CAMBRIDGE, UK – The next generation of telecoms technologies, 5G, is not fully deployed yet; in fact, the exciting high-frequency bands of mmWave 5G are not set to take off for another several years, according to IDTechEx forecasts. Still, people are already considering the next-next generation of telecommunications - 6G. While 5G will enable society to control more devices remotely in applications where real-time network performance is critical, 6G will bring much richer connectivity to the physical world, using advancements in AI and computing to enhance the machine-human interface. So, although 6G spectrum will not be standardized till 2027 at the earliest, researchers and OEMs like Huawei are already exploring the technical advancements needed to facilitate 6G.
Low-Loss Materials: The Essential Building Block for 6G
As with any new technology, material innovations act as essential building blocks on which other technical advances can develop. This is no different with 6G. While transmission loss and atmospheric dispersion is bad enough at high frequency 5G bands, affecting the range and signal integrity of mmWave 5G networks, it will be even worse at 6G bands like the D-band (110-170GHz). Thus, the world's 1st consortium for 6G technology development, 6Genesis Flagship Program 2018, identified the development of new low-loss materials as a critical technology enabler for 6G. Therefore, it is important to investigate the potential dielectric performance required for 6G technologies, which is spurring current research into ultra-low-loss materials for 6G by many important players.
The key players developing in this field include materials suppliers like Taiyo Ink and ITEQ Corporation and research institutions like the USA's Georgia Institute of Technology, South Korea's Yonsei University, and Germany's Fraunhofer IKTS (Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems). Some approaches for low-loss materials for 6G involve commercially established materials like PTFE, PPE, and glass fiber-reinforced thermosets with novel architectures or molecular compositions. Other approaches involve less conventional materials, like low-cost thermoplastics, silica foams, or even wood-based composites.
The development of these dielectrics is challenging on many levels. First, there is no clear dielectric performance target for these materials to hit. IDTechEx expects the loss tangents of current commercial ultra-low-loss laminates to be the minimum performance standard for 6G devices, and it is difficult now to see how much lower loss tangents will need to be for 6G devices.
It is also tricky to even characterize dielectric materials at terahertz frequencies, which iNEMI (the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative) is researching with their 5G/6G MAESTRO project. Lastly, none of this considers the cost and manufacturability of such ultra-low-loss materials, which will significantly affect the economic viability of 6G devices. Suffice to say, there is a lot of work to be done to advance low-loss materials enough to support 6G communication networks.
What Low-Loss Materials Can Enable: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS)
With the right innovations, low-loss materials will support some critical 6G technologies, like reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) made of metamaterials. Metamaterials are structures consisting of a periodic regular pattern that is designed to interact with an incident wave; RIS are artificial surfaces that can produce unique wireless communication capabilities. RIS integrates passive or active metasurfaces to redirect and (occasionally) amplify telecommunication signals. The primary factor distinguishing RIS from existing technology are their cheap, almost passive panel of unit cells; these have reflective functionality when entirely passive but can steer/amplify the beam if active. RIS can be used in many 6G wireless telecommunications applications, from beam amplification at base stations to active direction of signals to users. Not only can RIS enhance signal quality and coverage, but they also offer other benefits like reduced energy consumption and increased security compared to existing steering technologies. There is a tradeoff to be made, but the use of more RIS can enable fewer base stations for the same coverage, lowering costs for the same network coverage.
Critical to RIS are low-loss radio frequency metamaterials. With operating frequencies between 95GHz and 1THz, minimizing transmission loss from metasurfaces is essential to maximizing their performance for RIS. Current research and development in low-loss materials for 6G are integral to implementing not only RIS but other impactful 6G applications.
Market Forecasts for Low-Loss Materials for 5G and 6G
IDTechEx's report, "Low-loss Materials for 5G and 6G 2023-2033", explores these technology and market trends driving low-loss materials for next-gen telecommunications like 6G. IDTechEx forecasts future revenue and area demand for low-loss materials for 5G while carefully segmenting the market by frequency (sub-6 GHz vs. mmWave), six material types, and three application areas (smartphones, infrastructure, and CPEs) to provide sixty different forecast lines. For further information on low-loss materials for 5G and 6G, including material benchmarking studies, player analysis, market drivers and barriers, and granular 10-year market forecasts, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/LowLossMats.
For the full portfolio of 5G/6G related research available from IDTechEx, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/5G.
