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GlobalSpec's Electronic Product Design — June 23, 2010

Join your peers and leading manufacturers for this free, informative, and interactive ONLINE conference and trade show — right from the convenience of your desktop. Participate in any or all of the educational sessions, network with peers, and meet with manufacturers eager to showcase their latest products, services, and new technology offerings. Learn more about the educational sessions offered to meet your information needs, including:

• The World of Electronic Product Design
• A Perfect Storm: The Coming Convergence of MEMS and Nanotechnology
• Analyzing Electronic Product Battery Failure
• Picoprojector Design, and the Benefits of Picoprojector Modules
• Advanced Power MOSFET for Integrated DC-DC Converters

In a recent MEMS Investor Journal interview, Chris Gudeman, vice-president of development at Innovative Micro Technology, discusses new through-wafer-via (TWV) and through-silicon-via (TSV) process technology options in material and process selection and costs. Gudeman also addresses the relevant technology development challenges and trends and identifies associated radio frequency (RF), magnetic, and interposers applications. In particular, the article touches on typical substrate thicknesses and on the type of substrates used in TSV applications. Gudeman reviews the available process choices, advantages, disadvantages, and costs associated with via etching, highlighting the available via fill materials.

GlobalSpec is seeking proposals from industry experts interested in participating in its March 30, 2011 or October 26, 2011 Research & Development online conference and trade show events. Open to GlobalSpec's 5 million registered users, this event will examine trends, technologies, and applications in the field of Research & Development. Speaking opportunities provide an opportunity for you and your company to participate in a high-quality, engaging production that will help increase brand awareness and influence key decision-makers. Learn more or submit your proposal today. Deadline for the March 30, 2011 event is June 1, 2010.

Learn how Molex connectors deliver the speed and signal integrity that today's applications demand. From the I/O to the backplane, our products work together to offer you a complete solution. Watch our video and discover how you can optimize the high-speed channel now!

Triad's new toroidal chassis mount World Series transformers are UL recognized and CE Certified. All items have 115/230 V 50/60 Hz primaries and are designed to meet most International Safety requirements. Available from Triad's extensive distributor network, the 42 off-the-shelf models cover most common secondary output voltages ranging from 6.0 V to 230.0 V. Custom designs are available.

Thanks to the reduced size, our new generation of high frequency test probes allow comfortable conduction of tests in narrow places with the proven characteristics of the Isoprobe test probes. Touch protected up to 300V, CAT III, perfectly suited for electronic technicians. Available separately or in a set with corresponding accessories.

Nu-Way Electronics presents Schurter's new MSM CS with ceramic surface. It is new to switching technology and provides enhanced features such as:

•  Full illumination of the actuating surface
•  Resistance to scratches, abrasions, impact, and chemicals

The switch is available with or without illumination.

New solid-state device solutions such as those relying on SiC and GaN technologies are starting to replace the older traveling wave tubes (TWTs) in TWT amplifiers (TWTAs) and cross-field amplifiers (CFAs) that are still in use in military systems requiring very high-power amplification at RF and microwave frequencies. The Microwaves & RF article examines applications where these transistors can deliver the same level of performance as their vacuum-tube counterparts and identifies relevant products on the market.

After a dismal year in 2009, research firm IC Insights predicts that the economic recovery this year will spur a significant increase in power transistor sales. The firm forecasts that the emergence of electric vehicle technology will increase demand for power transistors in the automotive industry. It identifies high-voltage power field-effect transistors (FETs) and insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) modules as likely to show the strongest growth.

In a joint collaboration between the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH Zurich) and its sister institution, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), scientists developed nanometer-sized AlInN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) on SiC substrates. These devices are more efficient than conventional transistors, allowing for reductions in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.

While graphene has been heralded as a revolutionary transistor material thanks in part to its extremely high electron mobility, fabrication hurdles have prevented engineers from manufacturing high-quality graphene in large quantities — until now! Using direct chemical vapor deposition (CVD), already common in semiconductor production, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory scientists have been able to form single-layer graphene films on a dielectric substrate.

Manufacturer of industrial brushes to custom or standard configurations with over 15,000 brushes to choose from — cylinder, hand-held, block, ESD, anti static/cleanroom, flow-through, strip, and twisted-in-wire.

If a brush exists, we have it...if it doesn't exist, we'll make it. Choose from more than 2,000 standard brushes.

