Menu
homeMicrosoft

New electronic technologies. Electronic equipment

Electronics - in the narrow sense - is the science of the interaction of electrons with an electromagnetic field. In a general sense, it is the science of creating electronic devices based on this knowledge, mainly for receiving, transmitting, processing and storing information. Electronics have made it possible to read these lines and write them, because essentially everything in this world can be reduced to information, and therefore embodied in electronic devices. The more subtle a person’s understanding of the subtle world of electrons, the more grandiose devices he creates based on this knowledge. Technologies are becoming smaller, work longer, and can do more. This is a natural process associated with the well-known Moore's law and carried out thanks to silicon. Someday an alternative to electronics will be found (for example, spintronics), but for now this is all we have.

Since the discovery of graphene (a material with a two-dimensional structure based on carbon) in 2004, scientists have speculated about the existence of other materials with similar properties. Theorists predicted that boron could form a two-dimensional material similar to graphene. But this was experimentally confirmed only three years ago. Then scientists synthesized borophene for the first time. And now a group of experts has developed a new technology that may well give impetus to the development of a new type of electronics.

The basis of electronic technology currently are semiconductors(semiconductors) - substances whose electrical conductivity increases with temperature and is intermediate between the conductivity of metals and insulators.

The most commonly used semiconductors in electronics are silicon and germanium. On their basis, various semiconductor elements are created by introducing impurities at certain points of the crystals, which primarily include:

conductors switching active elements;

gates that perform logical operations;

transistors (semiconductor triodes) designed to amplify, generate and convert electric current;

resistors providing operating modes of active elements;

Charge-coupled devices (CCDs) intended for short-term storage electric charge and used in photosensitive matrices of video cameras;

diodes and etc.

Currently, several technologies for constructing logic elements are used:

transistor-transistor logic (TTL, TTL);

logic based on complementary MOS transistors (CMOS, CMOS);

combination based logic complementary MOS and bipolar transistors (BiCMOS).

In addition, there are:

positive logic, or a system of high potentials;

negative logic, or a system of low potentials;

mixed.

With positive logic, the high level voltage corresponds to logical “1”, and with negative logic - “O”.

Logic elements, operating in a system of high potentials, are dual to elements operating in a system of low potentials. For example, in a system of high potentials, the element implements the “OR-HE” function, and in a system of low potentials - “AND-NOT”.

Let's look at Fig. 1.16, which shows quite simply the transistor assemblies “AND” (series-connected transistors) and “OR” (parallel connection). Input and output signals "1" are represented high level voltage at the collector of the transistor (almost equal to the supply voltage). The “O” signal, on the contrary, corresponds to a low output voltage level.

Rice. 1.16. An example of the implementation of the “AND” (o) and “OR” (b) assemblies

Since, for example, in most modern personal computers the supply voltage is 3.3 V (more earlier versions, up to Pentium - 5 V), then the output “1” is set to a voltage of 3.3 V.

In Fig. 1.17 provides an illustration of the so-called "Moore's Law/Rule", demonstrating with high accuracy doubling in 18-24 months. number of transistors in processors. The basis of this pattern is the objective process of increasing the packing density of microcircuit elements (Fig. 1.18).

Key expressions when describing microcircuit elements (Fig. 1.18) are such as “130 nm technology”, “0.5 micron technology process”, etc. This means that the dimensions of transistors or other elements, respectively, do not exceed 130 nanometers (1 nm = 10 ~ 9 m) or 0.5 microns (1 µm = 10 "6 m) - Fig. 1.19.

The Intel 4004 processor (1971) used 10 micron technology] in the Pentium II processor (1998) - 0.25 micron technology in processors Intel Pentium IV Prescott and AMD Athlon 64 Toledo (2004) - nanotechnology 0.09 µm (90 nm) (see also Tables 3.3 and 3.6).

Rice. 1.17. Moore's rule (the number of transistors in an integrated circuit doubles every 18 months)

Rice. 1.18. Dynamics of changes in the sizes of circuit elements

Rice. 1.19. Nanotechnology visually: a - transistor (90 nm); b - influenza virus (100 nm)

Microprocessors

Microprocessor - a processor made in one or more interconnected integrated circuits.

The processor is completely assembled on a single silicon chip. Electronic circuits are created in several layers consisting of various substances, for example, Silicon dioxide can play the role of an insulator, and polysilicon can act as a conductor.

In particular, a transistor is a simple device located on the surface of a silicon wafer and functioning as an electronic key(Fig. 1.20, a). Usually it contains three terminals - source (emitter), drain (collector), and gate (base). Note that in lamp elements the corresponding electrodes were called cathode, anode, grid. The source and sink are formed by introducing certain impurities into the surface of the silicon, and the gate contains a material called polysilicon. Below the gate is a layer of dielectric made of silicon dioxide. This structure is called “silicon-on-insulator” (SOI). When voltage is applied to a transistor, the gate is "open" and the transistor allows current to flow. If the voltage is removed, the gate is “closed” and there is no current.

Rice. 1.20. Conventional transistor (a), terahertz transistor (b)

Traditional technology. Microprocessor technology in its simplest case includes the following mandatory production steps:

growing silicon blanks and producing wafers from them;

grinding silicon wafers;

applying a protective film of dielectric (Si0 2);

application of photoresist;

lithographic process;

etching;

diffusion;

metallization.

