What's New @ IEEE in Circuits

VOLUME 6 NUMBER 2 MARCH 2005

CONTENTS:
1. Haste Makes Waste: Researchers Find New Uses for Defective Chips
2. Workshop Highlights Frontrunners in Analysis Tools and Components
3. Chips with Germanium Run Twice As Fast: IEEE Spectrum Reports
4. Intel Overcomes Electron Obstacle for Photonic Interconnects
5. Hardware Buying Program for IEEE Members Now Offers Bigger Discounts
6. Get More from Your IEEE Membership With MyIEEE
7. Researchers Achieve Breakthrough in "Atomtronics"
8. New Proceedings Feature Advances in Bipolar and BiCMOS Circuits
9. HP and OSU to Develop Transistors So Cheap, They're Disposable
10. IEEE Begins Authentication Standard for Personal Storage Devices
11. Fujitsu Creates World's Fastest Semiconductor Optical Amplifier
12. New Look, New Tools, New Features: IEEE Xplore 2.0 Coming Soon

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1. HASTE MAKES WASTE: RESEARCHERS FIND NEW USES FOR DEFECTIVE CHIPS
Chip manufacturers, who discard circuits with slight imperfections, may be able to save billions of dollars thanks to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Southern California. The study finds that chips containing minute flaws are still accurate enough for certain applications like graphics, where errors may result in only a pixel or two out of place. The project received grant from the National Science foundation, and continues to find new uses for degraded hardware. Learn more: www.innovations-report. www.innovations-report.com/html/reports/energy_engineering/report-40808.html

The initial findings of the USC researchers were first published in of IEEE Design and Test Magazine. Preview the article, entitled "Defect and Error Tolerance in the Presence of Massive Numbers of Defects," at: ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/tocresult.jsp?isNumber=28929&puNumber=54

2. WORKSHOP HIGHLIGHTS FRONTRUNNERS IN ANALYSIS TOOLS AND COMPONENTS
Industry and academic researchers discussed the challenges posed by electronic design automation and timing analysis last month at the Tau Workshop of the ACM/IEEE International Workshop on Timing Issues. Keynote speaker David Hathaway of IBM spoke of the problem of accuracy with block-based timing methods, and was an advocate of incremental timing analysis. "I really believe that if we're going to push smaller geometries, we don’t have a choice," said Hathaway. "If we don't do this, we'll hit a brick wall." Read more: www.eedesign.com/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=60404156

Don't miss the next conference you need for your career. IEEE sponsors more than 300 technical conferences and workshops each year, highlighting the latest technological advances. Find events through the IEEE ConferenceSearch Web site at: www.ieee.org/conferencesearch/

3. CHIPS WITH GERMANIUM RUN TWICE AS FAST: IEEE SPECTRUM REPORTS
Silicon chips containing compressed germanium convey electrical charges twice as fast as unstrained silicon chips -- resulting in faster switching and higher current output, reports IEEE Spectrum. Developed at IBM, the silicon-germanium straining method is feasible in both the p-type and n-type components of CMOS transistors thanks to a new fabrication process that overcomes the challenge of oxidation. Although the technology is still in development, researcher Huiling Shang and her colleagues at IBM believe that the technology will be compatible with the 32nm circuits expected to emerge in the next decade. Read more: www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/wonews/feb05/0205ngermu.html

4. INTEL OVERCOMES ELECTRON OBSTACLE FOR PHOTONIC INTERCONNECTS
Intel has produced an experimental transistor-like, silicon device whose laser light carries data faster than copper. This could pave the way within the decade for optical or photonic interconnects in computers of all types -- helping the industry attain its goal of ever-better chip performance. Intel's experimental laser "transistor" pumps a strong beam of photons into a chamber beside a weaker stream of data. The vibrating atoms transfer energy from the data stream to the photons. To strengthen the data stream, a second light beam is pumped into the chamber. A breakthrough in this research came when Intel technicians figured out how to combat electron build-up in the silicon that was sapping the strength of the laser. For more information, visit: www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,119707,00.asp

5. HARDWARE BUYING PROGRAM FOR IEEE MEMBERS NOW OFFERS BIGGER DISCOUNTS
IEEE members in the U.S., Canada, and the UK now receive even more substantial discounts on more than 250,000 computer products purchased through Insight Inc. This online hardware/software purchasing program provides a members-only discount negotiated exclusively for the IEEE membership. Members registering for an Insight account before 31 March will be entered into a sweepstakes to win an HP iPAQ Pocket PC. There will be one winner from each participating country. Visit: www.insight.com/ieee

