This country’s semiconductor chip shortage is likely to continue well into 2022, and a Georgia Tech expert predicts that the U.S. will need to make major changes to the manufacturing and supply chain of these all-important chips in the coming year to stave off further effects.That includes making more of these chips here at home. &nbsp;Madhavan Swaminathan is the John Pippin Chair in Electromagnetics in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering. He also &nbsp;serves as director of the 3D Systems Packaging Research Center. &nbsp;As an author of more than 450 technical publications who holds 29 patents, Swaminathan is one of the world’s leading experts on semiconductors and the semiconductor chips necessary for many of the devices we use every day to function.&nbsp;“Almost any consumer device that is electronic tends to have at least one semiconductor chip in it,” Swaminathan explains. “The more complicated the functions any device performs, the more chips it is likely to have.”&nbsp;Some of these semiconductor chips process information, some store data, and others provide sensing or communication functions.&nbsp;In short, they are crucial in devices from video games and smart thermostats to cars and computers.&nbsp;Our current shortage of these chips began with the Covid-19 pandemic. When consumers started staying at home and car purchases took a downward turn, chip manufacturers tried to shift to make more chips for other goods like smartphones and computers.&nbsp;But Swaminathan explains that making that kind of switch is not simple. Entire production operations have to be changed. The chips are highly sensitive and can be damaged by static electricity, temperature variations, and even tiny specks of dust. The manufacturing environments must be highly regulated, and changes in the process can add months.&nbsp;The pandemic highlighted another challenge with the semiconductor chip industry, according to Swaminathan.&nbsp;“There’s a major shortage of companies making chips,” he says. “If you look worldwide, there are maybe four or five manufacturers making 80-90% of these chips and they are located outside of the United States.”&nbsp;This creates supply chain hiccups with the raw supplies needed to make these chips as well. Add in the fact that many of these companies only design their chips – they don’t manufacture them directly.&nbsp;“American consumers use 50% of the world’s chips,” Swaminathan says, which creates a serious challenge when the overwhelming majority of those chips are manufactured in other nations.&nbsp;In the short term, the costs of the chip shortage is being passed on to the consumer. We see this directly with products like PlayStations and Xboxes that are more and more expensive and harder to purchase when the chips necessary for the consoles to function are in short supply.&nbsp;Beyond 2022, Swaminathan says we need to work to revitalize the industry domestically.&nbsp;“We need to bring more manufacturing back to the United States,” he says. “The U.S. government has recognized the importance of this semiconductor chip shortage and is trying to address the issue directly.”&nbsp;That means investing in new plants to manufacture the chips, but America's journey toward &nbsp;chip self-sufficiency will continue to be a work in progress.“This is a cycle,” Swaminathan explains. “But this is probably the first time where it has had such a major effect in so many different industries.”&nbsp;But consumers can take direct action on their own in the coming year. “Reduce the number of times you purchase or upgrade electronic devices like phones and cars,” he says. “Then it becomes just a supply problem, not a demand and supply problem.”

Georgia Tech expert predicts that America will need to make major changes to the manufacturing and supply chain

Addressing the Microchip Shortage

The semiconductor manufacturing field employs a range of etching techniques to craft intricate patterns and structures on material surfaces, with dry etching and wet etching being primary methods. 

Dry Etching vs Wet Etching: A Comprehensive Comparison

Silicon wafers are thin slices of highly pure crystalline Silicon, used in the production of integrated circuits. This article delves into the fascinating world of silicon wafers, unraveling their production process, unique properties, and the wide range of applications that make them indispensable.

Silicon Wafers: Production, Properties and Application

This article provides a comparison between NB-IoT and LTE-M protocols and explores how NB-IoT facilitates energy-efficient and latency-tolerant IoT solutions for hard-to-reach locations.


