Electronics & Semiconductors
New strategy enhances 2D transistor dielectric layers
Transistors based on two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, such as molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) and tungsten diselenide (WSe2), could outperform conventional silicon-based transistors, while also being easier to reduce in size. To perform well, these transistors need to...
Strain engineering approach enhances performance of 2D semiconductor-based transistors
The manipulation of mechanical strain in materials, also known as strain engineering, has allowed engineers to advance electronics over the past decades, for instance enhancing the mobility of charge carriers in devices. Over the past few years, some studies have...
Seatbelt-integrated biosensor could reliably track the alertness and stress of pilots and drivers
Over the past decades, electronics and biomedical engineers have developed increasingly sophisticated biosensors, devices that can pick up biological signals from human users. These sensors, which are generally embedded in wearable or implantable technologies, often...
LEDs based on transition metal dichalcogenides display reduced efficiency losses
Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), semiconductor-based devices that emit light when an electric current flows through them, are key building blocks of numerous electronic devices. LEDs are used to light up smartphone, computer, and TV displays, as well as light sources for...
First practical application of viscous electron flow realizes terahertz photoconductivity in graphene
When light hits the surface of some materials, namely those exhibiting a property known as photoresistance, it can induce changes in their electrical conductivity. Graphene is among these materials, as incident light can excite electrons within it, affecting its...
Creating compact near-sensor computing chips via 3D integration of 2D materials
Three-dimensional (3D) integration has opened new possibilities for the development of denser circuits with more interconnected electronic components. 3D integration approaches entail stacking multiple layers of electronic circuits together, ultimately producing more...
Unique memristor design with analog switching shows promise for high-efficiency neuromorphic computing
The growing use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based models is placing greater demands on the electronics industry, as many of these models require significant storage space and computational power. Engineers worldwide have thus been trying to develop neuromorphic...
Innovative transistor for reconfigurable fuzzy logic hardware shows promise for enhanced edge computing
Edge computing devices, devices located in proximity to the source of data instead of in large data centers, could perform computations locally. This could reduce latency, particularly in real-time applications, as it would minimize the need to transfer data from the...
Novel liquid acoustic sensor mimics whale melon to recognize voices in noisy environments
In recent years, engineers have developed a wide range of increasingly sophisticated sensors for robotic, portable, wearable and even implantable monitoring. The data collected by these sensors can then be analyzed using state-of-the-art machine learning, allowing...