What's New @ IEEE in Circuits

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 6 JUNE 2004

CONTENTS:

1. Swedish Study Generates New Insight into Semiconducting Nanotrees
2. IEEE Solidifies Corporate Standards Program with Advisory Positions
3. Reed Relays: A Viable Alternative to GaAs-based Switches?
4. New Wiley-IEEE Press Release Helps Inventors Protect Original Ideas
5. The Patent Profiteers: IEEE Spectrum Reports
6. Former NEC Chairman to Receive IEEE Medal of Honor
7. New Insulation Process Minimizes Leakage Current for CMOS Transistors
8. Experimental Polymer Technologies Make Low-Cost Plastic Chips Possible
9. IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference Proceedings Now Available
10. IEEE Member Digital Library Enhances Change of Profile Form
11. Kick Your Career Up A Notch -- Become A Licensed P.E.
12. Neural Technology May Resolve Analog Reliability-Testing Dilemma

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1. SWEDISH STUDY GENERATES NEW INSIGHT INTO SEMICONDUCTING NANOTREES
Swedish researchers at LundUniversity have developed semiconducting nanotrees that either emit or harvest light to power faster and more efficient electronic gadgetry. Each nanotree has a trunk made of gold and branches made of gallium phosphide or gallium arsenide phosphide. The researchers believe that the trunks have the potential to harness light to generate electric currents, or alternatively, that the trunk could carry an electric current that produces a light-emitting diode at the end of each branch. This new technology has applications in computer circuits, solar cells and biomedical sensors. Find out more at: www.sciencenews.org/articles/20040522/fob5.asp

2. IEEE SOLIDIFIES CORPORATE STANDARDS PROGRAM WITH ADVISORY POSITIONS
The IEEE Corporate Standards Program, which gives companies and other entities an alternative way to create technical standards, has gained added momentum with the addition of six members to the IEEE Standards Association's Corporate Advisory Group (CAG). The new members of the CAG, which sets direction for the program, come from Intel, Lucent, Motorola, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric), Siemens and Sony Electronics, Inc., and join prior members from IBM and Hewlett-Packard Company. The program, which currently has 48 corporate members, meets the need for an open company-only standards environment that enables the rapid development of consensus technical standards. For further details: standards.ieee.org/announcements/pr_corpstds.html

3. REED RELAYS: A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE TO GAAS-BASED SWITCHES?
As signal paths for reed relays decreased to dimensions that were more practical for the short wavelengths of RF signals, reed relays have shown greater potential as high-frequency digital and analog switches that provide distortion-free performance, according to an article in Microwaves and RF. These switches use high-frequency circuit materials that operate above 7 GHz and are designed to handle fast digital pulses with extremely low leakage currents. Vector network analyzers (VNA) make it possible to characterize the frequency-domain performance of a reed relay at microwave frequencies, and may help to develop equivalent-circuit models that are viable alternatives to existing GaAs-based switches. Learn more about reed relays at: www.mwrf.com/Articles/ArticleID/8085/8085.html

4. NEW WILEY-IEEE PRESS RELEASE HELPS INVENTORS PROTECT THEIR ORIGINAL IDEAS
In a new book published by the Wiley-IEEE Press, patent attorney Howard Rockman provides comprehensive legal advice for inventors who wish to protect themselves against potential loss or liability. A supplement to legal representation, Rockman's book "Intellectual Property Law for Engineers and Scientists" helps inventors make informed licensing decisions. To learn more about this release, visit: www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-0471449989.html
***IEEE members: Receive a 15% discount on any Wiley-IEEE Press titles. Use code 18493 at checkout***

5. THE PATENT PROFITEERS: IEEE SPECTRUM REPORTS
Acacia Technologies has a group of patents that it claims covers virtually every aspect of transferring digitally encoded media from a server to a customer. If Acacia's patents are valid and as broad as the company thinks they are, thousands of companies -- including titans like Time Warner, Disney, Microsoft, and Sony -- and maybe even hundreds of millions of users will have to pay Acacia directly or indirectly. Cable, satellite, and Internet service providers, video-on-demand companies, music sites, the new Web radio enterprises -- almost anyone delivering digital video or audio across a network will be liable. Read more: www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/jun04/0604aca.html