How NB-IoT facilitates energy-efficient and latency-tolerant IoT solutions

This is the fifth article and final in a <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/how-to-select-the-right-reinforced-transformer-for-high-voltage-energy-storage-applications" target="_blank">5-part series</a> exploring the future of mobility. The series looks into which technologies enable rapid advancements in the efficiency, safety, and power of the vehicles of tomorrow. This series is sponsored by <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/mouser.electronics" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a>, an online distributor of electronic components. Through their sponsorship, Mouser Electronics is dedicated to supporting a future of connected and efficient mobility.<h1 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Introduction</h1>The success of the Tesla Model 3 has disrupted the global automotive market. With industry experts betting it would fail, the Model 3 launch hit a home run in both the US and Europe. Responding to this market phenomenon, GM, Ford, and Volkswagen have entered the electric car arena, committing $20 billion, $6 billion, and $91 billion, respectively, and are on route to deliver comprehensive electric portfolios by 2030. Volvo has promised to produce 100% Electric Vehicles by 2030, while Volkswagen is investing in having six battery factories running by 2023[1].&nbsp;Though automotive electrification has taken a big step forward, battery charging has been a critical restraint for mass adoption, with slow to develop charging infrastructure average charge times still well above the usual refuel times for internal combustion engine vehicles. Aside from securing enough lithium supply for EV battery production[2], reducing charge time is one of the biggest remaining hurdles for electric cars to overtake traditional vehicles in global sales. An answer to shorten charging periods is the combination of digital control (e.g., <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-pivotal-role-of-battery-management-systems-on-the-performance-of-electric-vehicles" target="_blank">Battery Management Systems BMS</a>) and silicon carbide (SiC).&nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Charging Levels and Definitions</h2>The automotive industry categorizes electric vehicle charging into three levels. The higher the level, the faster the charge. Development in charging technology has shifted charge times from hours to minutes and removed the practical reality that the vehicle must charge overnight. The three charging levels are described below, with their ranges and performance.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI3NTQ0NjMwMTk1LUlNQUdFIDktMDEgZWRpdGVkLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">EV Charging Levels (3) </div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Level 1 (120V AC)</h2>It is possible to charge an electric vehicle with a standard 120V AC home outlet. This charging method only adds about 40 miles of range in 8 hours due to the low voltage level. Even a full overnight charge will not be sufficient to replenish an empty battery. Due to this method’s impracticality, only 5% of public EV charging stations employed Level 1 technology.<h2 dir="ltr">Level 2 (208V/240V AC)</h2>Level 2 AC charging operates at 240V for residential or 208V for commercial properties. Though most homes have 240V power, the user may need to upgrade or move some equipment to enable the vehicle to access the power. This level provides 10-20 miles of range per hour of charge. This level still requires a time investment even though it offers five times the miles of Range Per Hour of Level 1. Level 2 is a step-change improvement over level 1, but it requires a dedicated 40A circuit. The convenience of still charging at home or the office and the performance gain over level 1 are two reasons over 80% of public charging stations employ this technology.<h2 dir="ltr">Level 3/DC Fast Charge (208V/480V AC)</h2>DC fast charging begins to approach parity in refueling (recharging) time between combustion and electric vehicles. The power conversion from AC to DC occurs within the charging station, followed by a DC/DC step that converts the voltage to the level the EV requires. It is the high-voltage DC power that reduces the time to charge.Achieving this level means that drivers can refuel mid-trip with charge times on par with typical gas pump refuel times. Enabling charging while away from home also means that drivers may not need to upgrade their home equipment. This EV charging technique delivers up to 80 miles of range in 20 minutes – 12 times the rate of level 2.&nbsp;At the moment, Level 3 accounts for only 15% of the existing public charging infrastructure. The chargers must be small, durable, reliable, and efficient to ensure commercial viability for widespread use. <a href="https://www.mouser.de/blog/faster-ev-charging-with-sic" target="_blank">Digitally controlled silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors</a> solve the technical challenge and clear the path for reducing EV charge time to the level of a gas-powered car.<h1 dir="ltr">The Solution to Deliver DC Fast Charge</h1>The approach takes a three-phase power source and employs a Vienna rectifier-based power correction factor. It adds the DC-DC converter to provide the target voltage for the vehicle. The process contains switching losses due to switching frequencies at a high-power multiple and conversion loss escaping as heat [4]. To reduce these inefficiencies and enable higher-temperature operation, engineers developed wide bandgap semiconductor materials, such as SiC.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI3NTQ0MDY3MDg2LW1vdXNlciA1IGZhc3QuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Fast charging point.