The Kynix Blog

Imec, the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technology, announced today at the 2017 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits the world's first demonstration of a vertically stacked ferroelectric Al doped HfO2 device for NAND applications. Using a new material and a novel architecture, imec has created a non-volatile memory concept with attractive characteristics for power consumption, switching speed, scalability and retention. The achievement shows that ferro-electric memory is a highly promising technology at various points in the memory hierarchy, and as a new technology for storage class memory. Imec will further develop the concept in collaboration with the world's leading producers of memory ICs.  Ferro-electric materials consist of crystals that exhibit spontaneous polarization; they can be in one of two states, which can be reversed with a suitable electric field. This non-volatile characteristic resembles ferromagnetism, after which they have been named. Discovered more than five decades ago, ferro-electric memory has always been considered ideal, due to its very low power needs, non-volatile character and high switching speed. However, issues with the complex materials, the breakdown of the interfacial layer and bad retention characteristics have presented significant challenges. The recent discovery of a ferro-electric phase in HfO2, a well-known and less complex material, has triggered a renewed interest in this memory concept."With HfO2, there is now a material with which we can process ferro-electric memories that are fully CMOS compatible. This allows us to make a ferro-electric FET (FeFET) in both planar and vertical varieties," noted Jan Van Houdt, imec's chief scientist for memory technology. "We are working to overcome some of the remaining issues, such as retention, precise doping techniques and interface properties, in order to stabilize the ferro-electric phase. We are now confident that our FeFET concept has all the required characteristics. It is, in fact, suitable for both stand-alone and embedded memories at various points in the memory hierarchy, going all the way from non-volatile DRAM to Flash-like memories. It has particularly interesting characteristics for future storage-class memory, which will help overcome the current bottleneck caused by the differences in speed between fast processors and slower mass memory."Imec recently presented the first, extremely positive results to its partners. The research center is now offering further development and industrialization of the vertical FeFET as a program to all its memory partners, which include the world's major companies producing memory ICs."FeFETs can be used as a technology to build memory very similar to Flash-memory, but with additional advantages for further scaling, simplified processing, and power consumption," added Van Houdt. "With our longstanding R&D and processing experience on advanced Flash, we are uniquely positioned to offer our partners a head start in this exciting opportunity. They can then decide how best to fit ferro-electric memories in their products and chips." Ref:KY32-K9T1G08U0M-YIBOKY32-CY7C1357S-100AXCKY32-AT49BV162AT(T)  

Overview: The availability of charging infrastructure is the most critical factor in the market penetration of commercial electric vehicles. In this article, a concise evaluation of a variety of topics related to the development of such infrastructure is provided.Charging InfrastructureThe SAE J1772 standard categorizes the electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure into three levels based on the charging power rate, voltage, current, and installation location, as shown in Table 1. Levels 1 and 2 are known as slow chargers, while level 3 is a fast charger. These levels indicate how long EVs take to charge.Table 1. Charging Levels of EV According to the SAE J1772 Standard. Source: IEEE Accessi The standard of North America.ii Typical values of DC charging station.iii Developed DC charging station. By the end of 2018, there were roughly 5.2 million light-duty vehicles (electric truck) charging stations installed worldwide. While public charging stations reached 1,44,000 fast chargers and 3,95,000 slow chargers, the majority of these stations were installed as slow-charging private stations. Numerous plans to accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure were also announced. The majority of these announcements concerned chargers from the private sector with various capacities. Other announcements deal with publicly accessible chargers and make fewer promises for infrastructure for charging on highways. The power needs of these vehicles determine whether the current charging infrastructure is appropriate for commercial EVs (CEVs). Light- and medium-duty (electric trucks) ETs can be charged overnight using level 2 chargers, while small- and medium-duty ETs can be charged quickly using level 3 chargers. Additionally, some heavy-duty ETs can be overnight charged using level 3 chargers.  