 and 8 for WCDMA and high speed uplink packet access (HSUPA) modulation. Skyworks says that the SKY77601 and SKY77604 have improved performance under mismatch conditions, and they have reduced current consumption over power range to maximize talk and stand-by times. Additionally the company notes that the SKY77601 and SKY77604 utilize a serial peripheral interface (SPI) to communicate with the radio frequency transceiver and the antenna switch module (ASM), which simplifys their phone board integration. The SKY77602 PAM is for integrated data modules that support up to five WCDMA bands – 1, 2, 4, 5 and 8. Skyworks points out that its new PAM integrates the functionality of five discrete PAs into a single package, thereby reducing bill-of-material (BOM) and phone board size. Company News Release
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IBM Scientists Demonstrate Fastest Graphene Transistor
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 10, 2010...IBM researchers have demonstrated a 100GigaHertz graphene transistor. This accomplishment is a key milestone for the Carbon Electronics for RF Applications (CERA) program funded by DARPA to develop next-generation communication devices.
Graphene is a single atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded in a hexagonal honeycomb-like arrangement. It has unique electrical, optical, mechanical and thermal properties and its technological applications are being explored intensely.
The record was achieved with wafer-scale, epitaxially grown graphene using processing technology that is compatible to silicon device fabrication.
The researchers used thermal decomposition of silicon carbide (SiC) substrate to synthesize the uniform, high-quality graphene wafers. The graphene transistor had a metal top-gate architecture and a novel gate insulator stack involving a polymer and a high dielectric constant oxide. The gate length was merely 240 nanometers, leaving plenty of space for further optimization through scaling down the gate length. As a comparison, the maximum frequency of silicon transistors with the same gate length is about 40Ghz.
"A key advantage of graphene lies in the very high speeds in which electrons propagate, which is essential for achieving high-speed, high-performance next generation transistors," said Dr. T.C. Chen, vice president, Science and Technology, IBM Research. "The breakthrough we are announcing demonstrates clearly that graphene can be utilized to produce high performance devices and integrated circuits."
IBM News Release TriQuint Unveils New WEDGE Product Portfolio for Qualcomm's 3G Chipset Solutions
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 10, 2010...TriQuint Semiconductor of Hillsboro, Oregon USA, has released a new RF front-end solution to support 3G chipset solutions from Qualcomm.
The new solution includes the Triton PA Module family for WCDMA and the TQM7M5013, a Hadron II PA Module for GSM/EDGE. The company contends that the solution comes in a very small footprint, is efficient, and is optimized for superior current consumption. Triquint says that the solution is ideal for mobile devices including data cards, netbooks, e-readers and next generation smartphones.
The new Triton PA Module family of 3x3mm discrete Power Amplifier Modules covers all major 3GPP WCDMA bands and is capable of multi-mode operation. According to TriQuint, the Triton family leverages a combination of it CuFlip and TQBiHEMT technologies to provide superior current consumption and thermal performance. CuFlip reportedly enables superior RF performance while allowing flexible design. TQBiHEMT can integrate two gallium arsenide (GaAs) processes onto a single die. Together, these processes allow TriQuint to provide an integrated feature set using a single die inside the module.
The TQM7M5013, a 5x5mm quad-band, Hadron II PA Module provides the GSM/EDGE portion of the WEDGE solution when paired with the Triton modules. The TQM7M5013's architecture reportedly improves efficiency and results in longer talk time for consumers. The company notes that TQM7M5013 is aligned with a recently released 3G Qualcomm chipset and is designed into more than a dozen platforms that are expected to launch in 2010.
TriQuint News Release MIT Researchers Demonstrate First Room Temperature Germanium Laser
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 8, 2010...MIT’s Electronic Materials Research Group developed what they say is the first room temperature germanium laser. Another claimed first of the researchers is that the laser is the first germanium laser to produce light in wavelengths that are useful to optical communications.
One of the key benefits of a laser made out of germanium is that unlike other semiconductor materials used to make high performance lasers it is actually an indirect-band gap material. However, the researchers devised a way in which it can be "band-engineered to behave like a direct band gap material
by using tensile strain and n-type doping to compensate the energy difference between the direct and indirect conduction valleys." The researchers suspect that other indirect-band gap materials may be utilized in the same way.
The researchers detailed their findings in Optics Letters. (Ref: Optics Letters Database). To increase computational capacity, higher bandwidth connections are necessary. Wide-band gap compound semiconductor-based lasers allow more data to be transported at lower power than silicon. However integrating such lasers with electrical silicon components, which form the basis of most computer chips, is difficult and costly.
The researchers believe that the newly devised germanium laser could integrate optical and electrical components more easily on silicon. Such lasers could make the dream of optical computing closer to reality. Michigan Selected to be Site of New DOW Powerhouse Solar Shingle Facility
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 8, 2010...The Dow Chemical Company reports that Midland, Michigan is the preferred site for its first full-scale production facility of its Powerhouse Solar Shingle.
The final site selection is subject to finalizing local, state and federal funding. If selected, the facility could bring more than 1,200 jobs to the region by 2014.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is considering up to $140 million in economic incentives for the plant, which would produce the photovoltaic solar panels in the form of solar shingles that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials.
Dow indicates that local, state, and federal funding will help Dow Solar Solutions accelerate production plans for the solar shingles already being manufactured on a small-scale at its market development plant in Midland. Caltech also recently signed a multi-year research collaboration with the company. If received, the MEDC economic package will add to the $100 million in investments Dow has already made in the development of solar solutions since the program’s inception in 2007 when Dow was awarded a $20 million Solar America Initiative Pathways Program grant by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Andrew N. Liveris, Dow Chairman and CEO commented, “Collaboration between government and business is essential to overcoming the challenges facing our society today, including energy, climate change and the creation of sustainable jobs. ” Dow Chemical News Release Semprius and Siemens Agree to Co-develop Demonstration CPV Systems
CompoundSemi News StaffFebruary 8, 2010...Semprius, Inc. and Siemens Industry, Inc. have entered into a joint development agreement to co-develop and deploy plug-and-play demonstration Concentrator Photovoltaic (CPV) systems based on Semprius’ Solar Module Arrays and Siemens’ automation and control components. The systems are to be installed at numerous international test sites including major utilities, commercial sites, and government facilities.
Semprius boasts that its scalable and efficient Solar Module Arrays offer the benefits of low installed cost and high capacity factor which combined enable very low energy costs in sunny, dry climates. Semprius says that they are applicable to a wide range of projects from distributed commercial and industrial to large scale utility installations. The U.S. Department of Energy selected Semprius this month to receive support through a $3 million subcontract from DOE’s PV Technology Incubator, which aims to accelerate commercialization of its solar photovoltaic systems. Siemens will integrate its components with Semprius PV module arrays. Then, together the companies will implement the test systems to validate performance of the combined technologies.
“Competitive project deployment cost for CPV will be the key for the success of this technology. Combining Siemens’ advanced automation and control equipment with Semprius Module Arrays has the potential to deliver electricity at grid level prices to both industrial and utility scale customers,” said Peter Krause, Business Segment Manager, Siemens Industry, Inc. Semprius News Release Our news features are reported
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