&nbsp;</div><h2 dir="ltr" id="isPasted">Silicon Carbide (SiC)</h2><a href="https://www.mouser.com/new/microchip/microsemi-sic-sbd/" target="_blank">MOSFET-SiC-1200V</a> is an interesting example of transformative SiC technology that could deliver the desired outcomes for Level 3 charging (Figure 3). A SiC with 1200V can offer high performance for improved system efficiency and reduced weight and size. The 1200V does not degrade over its life and delivers fast switching enabled by its wide bandgap through reduced internal gauge resistance while providing stable, reliable operation.<div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI3NTQ0OTE4ODgzLW1pY29yY2hpcCAyLmpwZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6OTUwLCJmaXQiOiJjb3ZlciJ9fX0=" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 3 MOSFET-SiC-1200V (5)</div>With less resistance and heat loss characteristics, SiC’s are power-dense. They package efficiently and do not contain excess material, making them lighter and more durable due to higher-temperature operation. Silicon carbide is bidirectional, easier for designers to achieve in SiC than silicon, and provides the efficiency, power density, reliability, and durability that DC fast charging requires. SiC addresses the technical challenges of high voltage charging both efficiently and economically.<h2 dir="ltr">Digital Control</h2>Applying digital control to the SiC is the second critical aspect of delivering Level 3 charge. Usually, gate drivers are good matches to the performance level of the SiC with the robustness of digital control. This type of controller optimizes the inter-step switching for efficiency and employs circuit control protection to address the technical challenges of higher-voltage, elevated-temperature operation for EV Level 3 charging.Advances in digital control solutions can be found in the market and several products aim to overcome the excess voltage and resonant current emitted during loading periods. In recent times, researchers have developed novel control methods suppressing overvoltage and resonant current during the turn-off period of the SiC [6]. &nbsp;Such solutions need to be available for Level 3 options and the opportunities to do so are not ignored by the automobile and energy industries.<h2 dir="ltr">Conclusion</h2>Electrification is a direction, not a distraction. Major automotive players are bringing electric vehicles into the mainstream and are pushing for cost-competitiveness to combustion-engine cars. SiC coupled with digital control provides the ideal solution to deliver Level 3 charging performance This combination offers durability and reliability and balances efficient, economic, and safe control methodology to ensure the stability of Level 3 stations.This article was initially published by Mouser and Microchip in an <a href="https://www.mouser.com/ebooks/microchip-future-mobility" target="_blank">e-magazine</a>. It has been substantially edited by the Wevolver team and engineer Nicolas Sarmiento Sierra. It's the final article of a 5-part series exploring the future of mobility. Future articles will examine the cybersecurity concerns in connected vehicles, discuss solutions for fast charging, and dive into how ethernet can deliver optimum data networks.&nbsp;The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/software-control-as-a-differentiator-in-the-automotive-industry-" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first article</a>&nbsp;looked at software control.The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/the-rise-in-automotive-electronic-controls-prompts-cybersecurity-concerns" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">second article</a>&nbsp;examined cybersecurity concerns in connected vehiclesThe&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/automotive-ethernet-provides-an-optimum-data-network" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">third article</a>&nbsp;surveyed the potential of automotive ethernetThe <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/solving-automotive-motor-control-for-electric-vehicles" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">fourth article</a> discussed comprehensive control solutions.<h2 dir="ltr">About the sponsor: Mouser</h2><a href="https://eu.mouser.com/" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a> is a worldwide leading authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components for over 1,100 manufacturer brands. They specialize in the rapid introduction of new products and technologies for design engineers and buyers. Their extensive product offering includes semiconductors, interconnects, passives, and electromechanical components.<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjI3NTQ0MTYxNTQwLUdvb2QgbW91c2VyIGJhbm5lciBmb3IgYXJ0aWNlbHMuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"> <h2 dir="ltr">References</h2>1. &nbsp; &nbsp; ManufacturingNet. Who Are Tesla’s Biggest Competitors? [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Jun 17]. Available from: https://www.manufacturing.net/automotive/article/21390017/who-are-teslas-biggest-competitors2. &nbsp; &nbsp; Costa CM, Barbosa JC, Gonçalves R, Castro H, Campo FJD, Lanceros-Méndez S. Recycling and environmental issues of lithium-ion batteries: Advances, challenges and opportunities. Energy Storage Mater [Internet]. 2021;37(January):433–65. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ensm.2021.02.0323. &nbsp; &nbsp; Brodd K. Find Charging Options for Your Electric Vehicle [Internet]. 2017 [cited 2021 Jun 17]. Available from: https://www.carolinacountry.com/your-energy/energytech/know-charging-options-to-keep-your-ev-rolling4. &nbsp; &nbsp; Ngwashi DK, Phung LV. Recent review on failures in silicon carbide power MOSFETs. Microelectron Reliab. 2021;123(February):114169.&nbsp;5. &nbsp; &nbsp; Microchips. Microsemi / Microchip Silicon Carbide (SiC) Schottky Barrier Diodes [Internet]. 2021 [cited 2021 Jun 17]. Available from: https://www.mouser.de/new/microchip/microsemi-sic-sbd/6. &nbsp; &nbsp; Qin H, Mo Y, Xun Q, Zhang Y, Dong Y. A digital-controlled SiC-based solid state circuit breaker with soft switch-off method for DC power system. Electron. 2019;8(8).&nbsp;