However, the majority of medium- and heavy-duty EVs with long driving distances need specialized fast-charging infrastructure with higher power capacities than the current fast level 3 chargers. As a result, several businesses, including Tritium, Phoenix Contact, BMW Group, and Charge Point, have revealed new plans to install high-power capacity charging infrastructure with a 400 kW or higher rating. Additionally, Tesla Inc. has revealed plans to expand its network of 1 MW mega chargers, each of which can travel 640 km in just 30 minutes. In accordance with the operational schedules of commercial EVs, charging infrastructure can be installed at locations where vehicles are parked (depots, yards, aggregators, etc.) to enable overnight charging or between shifts, as well as in open areas to enable charging along a commercial vehicle's daily route. Two proposed methods for charging commercial EVs are suitable: return-to-base model charging infrastructure and public charging infrastructure. Return-To-Base Model Charging Infrastructure The majority of commercial enterprises use a "return-to-base" strategy, where high-power charging infrastructure is installed at their commercial facilities (depots, yards, industrial micro-grids, etc.) to enable the full charging of electric trucks (ET) outside of working hours, such as overnight or between shifts, as shown in Fig. 1. This is due to the spatial and temporal distribution of commercial truck fleet activities and a lack of suitable public charging stations.  Installing a dedicated charging station for each ET that needs to be charged at the commercial facility is the easiest strategy to implement during the early stages of ET adoption. However, it is possible for several ETs to share a single charging station in order to lower the upfront cost of the infrastructure necessary for charging, provided that this decrease in the number of charging stations does not interfere with the ETs' operational schedules.Fig. 1. Operation model of the return-to-base strategy. Source: IEEE Access Charging at Public Charging Infrastructure Commercial vehicles should ideally be charged where they park, but for a variety of reasons, as shown in Fig. 2, it may still be necessary to charge them while they are on the road during their daily driving cycles. Particularly for small commercial enterprises, charging commercial vehicles while they are on the road can help to reduce the capital cost investment of charging infrastructure required at a parking area. The development of contact-free charging infrastructure, mainly inductive power transfer (IPT) charging systems, has been the subject of extensive research.  Installation of battery swapping charging infrastructure, which allows EVs to swap out their nearly empty battery bank for a fully charged battery bank, is another way to put electric vehicles on the road. Contrarily, conductive charging stations can be gradually sized and scaled up to meet the power needs of CEVs. Therefore, compared to other options, charging stations do not require as much infrastructure investment.Fig. 2. Operation model of public charging infrastructure. Source: IEEE Access Charging Infrastructure for Long-Haul Commercial EVs Large battery banks need to be charged at warehouses because long-distance commercial vehicles have large daily ranges. The payload ratings of long-haul vehicles, however, would be impacted by the weight of the large battery banks. For a few long-haul CEVs that are currently on the market, Table 2 displays the battery weight ratio of the total GVW. As can be seen, increasing battery capacity will result in a higher battery weight to gross vehicle weight ratio, which will lower the maximum payload capability.  According to an analysis, the maximum payload of long-distance CEVs is lower than that of commercial diesel vehicles, as shown in Fig. 3. This graph displays the weight distribution of the major parts for CEVs and diesel vehicles with various battery capacities. As can be seen, compared to diesel vehicles, the CEV's maximum payload is limited to a maximum of 23%.Table 2. The battery weight ratio of the total GVW of some long-haul CEVs. Source: IEEE Accessi The battery weight is calculated based on the energy density 0.125 kWh/kgFig. 3. Weight breakdown of main components for diesel vehicles and CEVs with different battery capacities. Source: IEEE Access In order to electrify long-distance commercial vehicles, the best possible combination of battery bank size and high-power public charging stations along a route is required. Due to the strict operational schedules of these vehicles, charging long-haul vehicles on the road presents numerous difficulties. The number of hours that long-haul vehicles may be operated each day before being required to take a break is subject to many regulations.  