All of these steps are used to create a complex structure of semiconductor planar transistors (CMOS transistors) on a silicon basis and connect them properly to each other.

The manufacturing process of any microcircuit begins with the cultivation of cylindrical silicon monocrystalline ingots (silicon blanks). This is a single crystal free of impurities.

Subsequently, round plates, “tablets” (waffer - wafer, wafer), are cut from such monocrystalline blanks, the thickness of which is approximately from 0.2 to 1.0 mm, and the diameter is from 5 cm (early technologies) to 20 cm ( modern technologies), the surface of which is polished to a mirror finish, and then covered with a thin layer of oxide film (Si0 2), which acts as a dielectric and protective film during further processing of the silicon crystal.

After the silicon base is coated protective film silicon dioxide, it is necessary to remove this film from those places that will be subjected to further processing. Film removal is carried out by etching, and in order for the oxide film to be selectively removed as a result of etching, a layer of photoresist (a composition sensitive to light) is applied to the surface of the film. The irradiated areas become soluble in an acidic environment.

The process of applying photoresist and its further irradiation with ultraviolet light according to a given pattern is called photolithography. To illuminate the required areas of the photoresist layer, a mask template is used, which contains a drawing of one of the layers of the future microcircuit. Light passing through such a template illuminates only the necessary areas of the surface of the photoresist layer. After irradiation, the photoresist undergoes development, as a result of which unnecessary areas of the layer are removed.

As the density of transistors formed in a crystal increases, the lithographic process becomes more complex. The minimum line thickness obtained in the lithography process is determined by the size of the spot into which the laser beam can be focused. Therefore, in the production of modern microprocessors, ultraviolet radiation is used for irradiation. The 130nm process uses deep ultraviolet (DUV) light with a wavelength of 248nm to produce chips. A lithographic process with a wavelength of 13 nm, called EUV lithography (Extreme UltraViolet - ultra-hard ultraviolet radiation), is approaching. Conventional lithography technology allows for a pattern with a minimum conductor width of 100 nm, and EUV lithography makes it possible to print lines of much smaller width - up to 30 nm.

After exposing the photoresist layer, etching is carried out to remove the silicon dioxide film. After the etching procedure, that is, when the desired areas of pure silicon are exposed, the remaining part of the photolayer is removed, and a pattern made with silicon dioxide remains on the silicon base.

The process of introducing impurities is carried out through diffusion - the uniform introduction of impurity atoms into the silicon crystal lattice. To diffuse the dopant, ion implantation is used, which ends with the creation of the necessary layer of semiconductor structure, in which tens of millions of transistors are concentrated.

It is unrealistic to carry out the required wiring within the same layer where the transistors themselves are located - intersections between the conductors are inevitable, therefore, to connect the transistors to each other, several layers of metallization are used, i.e. layers with metal conductors, and the more transistors there are in the microcircuit , the more layers of metallization are used (see Fig. 1.23, b).

To connect transistors to each other, it is first necessary to create conductive contacts of drains, sources and gates. To do this, a layer of silicon dioxide is etched onto the mask in the right places, and the corresponding windows are filled with metal atoms. To create the next layer in the resulting circuit pattern, an additional thin layer of silicon dioxide is grown. After this, a layer of conductive metal and another layer of photoresist are applied. Ultraviolet radiation is passed through the second mask and highlights the corresponding pattern on the photoresist. Then again the stages of dissolving the photoresist and etching the metal follow. As a result, the necessary conductive strips, reminiscent of rails, are formed in the new layer, and for interlayer connections, i.e., connecting layers to each other, windows are left in the layers, which are then filled with metal atoms. For example, the 0.25-micron process technology uses five additional layers for routing.

The layering process ends when the circuit is completely assembled. Since several dozen processors are created at a time on one “tablet,” at the next stage they are divided into matrices (dice), which are tested. If in the early stages of technology development more than 50% of circuits were rejected, now the percentage of success is higher, but never reaches 100%.

Passed testing the matrix is ​​placed in a ceramic rectangular case, from which come the “legs”, micro-connectors (pin grid arrays - PGA) of the processor interface, with the help of which the processor is placed and secured in a socket on the computer motherboard (sometimes the interface is designed as a linear connector - slot). Number of contacts - from 169 (Socket 1, Intel 80486 processor) to 940 (Socket 940, AMD Opteron). In the latter case, part of the connections is reserved for subsequent expansion of capabilities - placing Level 3 cache memory (L3-cache) on the processor board, connecting to other processors (for multiprocessor systems), etc.

Currently, micro-pin grid array (iPGA) technology is used, which significantly reduces the physical dimensions of the processor interface.

The new generation of processors uses innovations such as SOI transistors (Silicon On Isolator - “silicon on insulator”), in which capacitance and leakage currents are reduced due to an additional oxide layer, as well as transistors with two-dimensional gates and other innovations that improve performance transistors while simultaneously reducing their geometric dimensions.

Chips DRAM memory are manufactured on the basis of a technology similar to the manufacture of a processor - a silicon base with applied impurities is processed with a mask, which forms many “transistor-capacitance” pairs, each of which contains 1 bit of information. These circuits cost much less than processors because they consist of homogeneous repeating structures, and are also cheaper than SRAM circuits because they contain twice as many transistors (each bit is contained in a flip-flop, which requires at least two transistors).