Reducing charge time is one of the remaining hurdles for EVs to overtake traditional cars in global sales. Combining digital control and silicon carbide (SiC) delivers level 3 or DC fast charging to reduce these charge times dramatically.

How Digital Control and SiC Microchips Unlock Level 3 Fast Charging

In this episode, we talk about the injectable microchip from Columbia University along with its applications in clinical settings, a global effort to develop two dimensional transistors, and a NASA Pathways Intern who created an AI powered system capable of detecting spacecraft failures. As always, you can find these and other interesting &amp; impactful engineering articles on Wevolver.com.<iframe height="200px" width="100%" frameborder="no" scrolling="no" seamless="" src="https://player.simplecast.com/ef862d63-d4d0-42c8-a100-d5826f66fcc2?dark=false" class="fr-draggable" data-lf-form-tracking-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-yt-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true" data-lf-vimeo-playback-inspected-kn9eq4roawkarlvp="true"></iframe>&nbsp;<h3>EPISODE NOTES</h3>Take a few seconds to leave us a review. It really helps! <a href="https://apple.co/2RIsbZ2" target="_blank">https://apple.co/2RIsbZ2</a> if you do it and send us proof, we’ll give you a shoutout on the show.&nbsp;(0:42) - Injectable Microchips:Researchers at Columbia University have developed a microchip the size of a grain of salt that can be injected into a patient and act as a wireless temperature sensor. The chip is powered by and communicates to a standard ultrasound probe from outside the body.&nbsp;(9:00) - 2D Transistors:Moore’s law has dictated the progress of computational power for the past few decades but lately, it seems like we’ve hit the physical limit of transistor development. There’s now an international effort led by MIT and UC Berkeley to explore 2D transistors which could pave the way for keeping up with Moore’s Law again.&nbsp;(17:10) - AI For Spacecraft Diagnosis:NASA Pathways intern Evanna Gizzi has been working on Research in Artificial Intelligence for Spacecraft Resilience (RAISR) which aims to autonomously detect the root cause of spacecraft failures. RAISR is like an AI engineer that lives in the brain of a spacecraft to identify and remedy spacecraft failures.--About the podcast:Every day, some of the most innovative universities, companies, and individual technology developers share their knowledge on Wevolver. To ensure we can also provide this knowledge for the growing group of podcast listeners, we started a collaboration with two young engineers, Daniel Scott Mitchell &amp; Farbod Moghaddam who discuss the most interesting content in this podcast series.&nbsp;To learn more about this show, please visit the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/profile/the.next.byte" target="_blank">shows page</a>. By following the page, you will get automatic updates by email when a new show is published.Be sure to give us a follow and review on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/nl/podcast/the-next-byte/id1548255861?l=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a> podcasts, <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6lPPsRtegnivsRUEsQ09R7?si=IPMiah7xT_apJtPjqvXMlA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, and most of your favorite podcast platforms!

In this episode, we talk about the injectable microchip from Columbia University along with its applications in clinical settings, a global effort to develop two dimensional transistors, and a NASA Pathways Intern who created an AI powered system capable of detecting spacecraft failures.