For instance, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a division of the US Department of Transportation, sets a daily cap on the number of hours of service at 10.5 hours before requiring eight hours of rest. Similarly to this, driving is only permitted for a maximum of 4.5 hours per day and must be followed by a minimum of a 45-minute break. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, charging activities for long-distance vehicles must take place when the vehicle is at rest. To keep up with their operational schedules, long-distance vehicles will have to stop at places with lots of high-power charging stations. However, running multiple chargers simultaneously imposes significant challenges on the power grid, requiring expensive network reinforcement. Additionally, the stability of a grid system is impacted by these numerous charging stations, particularly during peak hours. These limitations have an effect on the number of vehicles that can be charged at a particular location and, consequently, the rate at which charging infrastructure is utilized. Fig. 4. Operation model of haulage trucks. Source: IEEE Access The right size and localization of charging infrastructure along highway routes will be necessary to overcome the aforementioned difficulties with charging long-haul vehicles. Electric utilities, fleet owners, and truck stops should work together to identify the best locations for the charging infrastructure while taking into account the reliability of the power systems and the schedules of long-haul vehicles.Summarizing with Key Points: Some of the takeaways from the article are as follows: SAE J1772 standard divides EV charging infrastructure into three levels based on power rate, voltage, current, and installation location. Levels 1 and 2 are slow chargers, while Level 3 is a fast charger.Tritium, Phoenix Contact, BMW Group, and Charge Point have announced plans to install 400 kW or higher charging infrastructure. Tesla Inc. plans to expand its 1 MW mega charger network, which can travel 640 km in 30 minutes.There are two suggested ways to charge commercial EVs: infrastructure for Return-to-base model charging and infrastructure for public charging.Return-to-base strategy is installing high-power charging infrastructure at their commercial facilities (depots, yards, industrial micro-grids, etc.) to fully charge ETs and reduce infrastructure costs. Several ETs can share a charging station.In public charging infrastructure, road charging commercial vehicles reduces parking area charging infrastructure capital costs. IPT charging systems, battery swapping infrastructure, and conductive charging stations have been studied.To charge long-haul vehicles, highway charging infrastructure must be properly sized and located. Electric utilities, fleet owners, and truck stops should consider power system reliability and long-haul vehicle schedules when choosing charging locations. This blog post is part of a full research article from IEEE Access.

Catalog PurposeHardwareSofowareConclusion Smart homes have been a popular topic for several years now. With the rapid development of technology, it has become easier and more affordable for people to make their homes smart. One of the simplest and most useful smart home projects is a smart light. In this article, we'll show you how to use a Raspberry Pi to make a smart light. A smart light turns on automatically when you enter the room and turns off when you leave, saving energy and providing a more convenient experience. This project is a great way to learn about the Raspberry Pi and how to control it using Python, making it a great choice for both beginners and experienced makers. Purpose The purpose of this project is to create a smart light that is convenient, energy-efficient, and saves you time. This smart light can be controlled using motion detection, so when you enter the room, the light will turn on automatically, and when you leave, the light will turn off. This feature will save energy, as you don't have to manually turn the light off, and it will also provide a more comfortable experience. Hardware Building a smart light using a Raspberry Pi involves connecting several hardware components together to form a complete system. The process involves connecting a PIR (Passive Infrared) sensor to the Raspberry Pi, which detects motion in the room. The Raspberry Pi is then connected to a relay module, which acts as an intermediary between the PIR sensor and the  LED light. Finally, the LED light is connected to the relay module to provide illumination. The following is a list of the hardware components required for this project: 1. Raspberry Pi - a credit-card sized computer that can be used for a variety of projects. 2. PIR sensor - used to detect motion in the room and trigger the relay module to turn on oroff the LED light. 3. Relay module - used to switch the LED light on and off based on the input from the PIR sensor. 4. LED light - used to provide illumination in the room. 5. Power supply for the Raspberry Pi - used to power the Raspberry Pi and its components. 