Terahertz technologies. The main strategy of chip suppliers has always been to reduce the size of the transistor (circuit element) and increase the packaging density on the chip. Ultimately, power consumption and board heating became critical factors.

In late 2002, Intel Corporation announced that its engineers had developed innovative transistor structures and new materials to reduce power consumption and heat generation. The new structures are called Intel TeraHertz transistors, due to their ability to switch at speeds in excess of a trillion times per second. The new technology is expected to increase density by 25 times, use “20 nm technology” (a circuit element 250 times smaller than the thickness of a human hair) and accommodate up to a billion transistors on a chip.

A terahertz transistor is different from a regular one(see Fig. 1.20, a) three important features(see Fig. 1.20, b):

source and sink are formed from thicker layers in the silicon wafer, which reduces electrical resistance, electricity consumption and heat generation;

An ultra-thin layer of insulator is placed below the source and drain. This provides higher current intensities in the on-state of the transistor and increases switching speed. In addition, the insulator reduces current leakage when the transistor is closed (10 thousand times compared to SOI). This reduces the likelihood of random switching under the influence of stray thermal electrons and increases the reliability of the circuit;

the chemical compound located between gate, source, drain is replaced with a new material "high-to-gate dielectric" ( aluminum or titanium oxide), for which application technology is used to build up a layer of one molecule.

Dielectric-metal gates of transistors. The use of High-k Gate Dielectrics and Metal Gate Electrodes was first introduced in the Intel Penryn processor (45 nm technology) and allowed for smaller transistors and lower power consumption.

In a conventional transistor, reducing the thickness of the silicon dioxide layer is necessary to reduce the size and increase the density of the transistors on the chip. However, once a certain limit is reached, current leakage occurs due to the “tunnel effect” - when electrons leave the transistor and are dissipated, which reduces reliability and increases power dissipation. Therefore, reducing the size below this limit becomes impractical.

The dielectric (high-k dielectric or material with a high dielectric constant) in the new technology replaces the silicon dioxide layer in the transistor and makes it possible to reduce leakage currents in 45 nm technology by 5 times compared to 65 nm technology.

The relative ease of using silicon oxides in transistors has limited the use of other materials in microprocessor manufacturing for many years. Likewise, the traditional technology of using polysilicon for the gate is much simpler than the introduction of other, possibly more effective substances into the production process (Fig. 1.21, a).

Rice. 1.21. Conventional transistor(s); dielectric gate transistor (b)

The use of a metal gate in Penryn processors "broke" this tradition; this technology makes it possible to improve efficiency and reduce uncontrolled leakage currents, since the conductivity of the metal gate is significantly higher (Fig. 1.21, b).

Copper conductor technology. Transistors on the surface of the chip - complex combination made of silicon, metals and micro-additives precisely positioned to form millions of tiny switches. As smaller and faster transistors were created, packed more and more tightly together, interconnecting them began to become a problem.

Aluminum was used for a long time to make connections, but by the mid-1990s. It became obvious that the technological and physical limits of existing technology would soon be reached. The relatively high resistivity of aluminum leads to losses and overheating of the circuits when the diameter of the conductors is reduced. However, for a long time no one was able to create a competitive chip with copper conductors.

The main advantage of copper compounds in this case is that copper has lower conductivity compared to aluminum. As the cross-sectional area of ​​the conductors decreases (with a decrease in the size of the transistors), the resistance of the conductors also increases. In addition, copper conductors can withstand significantly higher current densities than aluminum conductors, and also have a higher resistance to destruction under the influence of current, which can extend the life of the microcircuit.

Along with the considered advantages, copper has a number of properties that create many difficulties in the process of producing microcircuits. Copper easily diffuses deep into the crystal, which causes damage to the microcircuit and, unlike aluminum, is difficult to etch, so the technologies for creating copper and aluminum intralayer connections are fundamentally different. When using aluminum, the aluminum itself is subject to etching over the mask, and when using copper, the oxide film is subject to etching, as a result of which grooves are formed, which are subsequently filled with copper. This technology is called Damascus, or patterned inlay. Therefore, the process of manufacturing microcircuits using aluminum connections is technologically incompatible with a similar process using copper connections.

In September 1998, IBM announced the development of a new process that included on-chip copper conductors (Damascene process - 0.18 micron CMOS 7SF). The creation of each new layer begins with the production of an oxide film, which is covered with a layer of photoresist. Next, through the lithographic process, grooves and depressions of the required shape are etched into the oxide film. These grooves and depressions must be filled with copper. But first, to prevent unwanted diffusion of copper, they are filled with a thin layer of an anti-diffusion barrier made from a stable material - titanium or tungsten nitride. The thickness of such an anti-diffusion film is only 10 nm. A microscopic initial film of copper is placed above to hold the copper layer, which is then applied to the entire chip (Figure 1.22).