Podcast: Injectable Microchips, 2D Transistors, AI For Spacecraft Diagnosis

This is the fourth article in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/5g-network-brings-connected-cars-closer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">5-part series</a>&nbsp;exploring the connectivity solutions for the future of transportation. The series will detail various connectivity challenges engineers face and describe the technology that will provide the solutions to enhance transportation and driving experience.The articles were originally published in an&nbsp;<a href="https://molex.mouser.com/automotive/molexmouser-transportation-5-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">e-magazine</a>, and have been substantially edited by Wevolver to update them and make them available on the Wevolver platform. This series is sponsored by <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u%3Dhttps-3A__www.wevolver.com_profile_mouser.electronics%26d%3DDwMFaQ%26c%3DvY6N1du11amUSmqXT2U6Yqw6I-si6nWulSErsUHFzRg%26r%3DSX8WJj6aBgJIIamuSnM4Yt_gptnhANsfatuq48mvISE%26m%3DyAseMaUq5bncSFw7awZYCd6-LFuj7JUMoFVnLZ0EiuI%26s%3DsoknzwYJIHiBfjy9DIRkBWyE_dlFWt-WvB0UPPeQEz0%26e%3D&source=gmail&ust=1620315502463000&usg=AFQjCNHaRorgw8OG_RW0F1eYcxt6aXFVQg" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.wevolver.com_profile_mouser.electronics&d=DwMFaQ&c=vY6N1du11amUSmqXT2U6Yqw6I-si6nWulSErsUHFzRg&r=SX8WJj6aBgJIIamuSnM4Yt_gptnhANsfatuq48mvISE&m=yAseMaUq5bncSFw7awZYCd6-LFuj7JUMoFVnLZ0EiuI&s=soknzwYJIHiBfjy9DIRkBWyE_dlFWt-WvB0UPPeQEz0&e=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a>, an online distributor of electronic components. Through their sponsorship, Mouser Electronics supports engineers in building a highly connected transport future in addition to knowledge sharing on related topics of electric vehicles, 5G, and autonomous transport. &nbsp;<h2 dir="ltr">Introduction</h2>Although the streets are not yet filled with driverless cars, more and more vehicles are being outfitted with the components needed to facilitate higher-level autonomy, and connectivity with networks and devices alike. In concert with state-of-the-art sensors, the capabilities of connected vehicles - span from customized media modules to advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that serve as a virtual copilot and beyond.The anticipated widespread rollout of 5G networks, which will boost connectivity for all internet-enabled devices, and advances in specialized miniature connector systems will continue to facilitate the connected vehicle industry&#39;s growth. These advances are sure to revolutionize how consumers and devices interact with vehicles, virtually turning into computer networks on wheels. <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIxODgzNTQyMDc5LUlNQUdFIDUtMDEuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 1:&nbsp;Connectivity within the vehicle is possible with the support of ADAS and a high-speed vehicle network supporting data transmission. &nbsp;Connected vehicle capabilities are not only being integrated into consumer vehicles. Advancements in the technology are being fast-tracked in industries that will benefit the most from data-driven automobiles, such as agriculture and commercial transportation. For example, in 2018, Ford and Walmart partnered to test autonomous grocery delivery in Miami. The test harnessed the benefits of connected technology within commercial areas, in addition to introducing select consumers to a self-driving vehicle and how to interact with it once it arrived at their house. Ford also partnered with Dominos Pizza to further its research in this area.</div>Meanwhile, manufacturers and other industry players continue to make strides in the fully autonomous vehicle market. Volvo and Mercedes are the latest automakers to team up with tech giants to develop and integrate software into their vehicles, making automotive infrastructure increasingly digital. There are also reports that more than 50 countries have recently agreed to adopt autonomous vehicle regulations issued by the United Nations, further standardizing and quantifying how a world of connected vehicles might operate.Although it might be a matter of time until fully autonomous vehicles take to the roads, connected vehicles are driving the industry in the right direction by evolving automobile infrastructure to handle connectivity and, eventually, fully autonomous control.<h2>Components Driving Connectivity</h2>Autonomous vehicles require cutting-edge components, creating new challenges for designers and engineers. However, seamless adoption and integration of components that enable self-driving cars - especially when it comes to safety and connectivity - are critical for advancing the industry. The increased electronic content in vehicles requires more connections, more input and output systems, and more data. All of those electronic components will need to communicate seamlessly within vehicle networks. <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIyNzEwMjY0NTEyLUlNQUdFIDctMDEuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 2: &nbsp;Connectivity is a crucial driver to achieve the full potential of the connected and autonomous car (Source: Molex).The types of terminals used by original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) - such as clean body or locking-lance - are often dictated by the region in which they are built. U.S. automakers worked with the United States Council for Automotive Research (USCAR) to establish a 0.5mm terminal. In contrast, German automakers follow Zentralverband Elektrotechnik (ZVEI), which has a different 0.5mm interface with a side-latch design and uses a locking-lance terminal. There is no governing body in China for automotive standards, so automakers are free to choose either North American or European designs already tooled. South Korea is developing its standards, and Japan&#39;s major automakers are influenced by parent companies and joint ventures in both North American and European countries.</div> The race to develop driverless vehicles will require additional sensors and more redundancy for safety applications. Consumers will expect a vehicle with 360-degree sight, capable of seeing, anticipating, and operating in any situation, regardless of the harshness of the environment. Customers will also expect a highly capable, customized experience, which will result in the vehicle running more applications and putting more sophisticated demands on vehicular networks.Connected vehicles need reliable internet connections, and components must communicate vast amounts of data with many different sources, both inside and outside the vehicle. These hefty connectivity requirements call for denser packaging of in-vehicle electronics across a wide variety of ever-increasing applications. Designers must fit more circuits into smaller spaces while maintaining the same robust automotive requirements.These trends call for smaller connector systems that use smaller wire to fit the dense packaging needs. In response, designers have increasingly shifted over the past few years to using 0.5mm terminal systems, customized depending on who is using the terminals and in what capacity.<h1>Space-Saving Challenges</h1>Creating a line of connectors that meet USCAR and ZVEI requirements while solving some of the toughest challenges presented by connected vehicle specifications requires a team of experienced, dedicated designers. Beyond engineering a line of connectors that meet regional requirements, other design challenges are emerging as manufacturers streamline connected vehicle connectivity. For example, a continued push for weight savings in the vehicle has affected the connector industry and calls for smaller wires and more compact wiring bundles. