What's New @ IEEE in Circuits

VOLUME 5 NUMBER 7 JULY 2004

CONTENTS:
1. Integrated Circuits Improve Silicon-on-Glass Displays
2. New IEEE Testing Standard Supports Plastic Transistor Production
3. IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Calls for Officer Nominations
4. IEEE Announces New Way to Access Online Technical Information
5. Ferro-Electric Crystals May Increase Storage Capacity for Memory Cells
6. European Researchers Develop Non-Toxic Circuit-Etching Technique
7. IEEE Electron Devices Society Calls for Committee Nominations
8. Sensors & Privacy: IEEE Spectrum Reports
9. Gateway Insurance Offers Protection When Traveling Abroad
10. Hybrid Circuits Connect Tiny and Tremendous Counterparts
11. Proceedings of the IEEE Examines Relevance and Future of Pulsed Power
12. Scanned Chips May Alert Parents to Student Absenteeism
13. New Proceedings Concentrate on Milestones in Digital Technology
14. Let's Get Small: New IEEE Virtual Museum Exhibit
15. Backscatter: Black-On-Black Design

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1. INTEGRATED CIRCUITS IMPROVE SILICON-ON-GLASS DISPLAYS
Image sensing and capacitive touch sensing are but a few enhancements to be expected in silicon display panels in the near future. The miniaturization of ICs has been integral to the continuous improvement in display panel performance, according to a recent article in EE Times. With the help of emerging process technologies that are on the verge of achieving 0.8-micron design rules, circuits that achieve clock frequencies of 30 MHz and continuous grain (CG) polysilicon, Sharp Laboratories Europe leads the way in display panel innovation. Learn more about the futures of silicon-on-glass displays at: www.eet.com/semi/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleId=22102939

2. NEW IEEE TESTING STANDARD SUPPORTS PLASTIC TRANSISTOR PRODUCTION
The IEEE Standards Association has completed a testing standard that will aid the production of inexpensive plastic transistors. IEEE 1620™ 2004, "Standard for Test Methods for the Characterization of Organic Transistors and Materials," creates a uniform framework for the methods and equipment needed to evaluate organic field effect transistors (OFET). OFETs promise to deliver economical circuitry for high—volume applications not viable in silicon. Their flexibility, light weight and low cost suggest such uses as roll-up flat panel displays, smart cards, biometric sensors and radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags for uses such as monitoring inventories, checking out groceries, tracing luggage at airports, and tracking people at secure installations. Read more: standards.ieee.org/announcements/pr_1620.html

3. IEEE CIRCUITS AND SYSTEMS SOCIETY CALLS FOR OFFICER NOMINATIONS
Do you know a fellow IEEE Member who wants to serve as an Officer of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society? The society is now accepting nominations-by-petition for the President-Elect and Vice President positions, as well as electronic nominations for open positions in several IEEE geographic Regions. For more information about open positions and nomination procedures, visit: www.ieee-cas.org/

4. IEEE ANNOUNCES NEW WAY TO ACCESS ONLINE TECHNICAL INFORMATION
The IEEE has announced the release of IEEE Enterprise, a new product developed to deliver online technical information to businesses with a need for instant access to IEEE content. Subscribers to IEEE Enterprise will be able to choose from three levels of access to IEEE information. Each level will allow a specific number of full-text article downloads from the online collection of IEEE magazines, journals, transactions and conference proceedings. Access continues until all downloads are exhausted, at which point a subscription may be renewed. For more information on IEEE Enterprise, visit: www.ieee.org/enterprise

5. FERRO-ELECTRIC CRYSTALS MAY INCREASE STORAGE CAPACITY FOR MEMORY CELLS
Contrary to studies in which crystal films thinner than four nanometers cease to exhibit the ferro-electric effect, Argonne National Laboratory researchers have found that there is no absolute limit to the thickness of crystals that demonstrate ferro-electricity. The ferro-electric effect occurs when perovskite crystals produce a dipolar ionic split in response to an electric field. Researchers believe that this groundbreaking discovery could increase a chip's capacity to store data a hundred fold, and could lead to more portable, energy-saving Fe-RAM electronics. For a more in-depth analysis of this breakthrough, visit: www.newscientist.com/hottopics/tech/article.jsp?id=99996003

6. EUROPEAN RESEARCHERS DEVELOP NON-TOXIC CIRCUIT-ETCHING TECHNIQUE
Unlike common circuit etching techniques which that use carcinogenic chemicals like chromium to etch circuits, a new etching process developed by QinetiQ Metal Printing, PLC (QMP) in the United Kingdom is eco-friendly. The process involves printing ink onto a waterproof surface, which is then submerged in a metallic solution to create circuits. While the process may ultimately improve the commercial viability of RFID, researchers at QMP are investigating security and noise-reducing applications for this technology. To find out more about this research, visit: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3860229.stm