Rice. 1.22. Technology of copper conductors: a - etching of connections by photolithography; b - applying a protective layer; c - application of a microscopic copper film; d - application of a working copper layer; d - removal of excess metal

To deposit copper, galvanization is used from a solution of copper sulfate Cu 2 S0 4, and the plate itself, on which copper ions Cu ++ are deposited, acts as a cathode. When galvanizing, it is necessary that copper is uniformly deposited throughout the plate, so the electrolyte density is selected to minimize the difference in current in the center and along the edges and thereby ensure uniform copper deposition. During electrolysis, copper atoms gradually fill etched grooves, resulting in the formation of conductive “rails.” After filling the grooves with copper, the excess copper layer is removed from the plate by grinding, and then another layer of oxide film is applied and the next layer is formed. As a result, a multilayer system is formed.

Technological process 65 nm. Intel brought the technology to commercial production by the end of 2005. In the 65 nm process, Intel uses 193 nm UV lithography combined with phase shift technology. At the same time, it was possible to reduce the effective gate width of transistors to 35 nm (Fig. 1.23, a), which is approximately 30% less than when produced using 90 nm technology.

Rice. 1.23. 65 nm generation transistors (c); eight layers of copper connections (b)

The materials used to create transistors also remained the same in the new process. Additional efforts have been made to combat leakage currents. The strained silicon technology, which appeared in the 90-nm technological process, found its improved version in the 65-nm technology - while maintaining the thickness of the gate insulating layer at the level of 1.2 nm, the deformation of the transistor channels increased by approximately 15%. This resulted in a fourfold reduction in leakage currents, which ultimately creates the possibility of an approximately 30% increase in the operating frequency of transistors without increasing their heat generation.

AND last change- increasing the number of layers of copper connections. There are eight of them in the new process, which is one more than in the cores produced using the 90-nm process (Fig. 1.23, b). With this, Intel hopes to simplify the design of future chips.

Printed circuit boards

A board, or printed circuit board, is an insulating plate on which the electronic elements listed above and devices of a lesser degree of integration are installed and connected to each other - individual transistors, resistors, capacitors, etc.

The printed circuit board is made of plastic, getinax, textolite or other insulator (ceramics). Integrated circuits, resistors, diodes and others are placed on the board on one or both sides semiconductor devices. To connect them, thin electrically conductive strips are applied to the surface of the board. The printed circuit board can be two- or multilayer.

There are several technologies for mounting elements (including integrated circuits) on printed circuit boards. The oldest of them is installation in through holes. Here the elements of the created circuit are installed on one side of the board. Following this, a method of laying integrated circuits directly on the surface of this board appeared. In the beginning, integrated circuits were soldered onto printed circuit boards. Now more and more often they are glued without the use of solder. The low height of surface-mount integrated circuits allows them to be installed on both sides of the board.

Printed circuit boards are no longer just flat. There is a transition from two dimensions to curved surfaces and the creation of printed tracks on geometrically curved forms. This is all due to the fact that as electronic components become more complex, it becomes increasingly difficult to place flat-plate circuit boards in packages that meet consumer requirements. Molded plastic is used to make the base of 3D printed circuit boards.

Direction of training 654100 "Electronics and microelectronics"
Specialty 200500 "Electronic Engineering"

Main directions of scientific research:

  • physical processes in high vacuum, thermal vacuum processes;
  • physical processes of interaction of flows of charged particles with a solid body; application of thin film coatings;
  • new microprocessing technologies in mechanical engineering, instrument making, and in the production of artistic products;
  • progressive designs of machines, mechanisms and devices operating in vacuum conditions;
  • precision drives with manometric positioning accuracy.

Basic training courses:

  • physical basis electronic equipment;
  • vacuum technology;
  • electronic and ion technologies;
  • design of automatic machines and machine systems;
  • automatic control systems;
  • information support for research and development in electronics.

The department was founded in 1974 by the dean of the Faculty of MT Yu. A. Khrunichev.
Teaching staff: 3 professors, doctors of technical sciences, 9 associate professors, candidates technical sciences.

The department has trained more than 1,500 specialists, including 10 doctors of technical sciences, more than 40 candidates of technical sciences. Among the graduates there are 16 State Prize laureates.
Head Department - Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor Leonid Ivanovich Volchkevich
Department phone: 267-02-13 Faculty Mechanical engineering technologies

No scientific and technical area is currently developing as quickly and fruitfully as electronics. This progress is rapid and often unpredictable. Who, for example, until relatively recently expected that “behind” traditional vacuum electronics (lighting and receiving-amplifier lamps, picture tubes, night vision devices) solid-state electronics (semiconductor diodes and transistors, various integrated circuits) would quickly mature and come to the fore? ! Who could have imagined that electronic devices with thousands of component elements would be arranged not in volume, but layer by layer on a plane, with a total thickness of thousandths of a millimeter! That radios from the scale of a “box” will shrink to a box that can be easily worn on a neck chain! The revolution of electronic devices made it possible to make an impressive revolution in electronic systems, the emergence of modern televisions, personal computers, and microprocessor control.

Every schoolchild knows about this today. But few people know that electronic devices and systems owe these transformations to the emergence of a third direction in electronics - technological electronics.

Electronic technologies are a set of methods and means of influencing structural materials based on the use of energy from flows of electrons, ions, photons, polarized molecules, etc.; electronic technological equipment - constructive materialization of these methods and means; electronic engineering is a scientific and technical direction that combines technology, design and effective application.