6. Jumper wires - used to connect the components together. 7. Bread board - used to create a prototype circuit for the project. Purchase on Kynix1Raspberry Pi2PIR sensor3Relay module4LED light5Power supply6Jumper wires7Bread board It is important to use a relay module for this project because the Raspberry Pi does not have enough power to directly control the LED light. The relay module provides an isolated circuit between the Raspberry Pi and the LED light, making it safe to use and preventing damage to the Raspberry Pi. The use of a breadboard allows you to easily modify and test the circuit, making it easier to troubleshoot any problems that may arise. Below is the description of circuit diagram:1. Connect the PIR sensor to the Raspberry Pi. The PIR sensor has three pins: VCC (power), GND (ground), and OUT (output). Connect the VCC pin to the 5V pin on the Raspberry Pi, the GND pin to a GND pin on the Raspberry Pi, and the OUT pin to a GPIO pin on the Raspberry Pi (for example, GPIO 18).2. Connect the LED light to the Raspberry Pi. The LED light has two pins: anode (+) and cathode (-). Connect the anode to a GPIO pin on the Raspberry Pi (for example, GPIO 23) and the cathode to a GND pin on the Raspberry Pi.3. Connect a resistor to the anode of the LED light. This resistor is used to limit the current flowing through the LED and protect it from damage. The value of the resistor will depend on the forward voltage and forward current of the LED, which are specified by the manufacturer. A common value is 220 ohms.4. Connect the Raspberry Pi to a power source, such as a micro USB cable, to provide power to the Raspberry Pi and all of the connected components. Software In order to turn your Raspberry Pi into a smart light, you will need to write code using Python and the RPi. GPIO library. This library provides an easy way to control the GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi, allowing you to read from sensors and control other components like the relay module and LED light. Before writing the code, you need to install the RPi. GPIO library on your Raspberry Pi. You can do this by running the following command in the terminal:sudo apt-get install python-rpi.gpio Alternatively, you can install the library using pip by running the following command:pip install RPi.GPIO Once the library is installed, you can start writing your code. The following is an example of the code needed to create a smart light using a Raspberry Pi:1. Import the RPi.GPIO library:            import RPi.GPIO as GPIO                                                     2. Set the GPIO pin mode:           GPIO.setmode(GPIO.BCM)                                                      3. Set the GPIO pin for the PIR sensor and relay module as inputs:            GPIO.setup(PIR_PIN, GPIO.IN)                                                           GPIO.setup(RELAY_PIN, GPIO.OUT)                                             4. Createaloop to check the PIR sensor and turn the relay module and LED light on or off:            while True:                                                                                  if  GPIO.input(PIR_PIN):                                                                      GPIO.output(RELAY_PIN, True)                                                             print("Motion detected, turning on light")                                          else:                                                                                   GPIO.output(RELAY_PIN, False)                                                       print("No motion detected, turning off light")                     5. Clean up the GPIO pins before exiting the program:              GPIO.cleanup()                                                              This code uses the RPi. GPIO library to check the PIR sensor for motion and turn the relay module and LED light on or off accordingly. The code uses a while loop to continuously check the PIR sensor and update the status of the relay module and LED light. The GPIO.cleanup() function is used to clean up the GPIO pins before the program exits, preventing any potential conflicts with other programs that may be using the same pins. Conclusion In this article, we have explored how to use a Raspberry Pi to create a smart light that turns on and off based on motion detection. We have discussed the hardware required, including a Raspberry Pi, PIR sensor, relay module, and LED light. We also provided a code example using the RPi. GPIO library to check the PIR sensor and control the relay module and LED light. Building a smart light using a Raspberry Pi is a simple and cost-effective project that can be completed in a few hours. It provides a great introduction to using the Raspberry Pi and the RPi.GPIO library and can be easily modified to meet your specific needs. Whether you are looking to automate your home or just interested in learning more about the Raspberry Pi, building a smart light is a great starting point.