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and battery electric vehicles (BEV) continue to drive this trend with complex battery management systems with massive amounts of connections and wiring packaged in a small space. This challenge creates the need for solutions that are not traditional to automotive applications, such as micro-sized connectors, very small wire gauges, and flexible flat cables (FFCs).As the HEV and BEV markets increase vehicle lifespans from a traditional 320,000km (200,000 miles) to 1.6-million km (1-million miles), there is an increased need for connection systems and terminal contact interfaces that can withstand temperature and vibration over this extended period. Regardless of engine type, whether traditional internal combustion engine, HEV, or BEV, the need for more I/Os near the engine and in harsh environments is increasing. Engine controllers have evolved to become sophisticated computers that are sending and receiving data throughout many systems in the vehicles. Additionally, the transition to smaller systems is also happening with engine controllers as requirements for circuit counts reach more than 300 in such systems. &nbsp;Smaller wires and terminal systems create challenges in operating in environments with higher temperatures and vibration. <div class="fr-img-space-wrap"><img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIyNzEwMjA5MzA2LUlNQUdFIDYtMDEuanBnIiwiZWRpdHMiOnsicmVzaXplIjp7IndpZHRoIjo5NTAsImZpdCI6ImNvdmVyIn19fQ==" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib">Figure 3:&nbsp;With the increasing popularity of electric cars, design requirements for control units and their management are evolving.&nbsp;<h2 class="fr-img-space-wrap2">The Mini50 and TAK50 Solutions from Molex</h2></div> Innovation on new 0.5mm products has been a focus for Molex, which has honed its line of <a href="https://www.mouser.com/new/molex/molex-mini50/" target="_blank">Mini50 connectors</a> to meet the needs of OEMs through elegant design and a deep understanding of the unique - and continuously evolving - requirements within the connected vehicle market.Understanding that customers&#39; preferences differ, Molex has enhanced the 050 offerings to include TAK50, which provides various options across its standard product lines:<ul><li>Mini50 Connection System - USCAR-standard unsealed interface - clean-body terminal and top-latch design: (Figure 4)<ul><li>Offers 50 percent space savings over traditional 0.64mm systems</li><li>Tested to USCAR and LV214</li><li>Multiple configurations and circuit sizes</li></ul></li><li>Mini50 Sealed Connection System&ndash;one of the smallest automotive-grade sealed connector systems that meet USCAR-2 specifications for automotive electrical connector systems:<ul><li>Offers 50 percent space savings over traditional 0.64mm systems</li></ul></li><li>ConnTAK50 Connector System&ndash;German auto standard 050 interface&ndash;locking-lance terminal, side-latch design:<ul><li>Tested to USCAR, PSA, and LV214 specifications</li><li>Also offers a clean-body terminal option</li></ul></li><li>stAK50h Connection System&ndash;Hybrid stackable header and connector system that offers 0.5mm, 1.2mm, and 2.8mm options:<ul><li>The system provides four customized header designs that can be stacked together to make multi-bay headers.</li></ul></li></ul>The use of the Mini50 Connector System delivers significant space savings over the traditional USCAR 0.64mm connectors while eliminating mating and assembly errors and offers protection from water and dust with Mini50 Sealed. Additionally, the Mini50 Connector System is selected as the industry&#39;s USCAR 0.50mm unsealed interface. These solutions power essential connected vehicle components such as mirrors and cameras, sensors, power steering and braking, and more.The Mini50 Connector System is also used in commercial vehicle applications. Ruggedization of components is critical in commercial and agricultural vehicles, and the Mini50 line of connectors is designed to withstand harsh environments common in the commercial sector. And as more commercial vehicles are being built to run on electricity, Molex&#39;s connectors will enable the integration of clean, secure electrical systems.In addition to miniaturization in both consumer and commercial vehicles, there is still the need for a variety of other connectors and terminal types throughout the vehicle. Molex also has a wide variety of standard offerings that solve customer challenges every day. Products such as MX150, Stac64, MX64, Duraclick, CMC, and Mizu25 connectors are longstanding standards released at multiple global OEMs and used in vehicles all over the world.<h1>Summary</h1>Many technologies, regulations, and infrastructure changes need to be adopted for connected vehicles to realize their full potential; electrical component developers must work alongside auto manufacturers to develop cutting-edge, microminiature solutions that will enable connected vehicles to reach their full potential and, eventually, pave the way for a fully automated future.This article was originally published by Mouser and Molex in an&nbsp;<a href="https://molex.mouser.com/automotive/molexmouser-transportation-5-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">e-magazine</a>&nbsp;and substantially edited by the Wevolver team. It&#39;s the fourth article of a 5-part series exploring connectivity solutions for the future of transportation. &nbsp;The first article&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/5g-network-brings-connected-cars-closer" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">examined how the 5G network will deliver Connected Cars. &nbsp;</a>The second article <a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/high-speed-data-and-connected-cars" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">discussed connected transport and automotive ethernet.&nbsp;</a>The third article&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/connected-car-trend-creates-modularity-challenges" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">introduces the modularity challenges of Connected Cars.</a>The fifth article&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wevolver.com/article/small-and-speedy-connectivity-solutions-enable-adas-and-increase-vehicle-safety" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">looked at connectivity requirements for ADAS.</a><h2 dir="ltr">About the sponsor: Mouser</h2><a href="https://eu.mouser.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mouser Electronics</a> is a worldwide leading authorized distributor of semiconductors and electronic components for over 1,100 manufacturer brands. They specialize in the rapid introduction of new products and technologies for design engineers and buyers. Their extensive product offering includes semiconductors, interconnects, passives, and electromechanical components.&nbsp;<img src="https://images.wevolver.com/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJ3ZXZvbHZlci1wcm9qZWN0LWltYWdlcyIsImtleSI6ImZyb2FsYS8xNjIxODgzMzk2MTcyLW1vdXNlciBsb2dvIGZvb3Rlci5qcGciLCJlZGl0cyI6eyJyZXNpemUiOnsid2lkdGgiOjk1MCwiZml0IjoiY292ZXIifX19" style="width: 788px;" class="fr-fic fr-dib"><h2>Resources and further reading:</h2>[Internet]. 2021 [cited 27 May 2021]. Available from: https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2018/11/14/walmart-and-ford-to-test-grocery-delivery-with-self-driving-cars2. Waymo and Daimler are teaming up to build fully driverless semi trucks [Internet]. The Verge. 2021 [cited 27 May 2021]. Available from: https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/27/21536048/waymo-daimler-driverless-semi-trucks-cascadia-freightliner3. Volvo Cars brings infotainment system with Google built in to more models [Internet]. Media.volvocars.com. 2021 [cited 27 May 2021]. Available from: https://www.media.volvocars.com/global/en-gb/media/pressreleases/279230/volvo-cars-brings-infotainment-system-with-google-built-in-to-more-models4. Automated vehicles &ndash; EURACTIV.com [Internet]. Euractiv.com. 2021 [cited 27 May 2021]. Available from: https://www.euractiv.com/sections/automated-vehicles/5. [Internet]. 2021 [cited 27 May 2021]. Available from: https://eu.mouser.com/new/molex/molex-mini50/