Micromachining processes, when high-energy flows operate in micron zones and often in the shortest periods of time, cannot be controlled otherwise than by the electronics themselves, using programs accessible only to modern computer science. Therefore, electronic technologies are organically connected with information technologies, and electronic technological equipment is organically connected with microprocessor control systems and modern computerization arsenals.

The world of modern electronics is huge and diverse. Today we are witnesses and participants of another revolution in our business. Electronic technologies and automatic control systems are rapidly breaking out of the electronics industry, finding new applications, revealing unprecedented opportunities, revolutionizing such industries as mechanical engineering, instrument making, and construction. For example, vacuum deposition of thin-film coatings is widely used. Darkening windows of buildings, cars, glasses; light filters optical instruments

- all this is electronic technology. Highly artistic images on glass or metal, with amazing attention to detail - also electronic technologies..

The department is equipped with everything necessary for the educational and laboratory process and scientific research. Together with the company "Electronservis", a scientific and technical center "Electronic Technologies" was created, equipped with the latest technology. The department has developed a system of creative independent work, designed to develop and reveal, while still a student, the inclinations and abilities of each individual for specific types of engineering, scientific or commercial activities. Already at the end of the third year, each student chooses a scientific advisor, who determines the student’s specific current scientific and technical direction. In this direction, within educational process, calculation and graphic work), the student performs a complex of research and development and, in the end, defends his graduation project.

It is in the process of creative searches, together with the leader, that individual qualities, abilities for theoretical or experimental work, design or commissioning work, programming, and scientific and organizational work are revealed.

Now the world is ruled by electronics, which surround us literally everywhere. Science does not stand still; every year scientists present new developments in the field of electronic technologies. Many of them are tightly integrated into our daily lives.

Speeding up computers American researchers have proven that instead of electric current Ultrashort laser flashes can be used to move individual electrons. This technology will make it possible to create quantum computers

. They also plan to use the innovation in the field of quantum cryptography and to optimize chemical reactions.

The electron must be “pushed”, pumped with energy using pulses from a terahertz laser to the level of separation from the nucleus and the crystal begins to move along atomic bonds. Such laser systems are so fast that they can trap and hold electrons between two energy states. Researchers from different countries have long sought to create special implants for living organisms. Fundamental difference

is that they would not need to be surgically removed from the body after they have fully served their function.

Scientist Leon Bellan presented a new development - a polymer that remains stable at temperatures above 32 degrees. A base is made from it, and a silver nanowire is inserted inside. The result is a primitive electrical circuit. While the polymer is on a warm stove in a pan, a current flows through the network. As soon as the tile is turned off, he turns into slime and the wire structure crumbles. Using this principle, you can do, for example, medical devices

to control sugar levels. The device is placed under the skin and operates while the doctor takes data. After applying ice, the device is destroyed. This is much more convenient than taking samples or wearing sensors.

Blue LEDs

The developers are confident that their discovery will become popular in fast food chains. After all, consumers have heard about the dangers of artificial additives, and food without them will definitely be in demand.

The greatest effect can be achieved if you combine blue light with a temperature of +4-+15 degrees and an acidic environment. Bacterial cells contain light-sensitive compounds that absorb light in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Accordingly, under such conditions, massive death of bacteria occurs.

"E-liquid"

Experimental studies with nanostructures have shown that electrons can “flow” like a liquid. Accordingly, it is possible to create ultra-fast “fluid” electronics.

According to the laws of physics, the highest speed of electrons occurs during their encounter with other particles or atoms. A good example is a complete vacuum environment, in which the trajectory of particles is similar to the flight of projectiles. But to date, no one has been able to simulate such conditions. According to physicists, such media can be carbon nanotubes or graphene sheets. However, for now this is only at the level of guesswork.

Pacemakers have one significant disadvantage - a limited service life. After seven years, you need to change tritium batteries, which are reaching the end of their service life. This means that repeated heart surgery is necessary to replace the power source.

Several countries are already developing batteries with more long term services. In Russia, this is done by scientists at the University of Chemical Technology. Active participation in this project The company "Advanced Nuclide Technologies" also accepts. The basis of the new battery is the radionuclide Ni 63. Its half-life is more than a hundred years. The invention can be used without replacement for 20 years, which will make life easier for many cardiac patients.

Everyone knows that cats and dogs have a unique sense of smell that is able to recognize volatile chemicals released by humans during illness.

Scientists at the University of Cambridge decided to create a so-called “digital nose”. This is a spectrometer on a crystal microchip the size of a small coin. It is equipped with sensors configured and calibrated to detect odors. If danger is suspected, the device will sound a signal. In the future, all information will be displayed on smartphone displays.

In addition to the medical industry, the “electronic nose” is of interest to the food industry. A number of large companies (Nestlé, Coca-Cola) want to use the invention to determine the freshness of products.

New transistors

An American university developed new design transistors. With their help electronic devices can work for months or years. At the same time, energy consumption will be minimal, and perhaps they will function without batteries at all. They are planned to be used in the Internet of things and in devices that do not need to be connected to the network and recharged.

Thin nanowire

In the UK, the thinnest one-dimensional nanowire made of tellurium was created. Its thickness is only one atom. To make the structure of the product more durable, the developers introduced carbon nanotubes into it. Thus, the tellurium atoms end up in one chain.

