What's New @ IEEE in Circuits

VOLUME 6 NUMBER 7 JULY 2005

CONTENTS:
1. Berkeley Team Creates First "Nanofluidic" Transistors
2. Proceedings of the IEEE Focuses on Flexible Electronics
3. Two IEEE Societies Call for Nominations
4. September Conference Analyzes the Future of IC Development
5. Chip Manufacturers Must Integrate Verification Into Design
6. Samsung Hopes to Preempt Market with 1gbit DRAM
7. Global Business Standards Trends Conference Announced
8. Five New IEEE Journals Coming in 2006
9. Half-Price IEEE Memberships, Publications Offer Expires 15 August
10. Nominate An IEEE Senior Member

WHAT'S NEW THIS WEEK IN IEEE XPLORE?
Find the latest technical papers online:
ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/newinfo.jsp

1. BERKELEY TEAM CREATES FIRST "NANOFLUIDIC" TRANSISTORS
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have created the first "nanofluidic" transistor that allows them to control the movement of ions through sub-microscopic, water-filled channels, an invention the team says will have applications in microscopic chemical plants and cancer treatment. Researchers constructed a 35-nanometer-high channel between two silicon dioxide plates, then filled the channel with water and potassium chloride. By applying a voltage across the channel they could shut off the flow of potassium ions through the water, a process analogous to controlling electron flow in a transistor by means of a gate voltage. Read more: www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2005-06/uoc--rcf062805.php

2. PROCEEDINGS OF THE IEEE FOCUSES ON FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS
This month, a two-part examination of flexible electronics technology begins in Proceedings of the IEEE, the flagship journal of the IEEE. The July issue (v. 93, no. 7) focuses on systems and applications, while the August issue (v. 93, no. 8) will examine materials and devices. The term flexible macroelectronics represents a range of device and materials technologies built on flexible and conformal substrates such as thin plastic or metal foils. Papers in these issues place a special emphasis on ideas and concepts that will enable commercial applications of flexible and large area electronics. To preview the July issue, visit: ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=5

3. TWO IEEE SOCIETIES CALL FOR 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 eight seats open for this year's election. The deadline for submission of nominations is 15 October 2005. Read more and make a nomination at: www.ieee.org/society/eds/adcom/adcom_nominations.xml

Meanwhile, the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society is looking for willing and knowledgeable members to serve as Society officers. Society officers are elected by the Board of Governors, yet any eligible Society member can apply. Positions will be filled starting January 2006 and the nomination deadline is 1 September 2005. All members with engineering expertise and societal spirit are encouraged to run. For more information, visit: ewh.ieee.org/soc/icss/2005-05-19NominationsInstructionB.pdf

4. SEPTEMBER CONFERENCE ANALYZES THE FUTURE OF IC DEVELOPMENT
The IEEE Custom Integrated Circuits Conference will be held from 18 to 21 September in San Jose, California, USA. Poster and educational sessions by IC professionals, as well as panel discussions and exhibits, will examine the plethora of IC development concerns and issues currently at hand in the world today. Debates will be held by leading experts in the IC field, and over 150 papers will be presented. For information, or to register, visit: www.ieee-cicc.org/home.html

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

5. CHIP MANUFACTURERS MUST INTEGRATE VERIFICATION INTO DESIGN
Manufacturers of integrated circuits should ensure that the ability to verify chips' performance should be taken into account in the design stage, according to panelists at the annual Design Automation Conference in Anaheim, California. Chip architects need to be involved in every step of the process to avoid unverifiable designs, industry panelists said. They believe formal verification tools are still unreliable, and that bench testing is still required to ensure acceptable performance. Read more: www.eet.com/news/latest/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=164900577

6. SAMSUNG HOPES TO PREEMPT MARKET WITH 1GBIT DRAM
Samsung Electronics is ramping up production of 1Gbit Dynamic RAM (DRAM) chips in an effort to make them the industry's mainstream chip as soon as possible. Samsung, the world's largest memory chip maker, accounts for more than 25 percent of all DRAM produced worldwide, giving the company great influence in determining future chip technology. The most widely-used DRAM is currently a 256Mbit chip, 25 percent of the capacity of Samsung's new chip, and industry analysts expect the next mainstream DRAM to be 512Mbit. If Samsung sways the market to accept 1Gbit DRAM quickly, the change could benefit many users, since more DRAM can boost performance, especially for larger software applications or when users run multiple programs at the same time. Read more: www.computerworld.com/printthis/2005/0,4814,102703,00.html

7. GLOBAL BUSINESS STANDARDS TRENDS CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED
The Corporate Standards Program of the IEEE Standards Association will host a conference on global standards trends in Munich, Germany, on 26 and 27 September 2005. The event, "Standards for Global Business: The European Conference on Collaborative Trends in Europe and Global Standardization," will explore standardization from the perspective of both standards development organizations (SDOs) and corporations. It will address such areas as the growing cooperation among international and other standards bodies and new models for standards development developed in response to the business and market needs of European and global industry. For more information, or to register, visit: standards.ieee.org/corpforum/europeconf/index.html

8. FIVE NEW IEEE JOURNALS COMING IN 2006
The IEEE has approved five new technical journals for publication in 2006, covering topics such as computational intelligence, vehicular technology, product safety engineering and information forensics. These journals will focus on emerging "breakthrough" technologies that can have a tremendous impact on industry as well as everyday lives. Titles will be available through IEEE Xplore and various IEEE online collections, as well as by individual subscription. For more about these new journals, please visit: www.ieee.org/products/onlinepubs/news/0705_02.html

9. HALF-PRICE IEEE MEMBERSHIPS, PUBLICATIONS OFFER EXPIRES 15 AUGUST
Time is running out to take advantage of half-year, half-price dues on new IEEE memberships and additional IEEE Society memberships; subscriptions to IEEE publications are also half-price for IEEE members during this period, which ends on 15 August. Individual memberships and subscriptions become active upon payment and continue through the remainder of 2005. IEEE Societies focus on specific technologies such as communications and aerospace engineering or focus on general technology subjects. There are 122 publications that may be added to membership during this half-year cycle. To join IEEE, visit www.ieee.org/join. To add societies or publications to existing memberships, visit: www.ieee.org/addservices

10. NOMINATE AN IEEE SENIOR MEMBER
Every year, IEEE elevates many of its members to the level of IEEE Senior Member, the highest grade of membership for which an individual may apply. Potential senior members must have ten years of experience in an IEEE field, five years of "significant performance," and written references from three IEEE Senior Members or Fellows. IEEE Society members can earn rewards for their societies when they nominate IEEE members for elevation. Completed Senior Member applications and reference forms must be submitted by 5 November. For more information, visit: www.ieee.org/nsmi

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 mailto:j.platt@ieee.org
Contributing Editors: Julie Compton, Robert J. Howe, Cari Wolfert

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