Article #4 of our Connected Transport Series. Many technologies, regulations, and infrastructure changes need to be adopted for connected vehicles to realize their full potential.

Microminiature Components Are Revolutionizing the Connected Vehicle Industry

Understanding how light waves oscillate in time as they interact with materials is essential to understanding light-driven energy transfer in materials, such as solar cells or plants. Due to the fantastically high speeds at which light waves oscillate, however, scientists have yet to develop a compact device with enough time resolution to directly capture them.Now, a team led by MIT researchers has demonstrated chip-scale devices that can directly trace the weak electric field of light waves as they change in time. Their device, which incorporates a microchip that uses short laser pulses and nanoscale antennas, is easy to use, requiring no special environment for operation, minimal laser parameters, and conventional laboratory electronics.The team’s work,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41566-021-00792-0" target="_blank">published earlier this month</a> in&nbsp;Nature Photonics, may enable the development of new tools for optical measurements with applications in areas such as biology, medicine, food safety, gas sensing, and drug discovery.“The potential applications of this technology are many,” says co-author Phillip Donnie Keathley, group leader and Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) research scientist. “For instance, using these optical sampling devices, researchers will be able to better understand optical absorption pathways in plants and photovoltaics, or to better identify molecular signatures in complex biological systems.”Keathley’s co-authors are lead author Mina Bionta, a senior postdoc at RLE; Felix Ritzkowsky, a graduate student at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY) and the University of Hamburg who was an MIT visiting student; and Marco Turchetti, a graduate student in RLE. The team was led by Keathley working with professors Karl Berggren in the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS); Franz Kärtner of DESY and University of Hamburg in Germany; and William Putnam of the University of California at Davis. Other co-authors are Yujia Yang, a former MIT postdoc now at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EFPL), and Dario Cattozzo Mor, a former visiting student.<h2>The ultrafast meets the ultrasmall — time stands still at the head of a pin</h2>Researchers have long sought methods for measuring systems as they change in time. Tracking gigahertz waves, like those used for your phone or Wi-Fi router, requires a time resolution of less than 1 nanosecond (one-billionth of a second). To track visible light waves requires an even faster time resolution — less than 1 femtosecond (one-millionth of one-billionth of a second).The MIT and DESY research teams designed a microchip that uses short laser pulses to create extremely fast electronic flashes at the tips of nanoscale antennas. The nanoscale antennas are designed to enhance the field of the short laser pulse to the point that they are strong enough to rip electrons out of the antenna, creating an electronic flash that is quickly deposited into a collecting electrode. These electronic flashes are extremely brief, lasting only a few hundred attoseconds (a few one-hundred-billionths of one-billionth of 1 second).Using these fast flashes, the researchers were able to take snapshots of much weaker light waves oscillating as they passed by the chip.“This work shows, once more, how the merger of nanofabrication and ultrafast physics can lead to exciting insights and new ultrafast measurements tools,” says Professor Peter Hommelhoff, chair for laser physics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, who was not connected with this work. “All this is based on the deep understanding of the underlying physics. Based on this research, we can now measure ultrafast field waveforms of very weak laser pulses.”The ability to directly measure light waves in time will benefit both science and industry, say the researchers. As light interacts with materials, its waves are altered in time, leaving signatures of the molecules inside. This optical field sampling technique promises to capture these signatures with greater fidelity and sensitivity than prior methods while using compact and integratable technology needed for real-world applications.

As a laser illuminates these nanometer-scale devices (blue wave), attosecond electron flashes are generated (red pulse) at the ends of nanotips and used to trace out weak light fields (red wave). Credits:Image: Marco Turchetti

MIT researchers develop compact on-chip device for detecting electric-field waveforms with attosecond time resolution.