6. FORMER NEC CHAIRMAN TO RECEIVE IEEE MEDAL OF HONOR
This month, former NEC Chairman Tadahiro Sekimoto will receive the 2004 IEEE Medal of Honor at the annual IEEE Honors Ceremony in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. The IEEE Medal of Honor recognizes individuals like Sekimoto who have had exceptional careers, or made contributions in any IEEE field of interest. While working at NEC, Sekimoto designed early pulse-code modulation (PCM) equipment, as well as coding and decoding circuitry, which resulted in a tremendous impact on digital communications. The author of seven books and several technical papers, Sekimoto has also served as chairman of numerous electrical and communications organizations. Read more about Tadahiro Sekimoto's accomplishments in this month's issue of IEEE Spectrum: www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/jun04/0604moh.html

To find out more about this honor, and other 2004 IEEE awards, visit: www.ieee.org/newsinfo/medals2004.xml

7. NEW INSULATION PROCESS MINIMIZES LEAKAGE CURRENT FOR CMOS TRANSISTORS
A recent study conducted by researchers at STMicroelectronics, CEA-Leti, and Aixtron suggests that the deposition of a "high-k" gate-insulation material reduces transistor leakage currents. The high-k process uses hafnium-based ultra-thin gate-insulation layers that may lead to further miniaturization of microelectronics in semiconductors. For more information about this study, visit: www.compoundsemiconductor.net/articles/news/8/5/25/1

8. EXPERIMENTAL POLYMER TECHNOLOGIES MAKE LOW-COST PLASTIC CHIPS POSSIBLE
Global corporations like Xerox, Kodak, and Motorola are investing heavily in developing low cost plastic poly-chips to replace existing silicon chips, according to Business Week magazine. Recent studies have yielded inks made from conductive and semiconductive polymers that allow circuits to be printed from any inkjet printer. Rotogravure techniques have been manipulated to make mass-produced, high-speed plastic chips possible. Read more about the futures of plastic electronics at: www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_19/b3882108.htm

9. IEEE CUSTOM INTEGRATED CIRCUITS CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS NOW AVAILABLE
The proceedings from the IEEE 2003 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference (CICC) are now available through the IEEE Online Catalog & Store. The conference showcased first-published technical papers generating insight into groundbreaking circuit techniques. The resulting proceedings focus on circuit, IC and SoC design, CAD development and ASIC structures. To learn more, or to purchase the proceedings, visit: shop.ieee.org/store/product.asp?prodno=CH37448
***IEEE members save up to 60% off the list price for conference proceedings titles***

10. IEEE MEMBER DIGITAL LIBRARY ENHANCES CHANGE OF PROFILE FORM
Effective this month, the IEEE Member Digital Library now provides improved self-service functionality, allowing subscribers to instantly update their address and contact information, store up to five credit cards, and indicate their email notification preferences. The IEEE Member Digital Library will also now send out monthly or calendar-year-end email receipts for service and alert subscribers when their card information expires. These changes enable faster and more efficient transactions between IEEE and its members. To learn more about these new features, or to update account information, visit: myieeemembership.ieee.org/cop/login.do

To find out more about the IEEE Member Digital Library, visit: www.ieee.org/ieeemdl/

11. KICK YOUR CAREER UP A NOTCH -- BECOME A LICENSED P.E.
Contrary to what many in the profession believe, becoming a licensed professional engineer (P.E.) isn't just for civil or power engineers; electrical and computer engineers and others can also benefit. To perform certain services for the public, engineers are legally required to obtain licensure. In the corporate world, while not typically required, licensure can also mean increased job security and open up opportunities for advancement. Cameron Wright, Chair of IEEE-USA's Licensure & Registration Committee, looks at the advantages of P.E. licensure, in the latest edition of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer: www.todaysengineer.org/May04/pe.asp

12. NEURAL TECHNOLOGY MAY RESOLVE ANALOG RELIABILITY-TESTING DILEMMA
Researchers at Universal Synaptics, Inc. suggest that digital measurement technologies misdiagnose aging-related failure modes in passive circuit elements like resistors and capacitors. While digital technologies record random intermittencies to perform parametric tests, neural networks converge several analog signals and record each incoming glitch to trace the repeatability of each error. Using this insight, Universal Synaptics has developed the Intermittent Fault Detector/NFF Analyzer, which merges both digital and analog detection methods to better predict the probability of error. Find out more about this new technology at: www.evaluationengineering.com/archive/articles/0604/0604modern_electronics.asp

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

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