Monoatomic nanowires hold great promise for miniaturizing microcircuits. Which means modern electronics can be significantly reduced in size.

The University of California decided to create effective computer processors using electronic vacuum tubes.

To produce the first tube computers, they took bulky vacuum tubes. Then transistors appeared, which made a real revolution in the field of radio electronics. But they also have a significant drawback - the impossibility of infinitely reducing the size of transistors. To make it happen further development, it was necessary to bring innovation in the form of electronic vacuum tubes. The fact is that when passing through a semiconductor, the current begins to slow down and lose its efficiency. Vacuum elements do not have this problem because current flows freely through them. Such transistors are ten times more efficient than their semiconductor counterparts. The developments are not finished yet; they are actively continuing in the direction of reducing the size of the lamps.

Leading electronics manufacturers have decided to create flexible power supplies. Panasonic has developed 0.55 mm thick lithium-ion batteries designed for wearable devices (tablets, phones, cameras).

They have a special multilayer structure and a special electrode placement design. Copper acts as the anode, and aluminum acts as the cathode. They can be of various shapes, most often cylindrical. Due to their mechanical properties, they can be bent and twisted without loss of power. There are several models, the strength of some of them is a thousand turns and bends.

Flexible electrical circuits at 5G speed

All kinds of “smart bracelets” have become very popular due to Lately. They are constantly being upgraded and equipped with new features. Further global changes are coming very soon. America has already developed the world's most flexible electrical circuit. She's different unusual design– two lines intertwined in a chain, forming S-shaped bends. Thanks to this shape, the lines can stretch without loss of performance. In addition, they are well protected from external influences. Broadcast electromagnetic waves occurs in a certain frequency range - up to 40 GHz.

At Georgia Tech, engineers developed rectennas. They have a unique ability - capturing light and converting it into D.C.. This is done using vertical carbon nanotubes at the top of the silicon substrate.

Complex processes lead to the formation of a charge that converts alternating current into direct current. So far, the efficiency of the device is extremely low, but scientists are confident that in the near future it will be possible to reach higher levels.

Microchip based on the human brain

A unique development of American bioengineers is the NeuroCore microchip. It operates thousands of times faster than a personal computer. Innovation is based on the principle of the human brain.

Bioengineers have created a printed circuit board consisting of 16 microchips. It simulates the work of one million neurons and forms billions of synaptic connections. Energy consumption is minimal.

In the future, the developers plan to reduce the price of the board and create a compiler for the software.

Currently, developments are in full swing to create magnetic devices for storing data. It is a next-generation storage medium that could lead to the creation of atomically small computing machines.

The goal facing the researchers was to organize a certain movement of atoms. For example, at some point they need to stop rotating. This was achieved through a combination of platinum, holmium and negative temperature. The quantum system is destabilized and the moment of the atom is preserved.

Electric unicycle

The innovation is an electric motor. Its body is made of impact-resistant plastic. The weight of a unicycle is on average 10-20 kg, and its height is half a meter.

It is equipped with a system of gyroscopes and control electronics to maintain vehicle V vertical position. A person is only required to master the skill of maintaining balance on it. The wheel can change speed, regulate the position of the body in space, and give signals in case of danger on the road. It is easy to operate, maneuverable and safe.

The unicycle comes with a charger. The battery is charged by connecting to an outlet for a couple of hours.

Stanford University pioneered the development of a battery with an aluminum anode. It's durable, inexpensive, and can charge quickly. It was also presented accumulator battery on an aluminum base with high stability. It uses a graphite foam cathode and an aluminum metal anode. Such batteries are very flexible, which will allow them to be used to create flexible gadgets.

Additional benefits:

  • low cost;
  • safety;
  • ultra-fast charging;
  • huge battery resource.

This is a promising material with good performance properties.

The main ones:

  • resistance to alkalis, acids and low temperatures;
  • high electrical resistance.

They are made from radiation-treated polyolephelins. Fluorine-containing elastomers, silicones, and polyvinyl chloride can also be used in production.

Types of heat-shrinkable materials:

  • cable joints;
  • heat shrink;
  • cable guards;
  • gloves;
  • non-flammable tubes.

These materials are used in energy, instrument making, aircraft manufacturing, electrical engineering and many other industrial fields.

Almost all leading countries are developing and improving electronic technologies. The state and private investors are interested in the emergence of more and more innovations in this area, so they actively support the development of promising projects.

IF YOU LEAVE YOUR HOME, YOU OFTEN ASK THE QUESTION:
“Did I turn off the iron, curling iron, stove?”
“Did I turn off the TV and lights?”
IF YOU NEED TO KNOW:
- presence of excessive consumption of resources;
- fact of theft of electricity;
- monitoring the quality of electricity (voltage and current), whether there were voltage surges or sags, etc.

THIS COUNTER IS CREATED JUST FOR YOU!!

What do you get with a smart meter?
. Online monitoring and smart notifications.
. Saving without effort. Analyze your consumption and go to optimal tariff payment for electricity.
. Control over a remote object. Be aware of what is happening at your dacha, cottage or rental apartment.
. Full automation of the accounting process.
. Opportunity automatic sending indications in energy sales.
. The accuracy of measurements of network parameters complies with the requirements of GOST 30804.4.30-2013
. Installation is completely similar to installing a conventional meter.
. There is no need to install additional equipment.

