Description

This issue of Microelectronics TOE covers recent developments in smart antenna, wearables, rapid charging, silicon photonics, and data storage technologies. Innovations include a smart antenna for global navigation satellite system by Telit Communications, nano-carbon-based ultra-fast charging technology by ZapGo Ltd., CMOS-based high-speed optical receivers by IBM, hydration monitoring wearable by LVL Technologies Inc., and magnetic memory technology by the University of Nottingham.

The Microelectronics TechVision Opportunity Engine (TOE) captures global electronics-related innovations and developments on a weekly basis. Developments are centred on electronics attributed by low power and cost, smaller size, better viewing, display and interface facilities, wireless connectivity, higher memory capacity, flexibility and wearables. Research focus themes include small footprint lightweight devices (CNTs, graphene), smart monitoring and control (touch and haptics), energy efficiency (LEDs, OLEDs, power and thermal management, energy harvesting), and high speed and improved conductivity devices (SiC, GaN, GaAs).

Miniaturization, a move toward lower power consumption, and the need for enhanced features are driving innovations in the electronics sector. Technology focus areas include semiconductor manufacturing and design, flexible electronics, 3D integration/IC, MEMS and NEMS, solid state lighting, advanced displays, nanoelectronics, wearable electronics, brain computer interface, advanced displays, near field communication, and next generation data storage or memory.

Keywords: Data storage, wearable, silicon photonics, rapid charging, smart antenna, optical receiver, nanotechnology, graphene, CMOS, GNSS