Nanostructured device stops light in its tracks

In 2019 the chipmaking industry churned out more than 634 billion computer chips, generating a global turnover of 412 billion euro’s. Although the companies that design and produce the chips, like Intel, Samsung and NXP, are known the world over, the same cannot be said about the company that makes the incredibly complex machines on which these chips are manufactured. We’re talking of course about ASML, the multinational Brainport-based company that with a sense of irony describes itself as ‘the most important tech company you’ve never heard of’.Yet ASML’s lithography machines are the backbone of the chipmaking world. Their incredibly accurate lasers, used by large chip manufacturers, print chip patterns onto silicon wafers with resolutions up to 13 nanometers (a nanometer is a millionth of a millimeter). Although ASML is primarily a hardware company, software has become increasingly important to them over the years. This includes artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), which the company uses to improve machine performance.As a senior program manager Arnaud Hubaux drives the adoption of AI at ASML. Hubaux introduced machine learning solutions to detect defects during production and optimise the behaviour of their lithography machines. “We use AI as a complementary technology to our product portfolio, which helps our customers get the most out of their chip manufacturing processes,” he says. Firstly, can you tell us why ASML decided to co-invest in the AI Innovation Center?Hubaux: “Many people don’t realise that ASML’s chipmaking machines rely extensively on software to produce and maintain nanometer precision. That includes machine learning and artificial intelligence solutions. The AI Innovation Center is a gateway for us to talk about the challenges of what AI means in that context. Also, with the start of this Center I’m excited that students fresh out of university can immediately learn to apply AI at a scale where a manufacturing process can rely on it. That’s a completely different ballgame than just knowing the mathematical background. The Center is also a way of promoting what we do in the ‘AI for Good’ scope and giving back to the community.”Since ASML’s technology is driven primarily by physics — mathematical formulas and models lie at the heart of their lithography systems — adding AI or ML to their toolset wasn’t a foregone conclusion, says Arnaud. Yet he saw a possibility for algorithms to optimise the performance of their machines in order to improve the ‘yield’, the number of good wafers produced per day.Optimisation is crucial, since lithography processes can malfunction and ‘drift’. In a business where every nanometer counts process drift is a potential showstopper, which is why ASML engineers are always monitoring and recalibrating machines to perform up to par. “We tried to push the optimisation with our standard physical model,” Hubaux says, “but we were limited by the fact that we didn’t know what was happening in the customer environment.” Since protection of intellectual property (like chip designs and manufacturing processes) is top priority for chipmakers, each lithography machine operates in a black box environment, completely off-grid and unconnected to any cloud or internet. Hubaux: “We provide all the knobs the customer can turn. Customers configure our machines to their specific production process. So we’re like a car dealer selling a car and knowing exactly how it can perform, but the customer actually drives that car.”Without knowing how the machine is configured and used by their customers, it’s all but impossible to achieve full optimisation. That’s where machine learning came in handy, says Hubaux. “For optimisation you have to understand how the domain works. But for us the customer domain is a no-go area. So if I cannot go there myself, I need someone to tell me when I’m right and when I’m wrong. That’s where machine learning imposed itself as the solution, because it is designed to address this kind of issue. The algorithm was able to learn the parts that we didn’t know, which really helped us to further push the boundary of optimisation.”  But how can you train your algorithm if&nbsp;you do not have actual manufacturing data from the customer?Hubaux: “Yes, that’s the interesting part. The whole essence of machine learning is data, that’s how you train the model. In our case the data is owned and protected by the customer, it’s their life blood and competitive edge. We have to make clear agreements about that with customers. After all, this intellectual property is the competitive catalyst for the industry. For machine learning it means that we cannot do what most solutions do, which is to train your model first and then deploy it. Instead we’re using a completely untrained model, like a baby that cannot read or write.” So how does an untrained model learn? “Our algorithm only needs to know whether each step of the printing process is performed correctly or not. That pass/fail label is supplied to us by the customer. Based on that feedback alone we can tune and train the model, so it slowly adapts its behaviour for the specific context of that customer. Then we can do the finetuning on our machines and help the customers optimise their manufacturing process, without knowing anything about the chip design or manufacturing process itself.”Apart from machine optimisation ASML is also using AI to detect defects during visual inspections of the wafers. Algorithms can be trained to spot anomalies in high resolution images of parts of the wafer very efficiently. Machine learning is also helping to correct deformations in the processing of laser images on the wafer. Hubaux says these can all be done in-house with ASML’s own data.According to Hubaux the biggest challenge in applying AI in business is industrialisation or ensuring a solution always performs well at customer locations. And for that, Hubaux says, explainability or being able to reason exactly why the algorithm is performing like it does, whether good or bad, is crucial. “Machine learning is a bit of a black box, you don’t know exactly what goes on under the hood. That is why it is extremely important to always be able to explain what is going on inside the model and link it to physics. We invest in these solutions, but we also invest in explaining how they work and behave.”Hubaux is critical about hailing AI as the saviour of innovation. Algorithms are useful, but they also have their limits, he says. “For an innovative semiconductor equipment maker like us, you know that new generations of products and systems will never solely depend on AI, because AI needs data to perform and the data is not even there yet. The roadmap for innovation is driven by customer demand and realised by our multi-disciplinary engineering teams around the world. So AI will never be the gatekeeper to produce new generations of lithography systems. But AI does help us to squeeze every possible bit of performance out of our existing machines.”<hr>AI Leadership ForumArnaud &nbsp;is one of the keynote speakers during the first edition of the AI Leadership Forum on April 22nd. See the list of speakers and register&nbsp;<a href="https://hightechcampus.com/events/ai-leadership-forum" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">here</a>.High Tech Campus EindhovenArtificial Intelligence (AI) is a game changer both for industry and society. To ride the wave of this technological revolution, High Tech Campus Eindhoven in cooperation with NXP, Signify, ASML and Philips has recently opened the AI Innovation Center on Campus. In this 1100 square meter hub organisations can develop strategies, talent, knowledge and skills in the vastly evolving field of AI.&nbsp;In this interview series managers from the four founding companies share their insights on the role of AI both in their companies and the world at large.

Arnaud Hubaux, Senior Technical Program Manager at ASML

Arnaud Hubaux, Senior Technical Program Manager explains about optimization of ASML machines as part of a series from the founding partners of the AI Innovation Center at High Tech Campus Eindhoven.

microchips

ORGANIZATIONS. SHAPING THE INDUSTRY.

Ignion

MIPS a GlobalFoundries company

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