In June 2017, Electric introduces a new series of sockets and switches Blanca and this socket is included in this series. A few words about this series to finish this topic for those who are interested.

Company opens the next chapter in the history of electrical engineering: transformers and major equipment are being tested in China for the world's first 1,100 kilovolt (kV) project. The company has set a new innovation record by successfully testing the low-voltage and high-voltage units of the world's most powerful ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transformer. The +/- 1,100 kV (1.1 million volt) UHVDC transformer, designed and manufactured in close cooperation with the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC), has successfully passed a series of type tests, paving the way for the implementation of ultra-high-voltage DC power lines. Changji-Guguang voltage, which will transmit electricity from the Xinjiang region in the northwest to Anhui province in eastern China. Changji-Guguang, the world's first ultra-high voltage direct current (UHVDC) transmission line of +/- 1,100 kV, will set a new world record for voltage, capacity and distance.

We invite you to take part in our regular open webinars!
The next series of webinars will be devoted to the topic “Modular equipment”.
With the help of webinars on modular equipment, you will get acquainted with devices that protect electrical networks and consumers from overload and short circuit currents, electric shock and surge voltages in the network, and allow remote control electrical networks and loads. From webinars on this product group you will learn about the operating principles, range and application of IEK® modular equipment.

D-Life- a line of switches for controlling household lighting.

The device allows you to connect using Bluetooth and configure operation through the Wiser Room application, available in the AppStore and Google Play.

The switches are characterized by quality and are combined with a premium series in design. Allow control via mobile app. Connecting via Bluetooth allows you to set a timer, turn the lighting device on or off, and reduce its intensity.

Digital industrial voltammeter VAR-M01 Designed for technological control of voltage and current values ​​in alternating current electrical circuits, both in industrial zones and in housing and communal services, the household sector, and other national economic facilities. Can be used as part of automated monitoring and control systems for technological processes as a main or additional indicator on mobile and stationary objects. It is a means of control. Not subject to periodic verification.

Digital voltmeters VR-M01 and VR-M02 are designed to control the voltage level in alternating current electrical circuits, both in industrial areas and in housing and communal services, the domestic sector, and other national economic facilities. Can be used as part of automated monitoring and control systems for technological processes as a main or additional indicator on mobile and stationary objects.

Engineers from Kyoto University have developed and assembled the first device that is capable of storing and storing electromagnetic radiation while maintaining its phase properties. A description of the “trap” is posted as a preprint in the archives of Cornell University, and a brief structure of it is described by the Technology Review blog.

American physicists created the new kind carbon nanotubes suitable for use as a material for weaving ultra-strong and electrically conductive “threads”, and published instructions for their creation in the journal Science.

“We have finally managed to create a nanotube fiber with properties that no other material has. It is similar to ordinary black cotton thread, but combines the properties of metal wires and strong carbon tubes,” said the leader of the physics team, Matteo Pasquali ( Matteo Pasquali) from Rice University in Houston (USA).

Acti9 is the 5th generation of modular systems from Electric. The previous, 4th generation was the Multi9 series, which became the world's most famous product in its class. Multi9 appeared many years ago with the release of the C32 series (then C45). The long-term popularity of this range is even evidenced by the fact that most Chinese-made devices on the Russian market are copies of the C32 and C45 devices (3rd generation of modular systems from Electric).

The new generation Compact NSX circuit breakers, made in a molded case, in a molded case, are used for currents from 100 to 630 A at facilities of absolutely any scale and purpose - from office buildings to the largest enterprises. Are used circuit breakers Electric's Compact NSX is designed to protect distribution networks, long-distance cables, electric motors and generators.

The flow of current in conductors is always associated with energy losses, i.e. with the transfer of energy from electric type in thermal form. This transition is irreversible reverse transition is associated only with the performance of work, as thermodynamics says. There is, however, the possibility of converting thermal energy into electrical energy using the so-called. thermoelectric effect, when two contacts of two conductors are used, one is heated and the other is cooled.

In 1996, engineer Roy Kuennen was struggling with a solution to a problem: how to make a household water filter manufactured by Amway Corp. didn't it break? The filter killed bacteria using an ultraviolet lamp, but to do this it had to be immersed in water. The wires that supplied the lamp with electricity were rusting. Then engineer Kuennen had a crazy idea: remove the wires and power the lamp remotely - using a magnetic coil.

While Kuennen was struggling with the water filter, the wireless revolution was already in full swing - starting in the 90s, it gave us the cell phone, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, but only in last years began to cover the field of power supply. Several companies are now looking at ways to supply power to mobile phones, PDAs, laptops and other gadgets directly, without having to plug them into the grid.

At the end of the 19th century, the discovery that electricity could make a light bulb glow sparked an explosion of research to find the best way to transmit electricity.

The race was led by the famous physicist and inventor Nikola Tesla, who developed a grandiose project. Unable to believe in the reality of creating a colossal network of wires covering all cities, streets, buildings and rooms, Tesla came to the conclusion that the only feasible method of transmission was wireless. He designed a tower approximately 57 meters high, which was supposed to transmit energy over a distance of many kilometers, and even began building it on Long Island. A number of experiments were carried out, but lack of money did not allow the tower to be completed. The idea of ​​transmitting energy over the air dissipated as soon as it turned out that industry was able to design and implement a wired infrastructure.