Epilog's FiberMark system makes it easy to mark electronic parts with serial codes, bar codes, data-matrix codes, and more — all on a machine up to 30% less expensive than traditional YAG lasers.

The FiberMark helps strengthen ID process, increases tracking capabilities, and improves quality control. Contact Epilog to receive information and laser-marked samples!

If your technology depends on a precision metal enclosure, depend on deep drawn metal cases. Huge tooling library — over 15,000 shapes/sizes available with little to no tooling charges (including prototypes). Specializing in difficult to form metals/shapes and building custom products to print. Learn more.

AMS has an extensive line of Hermetically Sealed — High-Reliability Diodes and Transient Voltage Suppressors. Additional products Include: Mil-spec TVS and Zener Diodes, Hermetically sealed Axial Metal Diodes, offering excellent protection in most environmental conditions. Ask for these devices in 1 W zeners and 1500 W Transient Voltage Suppressors.

View all our featured products and specials here…

Now that semiconductor manufacturers of commodity logic devices are gradually migrating from aluminum to copper interconnect platforms, industry analysts are rushing to understand the impact this transition will have on the semiconductor equipment market. Migrating to copper stands will significantly affect processing equipment and introduce new challenges associated with the high aspect ratios, small CD sizes, and critical line resistance sensitivities of DRAM and Flash memories.

A recently unveiled dielectric deposition system features a unique chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process for producing an important liner for 3D chip packaging. Specifically, the deposition technique enables creation of an oxide liner film layer in high aspect ratio (HAR) through-silicon-vias (TSV), thereby ensuring solid electrical isolation of the TSV and reliable device performance.

By simply walking or running, you may soon be able to generate enough usable electrical energy to power sensors to locate you in an emergency or even power portable devices such as cell phones and music players. Developed by Louisiana Tech University scientists, the piezoelectric device consists of a low-cost polymer transducer flexible enough to be embedded in a person's shoes.

With the advent of recent disasters associated with the mining industry, there is renewed interest in miner tracking systems that could improve mine safety. Such a portable device is now in the works and will soon be tested. Integrating MEMS technology, the miner tracking device contains a sensor the size of a one-inch cube relying on three miniature tuning forks, locating a miner to within 10 ft.

Bel Power's SLIN Series of non-isolated DC/DC converters are optimized to improve transient response and reduce external filtering. The converters feature Tunable Loop™ technology, licensed from Lineage Power, which optimizes the converter's dynamic response to match load requirements. These SMT modules are available in 3A, 6A, 12A, and 20A versions.

Leader Tech's new FerriShield Ferrite catalog and engineer's reference guide is now available for immediate download. The catalog provides valuable insider tips and performance data for 1,000s of solid and bisected ferrite styles. New color-coded pages help readers quickly find ferrites that are categorized into four frequency-specific formulations.

The CPT7B48 12V,7A 16^th brick converter provides 84W of 12V power @ 55C and 200lfm airflow with wide input 36 to 75VDC. Efficiencies exceed 93% from ½ load through full load. Meets EN60950 and is UL94V-0 rated. Complies with no load operation, 100V/100mS input voltage transient, and pre-biased load startup. Datasheet at www.dcdc.com.

Megatone's Electronic Manufacturing Services offer comprehensive and integrated design and manufacturing services to optimize our customers' operations and time to market, from initial product design to volume production. We are skilled in servicing OEMs and ODMs of a wide variety of industries including automotive, industrial control equipment, power management, computer peripherals, and consumer electronics. Learn more.

Making a career change can be a daunting experience, especially if you are armed with wrong assumptions. Avita Career Management Consultant Patricia Erickson sheds light on the most pervasive career change myths, including the impossibility of making a career out of something you love, the common belief that there is too much risk associated with career change, and the perception that the job market is just too tough to allow you to take the plunge.

Just when you thought the world couldn't get any smaller, IBM researchers carved a complete 3D, flattened, nanometer-sized map of planet earth in less than three minutes onto a polymer using a newly developed nanoscale silicon milling tool. Capable of writing both 2D and 3D nanoscale patterns, the machine will find use in rapid prototyping applications for CMOS nanoelectronics, optical components, and nanoparticles. Be sure to check out the YouTube video, where scientists from IBM Zurich explain the technique!

What Does the Future Hold for Computers?

Where do you think the computer industry will be in the next decade, 50 years, or 100 years out? What technology will fuel the next generation of computers? How soon could we see a revolutionary leap in computer technology?