6. GET MORE FROM YOUR IEEE MEMBERSHIP WITH myIEEE
The IEEE has launched myIEEE, a new web-based membership "portal" developed to explain the benefits of IEEE membership and to help current members get the most out of their IEEE experience. Visitors to myIEEE can find out about IEEE Societies, affinity groups, and the IEEE Standards Association, as well as IEEE publications and other benefit offerings. IEEE Members may log in to a members-only section to see personalized information, such as upcoming conferences in their fields, or use the new "Service Advisor" feature to receive recommendations for IEEE membership offerings based on their technical interest profile. Visit myIEEE at: www.ieee.org/myieee

An IEEE Web Account is required to access the members-only section of myIEEE. Don't have one? Register at: www.ieee.org/web/accounts

7. RESEARCHERS ACHIEVE BREAKTHROUGH IN "ATOMTRONICS"
The discovery of a group of atoms that float above the surface of circuits at room temperature has been hailed a major breakthrough in a field the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has named "atomtronics," according to EE Times Magazine. Discovered by researchers at the Imperial College of London's Centre for Cold Matter, the atoms are suspended in laser cavities that may house and transfer data on circuit boards. The breakthrough opens another avenue of research into Bose-Einstein condensate processors which have the property of having more coherent radiation than electronic circuits. Read more: www.eetimes.com/article/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=60403688

8. NEW PROCEEDINGS FEATURE ADVANCES IN BIPOLAR AND BICMOS CIRCUITS
The proceedings from the 2004 IEEE Bipolar/BiCMOS Circuits and Technology Meeting consolidate the findings of academics and wireless communication industry experts in a single volume. The proceedings feature key advances in the design, performance, fabrication, testing and application of bipolar and BiCMOS integrated circuits, bipolar phenomena, and discrete bipolar devices for wireless communication. For more information, or to purchase the proceedings, visit ShopIEEE: shop.ieee.org/store/product.asp?prodno=CH37593
***IEEE members save up to 60% off the list price for conference proceedings titles***

9. HP AND OSU TO DEVELOP TRANSISTORS SO CHEAP, THEY'RE DISPOSABLE
Transistors made of a new class of "thin film" materials developed at OregonStateUniversity are currently being adapted into disposable transistors through the university's partnership with Hewlett Packard. Although the material was developed as a substitute for solar cells, the chemically stable, scratch resistant quality of the material makes it conducive for transistors. PC World Magazine predicts that the time-to-market will be shorter than usual five to six years due to the existing industry demand for the product. Read more: www.pcworld.com/resource/printable/article/0,aid,119852,00.asp

10. IEEE BEGINS AUTHENTICATION STANDARD FOR PERSONAL STORAGE DEVICES
The rapid growth of USB flash drives and other personal storage devices raises authentication issues for many organizations. In seeking to foster the secure use of these devices, the IEEE has begun work on a new standard, IEEE P1667™, "Standard Protocol for Authentication in Host Attachments of Transient Storage Devices", to define methods for authenticating transient storage devices when they are connected to host computers in corporate, government, academic and other environments. For more information, visit: standards.ieee.org/announcements/pr_p1667.html

11. FUJITSU CREATES WORLD'S FASTEST SEMICONDUCTOR OPTICAL AMPLIFIER
A new semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) has a response time of a few picoseconds -- one thousandth of the speed of conventional SOAs. Researchers at Fujitsu used quantum dots to measure the effectiveness of the device, and discovered that the device has the capacity to restore optical signals at 40 Gbps. The device corrects degradations in the amplification and shape of an optical signal through a single device -- thereby increasing the compactness and functionality of optical networks. Read more: www.physorg.com/news3261.html

12. NEW LOOK, NEW TOOLS, NEW FEATURES: IEEE XPLORE 2.0 COMING SOON
A major upgrade to the IEEE Xplore online delivery platform will soon offer researchers a more functional design, enhanced searching and usability, and many other new tools and features. The new system will provide subscribers and IEEE Members with full-text searching of all content, and will enable free, basic searches for all visiting researchers. In addition, new "home pages" for all IEEE periodicals will include links to past and current issues, along with scope and manuscript submission information. IEEE Xplore 2.0 will be released in the coming weeks. For more information on these and other new features, visit: www.ieee.org/products/onlinepubs/news/0105_01.html

WHAT'S NEW @ IEEE IN CIRCUITS is a monthly, opt-in email update designed to provide you with the latest news regarding IEEE activities, industry trends, career development tips, and new IEEE product releases. We welcome your feedback on this service.

Managing Editor: John Platt j.platt@ieee.org
Editor: Bhavika Desai
Contributing Editor: Peg Gallos

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