Everyone knows that from the consequences of storms, hurricanes, storms and others natural Disasters no one is insured. Therefore, it is worth soberly realizing that the next downpour can equally likely leave both a small office and a huge corporation without power. What to do in case of a cable break or some kind of failure? Call electricians? Or rent a robot that will do all the work on its own much faster, and perhaps with better quality. Fiction, would you say? Of course, who will develop electrical robots if there are more interesting applications for these silicon creatures. And you don’t have to go far - robot singers and bartenders, nannies and teachers, doctors, toys. And this is where I disagree.

Scientists have created a robot that, in autonomous mode, will independently be able to check or diagnose many kilometers of power cable, identify problems, and perhaps even identify “preliminary” faults that could cause problems in the network in the future.

Professor, electronics engineer Alexander Mamishev told the press that such a development is the first in the industry...

The specifics of the development of modern civilization, especially in the last ten years, are radically changing our lives. Two trends deserve the most attention.

First - rapid development everything related to computer technology. This is not only a computer in every home and workplace, not only the Internet and “toys”. If you look more closely, we have all been hostages for a long time computer technology. Almost any device now includes a control chip, which, in principle, is the same small computer. This includes a TV, a washing machine, a mobile phone, a camera, a key fob for a car, and the car itself...

Now there are about 60 in my office at work! processor controllers... This is already very serious! If previously a microprocessor cost tens and hundreds of dollars, now you can buy a control chip for less than a dollar!

The second trend is the rising cost of energy resources and everything related to the mining industry...

The economic efficiency of using thermoelectric refrigerators compared to other types of refrigeration machines increases the more, the smaller the volume of the cooled volume. Therefore, it is currently most rational to use thermoelectric cooling for household refrigerators, in coolers of food liquids, air conditioners; in addition, thermoelectric cooling is successfully used in chemistry, biology and medicine, metrology, as well as in commercial refrigeration (maintaining temperature in refrigerators) , refrigerated transport (refrigerators), and other areas

In technology, the effect of the occurrence of thermoEMF in soldered conductors, the contacts (junctions) between which are maintained at different temperatures (Seebeck effect), is widely known. When a direct current is passed through a circuit of two dissimilar materials, one of the junctions begins to heat up and the other begins to cool. This phenomenon is called the thermoelectric effect or Peltier effect...

One of the main directions of development of science is theoretical and experimental studies in the field of superconducting materials, and one of the main directions of technological development is the development of superconducting turbogenerators.

Superconducting electrical equipment will dramatically increase the electrical and magnetic loads in device elements and thereby dramatically reduce their size. In a superconducting wire, a current density that is 10...50 times higher than the current density in conventional electrical equipment is permissible. Magnetic fields can be increased to values ​​of the order of 10 Tesla, compared to 0.8...1 Tesla in conventional machines.

Magnetoplane or Maglev(from the English magnetic levitation) is a train on a magnetic suspension, driven and controlled by magnetic forces. Such a train, unlike traditional trains, does not touch the rail surface during movement. Since there is a gap between the train and the moving surface, friction is eliminated, and the only braking force is the force of aerodynamic drag.

The speed achievable by Maglev is comparable to the speed of an airplane and allows it to compete with air communications at short (for aviation) distances (up to 1000 km). Although the idea of ​​such transport is not new, economic and technical limitations have prevented it from being fully developed: the technology has only been implemented for public use a few times. Currently, Maglev cannot use existing transport infrastructure, although there are projects with the location of magnetic road elements between the rails of a conventional railway or under the road surface.

Hitachi has developed a new technology for generating electricity using vibrations naturally occurring in the air with an amplitude of several micrometers.

HITACHI has developed a new technology for generating electric current by using the natural processes of vibrations occurring in the air, which pass with an amplitude of a couple of micrometers. Although this technology provides very low electrical voltage, there is very great interest in it due to the fact that such generators can operate in any weather and natural conditions, which, for example, solar panels cannot boast of...

German theorists from the University of Augsburg have proposed an original model of an electric motor operating on the laws of quantum mechanics. A specially selected external alternating magnetic field is applied to two atoms placed in a ring-shaped optical lattice at a very low temperature. One of the atoms, which scientists called the “carrier,” begins its movement along the optical lattice and after some time reaches a constant speed, the second atom plays the role of a “starter” - thanks to the interaction with it, the “carrier” begins its movement. The entire design is called a quantum atomic engine.

Technological progress in the LED industry. What is the secret of new ones working longer? LED lamps for room lighting?

The market for LED technology is growing rapidly and the range is filled with various new products. In general, for LED lighting technology this market niche is an unplowed field. After all, the elements themselves, LEDs, are practically durable, mainly due to low heat transfer and low consumption; they operate on average 50,000 hours, namely 5 years. This makes it possible to assemble ready-made equipment, where it is not necessary to provide for the dimensions of the light bulbs or the possibility of replacing light elements, so that LEDs can be turned into light bulbs, spotlights, lamps, in a free artistic form and format, they can be combined with colors, they can enhance the precision with the help of optical lenses...