Key Considerations When Selecting Pushbutton SwitchesWhen choosing Pushbutton Switches, think about where you'll use them and what job they need to do. Consider if they must resist water or handle lots of clicks over time.Application EnvironmentChoosing the right pushbutton switches starts with understanding where they will be used. Imagine setting up buttons for outdoor industrial equipment. They need to stand strong against rain, dust, and maybe even a coffee spill or two. This is where Ingress Protection options like NEMA 4/4X/13, IP65, IP66, IP67 come into play. These ratings tell you how well the switch can keep out unwanted guests like water and dirt. From personal experience, I learned that not all environments are kind to electronics. Working on an outdoor project meant our switches had to weather storms quite literally! We opted for pushbuttons made from durable materials such as metal and polyester housed in rugged enclosures with high IP ratings. It was a game-changer ensuring that no matter how hard it rained or how much dust blew, our equipment kept running smoothly.The right switch thrives where it's planted.Switch FunctionalitySwitch functionality is all about what the switch does and how it does it. Think of switches like players on a soccer team; each one has a specific role. You've got your starters, like "on/off" switches that turn things up or down, just as you start or stop a game.Then there are more complex types such as "momentary" switches that bounce back like a sprinter after pushing forward, only making contact while you press them down. Others, called "latching," stay put after the initial push - think of keeping score in a game.For any setup, whether it's lighting up your room or controlling industrial machines, understanding these roles is key. I learned this hands-on while setting up my workshop with various electrical devices.The wrong type can throw off everything! For example, using a momentary switch where you need something to stay on without holding it can be like putting a goalie in the striker position - not effective! With options ranging from simple light buttons to emergency stops and power selectors for heavy machinery available at maximum supply voltage specifications including 120V and 24V among others, choosing right means knowing each player's strength on your team.Durability RequirementsPushbuttons need to survive in tough places. Think of a factory floor or outside where rain and dust never take a break. That's why switches like the Apogee Web are top-notch.This means they're protected against dust, water, and even strong jets of water from all directions. So, if your pushbutton needs to be as rugged as a superhero, these specs are your shield.Choosing the right switch also means thinking about what it's made of. Metal buttons like the 10250T-series offer solid protection with their zinc die-cast bodies getting thumbs up from big names in safety standards like CE, UL, and CSA.And then there's the E34 range crafted with die-cast construction draped in cathodic epoxy coating for an extra layer of invincibility against corrosion and wear. In simple words: these bad boys can face harsh sunlight or chemical spills without breaking a sweat. Momentary vs. Latching Pushbutton SwitchesChoosing between momentary and latching pushbutton switches is like deciding if you want your lights to turn off when you let go of the switch or stay on until you press it again. Momentary ones bounce back like a doorbell, while latching types stick like a toggle for your light at home. Understanding Momentary SwitchesMomentary switches work like a charm for tasks that need quick actions. Imagine pushing the play button on your music player; press, and it starts, release, and it stops. That's how these electrical switches operate—no need to keep them held down.They're perfect for applications where control needs to spring back immediately after activation, such as in industrial machines or doorbells.Pressing a momentary switch is like ringing a doorbell; simple push activates it.Their design allows for various uses across different setups, from surface mount installations on sleek panels to being part of larger electrical circuits with power supplies and signal transformers.Whether you're controlling LED lighting in your home or managing operations in an industrial setting, momentary switches make interaction straightforward and efficient, without any fuss. Understanding Latching SwitchesLatching switches are like the light switch in your room. You push it once, and it stays on until you push it again to turn it off. These switches keep their position even when you remove your hand or power stops flowing to them.They're great for devices that need to stay on or off until someone decides to change their state. Think of a latching switch as a faithful dog that sits patiently waiting for your next command.These switches come in various styles, such as twist-to-release or push-pull, fitting different panel mounts and applications. Whether it's controlling power supply in industrial machines or turning lights on and off, they offer a maintained operation option that proves essential in many setups.Colors range from red for stop functions to green for go, making them not just functional but also integral parts of any