7. IEEE ELECTRON DEVICES SOCIETY CALLS FOR COMMITTEE NOMINATIONS
The IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS) is looking for candidates for election to its Administrative Committee (AdCom), the society's governing body. The IEEE-EDS AdCom has 22 members and meets twice annually. There are seven seats open for this year's election. The deadline for submission of nominations is 15 October 2004. Read more and make a nomination at: www.ieee.org/society/eds/adcom/adcom_nominations.xml

8. SENSORS & PRIVACY: IEEE SPECTRUM REPORTS
Can technology and privacy exist hand-in-hand? Costs, convenience, and security all converge on a world with more sensors, bigger databases, and much less privacy. In a special cover feature, this month's issue of IEEE Spectrum takes a close look at today's sensor technologies, their potential impact, and what is likely to come next. Read the articles, including a short story by award-winning science-fiction author Vernor Vinge, at: www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/publicfeature/jul04/0704sens.html

9. GATEWAY INSURANCE OFFERS PROTECTION WHEN TRAVELING ABROAD
Planning to travel away from your home country this summer? The IEEE Financial Advantage Program offers five Gateway insurance plans, which provide coverage for accident and illness-related medical expenses when traveling abroad. Gateway insurance is available to IEEE Members, their families, and their associates. For more information visit: www.ieeeinsurance.com/gtwy/highlite.asp

IEEE Travel Services offers a variety of services for IEEE members. Get information and make reservations online at: www.ieeetravelonline.org

10. HYBRID CIRCUITS CONNECT TINY AND TREMENDOUS COUNTERPARTS
HarvardUniversity chemists have coated nanoscale silicon wires with metal nickel and found them to be highly conductive. This discovery may enable nanoscale components to be connected to electronics devices which are hundreds, even thousands, of times their size. On the other hand, the researchers say that before there is any practical application here, significant obstacles -- such as controlling the precise position of the nanowires -- will have to be addressed. For more information, visit: www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99996101

11. PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE EXAMINES RELEVANCE AND FUTURE OF PULSED POWER
The July issue of Proceedings of the IEEE focuses on pulsed power, a technology that impacts defense, environmental and biomedical applications. Pulsed power refers to energy accumulated over a relatively long period, then released in a short period to deliver very large power pulses to a given load. To enhance the issue's coverage on this subject, a free Web supplement includes the editor's overview, a tribute to Charlie Martin, the acknowledged father of pulsed power, and a classic paper by Martin. Visit: www.ieee.org/pubs/proceedings/current.xml

12. SCANNED CHIPS MAY ALERT PARENTS TO STUDENT ABSENTEEISM
An electronic device that scans student identification cards allows parents to track their children's activities. A computer chip embedded in the student ID card records and sends their children's time of arrival and departure from school grounds. Developed by NAJ Corporation, the device will debut in Japan this August. Learn more about the device at: iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=qw1089108722271B232

13. NEW PROCEEDINGS CONCENTRATE ON MILESTONES IN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
The proceedings from 25th annual meeting of the IEEE Gallium Arsenide Integrated Circuit Symposium are now available through the IEEE Online Catalog & Store. From amplifiers for S to W Band Applications to Optical Transmitter Components, the symposium addressed landmarks in digital technology, signal processing and circuits technology. Find out more about this conference, or purchase the proceedings, at: shop.ieee.org/store/product.asp?prodno=CH37445
***IEEE members save up to 60% off the list price for conference proceedings titles***

14. LET'S GET SMALL: NEW IEEE VIRTUAL MUSEUM EXHIBIT
A new IEEEVirtualMuseum exhibit, "Let's Get Small: The Shrinking World of Microelectronics," offers visitors a broad overview of the ever-shrinking world of electronics, from the transistor of the 1950s, to the integrated circuits of the 1960s, to the microprocessors of 1970s, and finally to the 21st-century field of nanotechnology. This online exhibit, written for the non-expert, explains how and why these technologies emerged. "Let's Get Small" also contains interactive and multimedia animations to help visitors explore the way transistors work, the way integrated circuits were made, and the ways computers use microelectronics to manipulate digital information. The exhibit can be found at: www.ieee.org/museum

15. BACKSCATTER: BLACK-ON-BLACK DESIGN
It seems like many of today's sleek and sophisticated but user-unfriendly consumer products, which feature black knobs and pushbuttons on black cabinetry and housings, have been designed by artists hoping to win prestigious design awards. Where are the engineers who designed the sophisticated stuff that is inside? Who represents the customer in the development process? Donald Christiansen looks at a variety of befuddling design shortcomings in the latest edition of IEEE-USA Today's Engineer: www.todaysengineer.org/june04/backscatter.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
Contributing Editor: Peg Gallos

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