WALTHAM, MA – Nano Dimension Ltd. (Nasdaq: NNDM, “Nano Dimension” or the “Company”), a leading supplier of Additively Manufactured Electronics (“AME”) and multi-dimensional polymer, metal & ceramic Additive Manufacturing (“AM”) 3D printers, announced today that it has hired Lazard Ltd. (“Lazard”) as an advisor for strategic mergers & acquisitions (M&A) and for addressing Bistricer/Murchinson Ltd.’s challenges to the Company’s value creation strategy for all shareholders. Lazard has been working with the Company on potential transformative acquisitions and growth maximization strategies, in furtherance of the Company’s previously announced M&A master plan, complementing the advice provided to the Company by other advisors.
In addition to the above, the Company remains focused on its primary mission: to accelerate the growth of its business, and to leverage its unique market position and seize organic and inorganic opportunities for meaningful shareholder value creation. The current strategy has led to a growth in annual revenues at a rate of over 1,000% between the years 2020 and 2022, while preserving over $1 billion in cash.
Yoav Stern, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Our board of directors and management are excited to enter this new chapter of Nano Dimension’s journey. The Company’s mission continues to be to create the clear AM market leader and to transform AM, AM Electronics and adjacent industrial non-digitized sectors into an environmentally friendly and economically efficient additive manufacturing Industry 4.0. 2022 was a turning point for our Company, both from a strategic and financial standpoint and we do not want Bistricer/Murchinson’s efforts to prematurely undermine the maximization of long-term value creation for all shareholders. Looking forward we are focused on reinvesting the capital that has been generated from our ongoing efforts in order to accelerate our development and growth, advance toward profitability and capture highly strategic and value-creating M&A consolidation opportunities.”
ARLINGTON, VA – The Additively Manufactured Prototypes (AMP) for Hardware Technology Protection (HTP) has been awarded utilizing the Strategic & Spectrum Missions Advanced Resilient Trusted Systems (S²MARTS) Other Transaction Authority (OTA) vehicle. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division has awarded $1.6 Million to Mercury Systems, Raytheon, Charles Stark Draper, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and Lockheed Martin to produce a prototype that will further Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Technology Protection (TP) collaboration through enhanced capabilities focused on novel sensors, secure packaging, and integrated board-level protection.
Recently, exponential advancements have been made in AM technologies but application in the TP domain has been limited due to the lack of cross-partnerships between the two technology areas, as well as lack of specified funding to support their integration, two issues that AMP HTP aims to address. Through the AMP HTP prototype project, the DoD Anti-Tamper experts are seeking to build upon 3D structures. The focus tech areas in this prototype project include advancements to additive manufacturing (AM), technology protection (TP), 3D printing, hybrid printed electronics, printed electronics, hardware protection, and volume protection.
The prototype will be executed in two phases. Phase 1 will focus on the discrete application of AM, minimizing negative impacts to the system, as well as demonstrate the uniqueness of the TP solution. Phase 2 of the prototype will emphasize the solution’s feasibility, focusing on maturing the complexity of the solution, as well as quantifying its accuracy, precision, yield, and environmental stability. Upon successful completion of the project, the performers will have produced a prototype that demonstrates one or more AM techniques to protect a specified substrate against one or more TP threats.
The AMP HTP project is preceded by the Additive Manufacturing (AM) for Technology Protection (TP) prototype project, which was also employed through the S²MARTS OTA vehicle. The AMTP project was awarded in June 2021 to General Electric, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Lockheed Martin, Mercury Systems, ReLogic Research, and Charles Stark Draper Laboratories in the amount of $630,000. Key differences in the projects are the expected funding and the period of performance, both of which were larger in the AMP HTP project to promote greater diversity and complexity in the solutions.
“Through both the AMPHTP and the AMTP prototype projects, significant developments will be made to the additive manufacturing and technology protection technologies,” stated Doug Crowe, Director of the NSTXL S²MARTS OTA. “The fact the S²MARTS OTA was able to successfully execute on two projects focusing on AM and TP also propels the ecosystem in these complementary technology areas,” he added.
Both prototyping efforts provide the opportunity for the AM and TP communities to collaborate on innovative AM technologies to meet current and future TP mission needs.
WEST CHICAGO, IL – PCB fabricator American Standard Circuits has recently purchased and installed a new Burkle LAMV 125 thermal oil heated lamination press.
This state-of-the-art solution from Burkle incorporates the latest technology. Details of the thermal oil heated press, type LAMV include:
Press range: 20 tons – 2000 tons
Hydraulically operated
Thermal oil heated and cooled
Vacuum available
Operating temperatures up to 385° C
Platen size up to 1.400 x 2.350 m.
