The target applications are machine vision, security, and medical devices. A hyperspectral camera forms a spectral fingerprint of objects. It does so by capturing light in many small wavelength bands.
Such a spectral fingerprint contains detailed information about the object, e.g. about the materials contained in it, or about its state.
Hyperspectral cameras were first used in geology studies, e.g. to detect oil deposits.
Today's setups for hyperspectral analysis are bulky, complex, and expensive machines for use in laboratories. But many "in the field" applications would profit from a lightweight, compact and robust camera.
Think of cameras to inspect crops, or machines to sort food. And a microsized camera would enable a whole new class of applications. Imagine, for example, that you would have a small pen to check your skin for melanoma.
The industry’s first process development kit (PDK) for 14nm logic chips has been announced by Imec. This early-version PDK contains all elements for design assessment of the 14nm node through device compact models, parasitic extraction, design rules, parameterized cells (pcells), and basic logic cells.
It anticipates the introduction of a number of new technologies like the use of FinFET transistors, which have a larger drive per unit footprint and higher performance at low supply voltages compared to the traditional planar technologies. Evolutions of this PDK will gradually also introduce the use of high-mobility channel materials. The PDK includes elements of both immersion- and EUV lithography, opening the way for a gradual transition from 193nm immersion to EUV lithography.
Starting from the PDK a first test chip is now being designed. This chip, planned for the second half of 2012, will allow testing the device-, interconnect-, process- and litho assumptions, as well as performance and power of circuits implemented at the tight area budgets of the 14nm node.
The Hollywood film industry went to a whole new level after 3-D movies like James Cameron’s “Avatar” to the latest “Underworld Awakening”. The perspective of watching movies through a whole new dimension is believed to have brought movie fans closer to reality.
But, people often complain about headaches and other eye problems after watching a movie continuously for 2 to 3 hours. But, due to the awesome movie effects, most companies are ignoring this problem and are introducing more and more 3D enabled gadgets like 3D televisions and smart phones.
Smart phones like LG Optimus 3D and HTC evo 3D give us a glass free 3D effect using auto-stereoscopic technology. Even gadgets like these produce headaches and eye pain after constant viewing for hours. The case is same with the 3D smart TV or watching a 3D movie with glasses in a theater.
These problems can be overcome by the newly developed holographic displays. They produce a 3D display that can be viewed with ease, without pain in our eyes. The technology is in its early stage developments and hence only low quality holographic displays have been shown till now.
A group of researchers from a Belgian firm “Imec” have created a MEMS (Microelectromechanical) chip that can be used to make holographic displays.
First, a wafer of silicon is taken and a layer of silicon dioxide is grown on it. Then the silicon dioxide is etched away such that grid pixels of size 150 nm, which are shallower than the surrounding silicon dioxide layer, are formed. The entire grid is then topped with fine layer of reflective aluminum. Then a beam of laser light is made to fall in this wafer in an angle such that the light is interfaced with itself.
Usually, the pixels are moved to make the illusion of image movement. Instead of this method, a chip covered with tiny MEMS is designed to easily create a moving holographic image. The MEMS is made to move up and down on the chip’s surface to produce the image.
If this technique is successful in making high quality holography then the problems associated with 3D viewing will be eliminated and we can get a comfortable 3D vision. This will surely pave way to watching 3D movies with ease.