“This new press will give us the layer-to-layer registration and lamination thickness that we need as we continue to raise our level of technology. This will also prove beneficial when it comes to tighter registration as well as drilling accuracy for both location and depth-controlled drilling,” commented ASC President and CEO Anaya Vardya.
ROME, NY – The EOS/ESD Association, Inc. (ESDA) announces the release of ESD and Latch-up Challenges – An Outlook until 2030, a white paper focused on four essential areas to enable the technical advances of the coming years. EOS/ESD Association, Inc. provides a vision and roadmap for research and development (R&D) and education in the field of ESD and latch-up. The document guides academic institutions and research centers toward the relevant topics in ESD and latch-up. The white paper further provides a framework and the background for successful applications for R&D funding by academic institutions. Each topic is introduced together with the individual research challenges that need to be solved in the coming years to advance the knowledge in ESD and latch-up.
The European Union (EU) commission and the United States (US) government are stimulating their home-grown semiconductor manufacturing capabilities and capacities. For this effort, they strongly support the expansion of European and American semiconductor manufacturing, including constructing new semiconductor production facilities in the EU member countries and the US.
The White Paper identifies research challenges, provides an industry outlook, and establishes collaborations across industry and academia in the field of electrostatic discharge (ESD) and latch-up. In support of digitalization and decarbonization in a transforming worldwide economy, the white paper addresses essential areas necessary for these critical technical advances.
Executive Director Lisa Pimpinella of EOS/ESD Association, Inc. said, “The EOS/ESD Association, Inc. is the independent association with the technical expertise to provide the roadmap for research and development (R&D) and education in electrostatic discharge (ESD) and latch-up. We support academia in their funding efforts as they define proposals addressing the topics named in this White Paper. As an association that combines representatives from all of the major semiconductor companies in the world, we want to highlight the criticality of research, development, education, and funding to ensure electrostatic discharge is recognized and the major thrust behind reliability.”
The White Paper consists of four focus areas essential for technological advances of the future. Advances in CMOS technologies, applications of new materials such as III/V compound semiconductors, Electrical Design Automation (EDA), and an outlook on challenges in ESD manufacturing control and testing.
EOS/ESD Association, Inc., founded and located in Rome, NY, in 1982, focuses on providing electrostatic discharge awareness, education, controls, and prevention.
FOUNTAIN INN, SC – KYOCERA AVX, a leading global manufacturer of advanced electronic components engineered to accelerate technological innovation and build a better future, is proud to announce that its MIL-PRF-32535 BME NP0 MLCCs have been approved to the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Qualified Products Database (QPD).
The new MIL-PRF-32535 BME NP0 MLCCs have higher CV capabilities than standard surface-mount PME MLCCs qualified to military and aerospace specifications and are currently available in “M” and “T” reliability levels and 0402, 0603, and 0805 case sizes and rated for 68–1,500pF and 4–100V. These small, high-CV MLCCs enable revolutionary board space, weight, and component count reductions. They also feature KYOCERA AVX’s patented FLEXITERM® termination technology, which, compared to standard terminations, significantly enhances resistance to the thermomechanical stresses experienced during assembly and operation.
MIL-PRF-32535 BME NP0 MLCCs are approved for use in high-reliability military and aerospace applications including filtering, tuning, decoupling, timing, and blocking circuits.
“We have been honing and perfecting best-in-class BME MLCC technology since the 1990s and are proud to further extend our portfolio of tested and proven high-CV solutions qualified for use in high-reliability military and aerospace applications,” said Michael Conway, Product & Marketing Manager – High-Reliability Components, KYOCERA AVX. “The new MIL-PRF-32535 BME NP0 series is the latest development in our enduring mission to meet our high-rel customers’ needs. It satisfies a growing demand for smaller, high-CV, military-qualified capacitor technology, and we will continue to expand this product range and this portfolio to meet the ever-evolving demands of the global military and aerospace industry.”
Lead time for the series is currently 22 weeks for M-level reliability parts (Group A) and 38 weeks for T-level reliability parts (Groups A and B). However, lead times could be shorter if the parts are in stock at an authorized distributor, such as Avnet, Arrow, and TTI.
For prototype and verification designs, KYOCERA AVX recommends the use of its Engineering Module (EM) Range X7R BME MLCCs for non-flight prototypes. This series covers capacitors in the ESCC 3009041, NASA S311-P838, and MIL 32535 ranges and uses the same materials as the fully qualified part numbers, just without the final DLA and European Space Components Coordination (ESCC) testing and screening processes and QPD/QPL listings, so it’s available with shorter lead times.