design language within equipment interfaces. So whether mounting one inside an electrical rack or using it as part of a larger control panel, latching switches provide reliability with each use. Waterproof and Dustproof OptionsIf you're putting switches where water or dust might crash the party, you'll need waterproof and dustproof ones. These tough guys can stand up to almost anything a wild environment throws at them. Importance in Harsh EnvironmentsIn harsh environments, having the right pushbutton switches can mean the difference between smooth operations and frequent, costly downtime. Think industrial settings or outdoor installations where dust, water, and extreme temperatures are common foes. Omega Engineering offers pushbutton options like NEMA 4/4X/13 rated and IP66/IP67 rated switches that stand up to these tough conditions. These aren't just any light switches; they're like superheroes of the switch world, with illuminated and non-illuminated styles to suit all kinds of dark or bright situations. Using robust materials such as die-cast construction with cathodic epoxy coating found in E34 30mm rugged push buttons ensures longevity and reliability. From my own experience, after installing these zinc die-cast 10250T-series 30.5mm metal push buttons in a manufacturing plant exposed to high moisture and particulate matter, the difference was night and day. There were fewer system failures, proving CE, UL, CSA-approved devices don’t just meet standards; they exceed expectations in keeping machines running without hitch in brutal conditions. So when you’re laying out your cables or connecting wireless charging systems in places that challenge conventional equipment’s survival,. Installation and Wiring ConsiderationsSetting up pushbutton switches correctly makes sure they work right. The right tools and techniques keep everything running smoothly.1.Choose the proper termination style for your switch. Options like solder sleeves, wire splices, terminal blocks, and circular connectors matter a lot. Each one works best in different scenarios. 2.Use stand-alone programmers to set up digital switches. These devices help program switches for specific functions and responses. 3.Pick the right wire for your setup. Things like power cables and solid or stranded wires have their own benefits depending on how much flexibility you need. 4.Consider a reliable soldering iron for creating strong electrical contacts. A good solder joint means less trouble down the road. 5.Keep desoldering braid handy for fixing mistakes. Sometimes wires need repositioning or removal, making this tool a lifesaver. 6.Install grounding mats around sensitive equipment to prevent static damage during installation. 7.Secure connections with high-quality spade connectors or circular connectors for industrial switches that face lots of wear and tear. 8.Plan for thermal management in tight spaces or high-power applications by using heat sinks or liquid cooling systems. 9.Ensure proper surge suppression to protect your pushbutton switches from unexpected voltage spikes that could cause damage. 10.Test your installation with multimeters to check voltage levels and verify connections are correct before finalizing your setup.With these steps in mind, installing pushbutton switches can be straightforward, ensuring they perform well in their intended application. ConclusionPicking the right pushbutton switch feels like finding a needle in a haystack, doesn't it? Fear not! This guide aimed to make that search much easier. From discussing types and what to look for, to specifics like momentary versus latching and waterproof options, we covered it all. Knowing your switches can really power up your project, just like choosing the right tool from crimpers to soldering irons sharpens your workbench skills. So now, armed with knowledge about actuators, circuits, and more, you're ready to hit that switch on your next big idea or fix-up project. Keep this guide handy; it's your toolbox for navigating pushbutton switches. Now go on; let those projects shine bright!FAQs1. What's the deal with pushbutton switches?Pushbutton switches are like the magic buttons of electronics. You press them, and boom! They control gadgets by connecting or breaking circuits. They come in all shapes and sizes for different jobs, like lighting up a bulb or turning on your computer. 2. How do I pick the right one?Choosing is not rocket science but close! Think about what you need it for. Does it need to handle lots of power? Check its current rating. Will it be pushed often? Look for something sturdy. There’s a switch out there that fits just like a glove for your project. 3. Can these switches connect to anything fancy?These little wizards can team up with plugs and sockets, jacks, and even get along with high-tech stuff like integrated circuits and optoisolators. It's like throwing a party where everyone's invited - from simple bulbs to complex electronic devices. 4. Is soldering necessary?Sometimes it’s part of the adventure! Many pushbutton switches need soldering irons to join them into their new home on circuit boards alongside other components like resistors and capacitors. But don’t worry; if you can make popcorn without burning it, you can probably solder too. 5. Do they play nice with computers?Absolutely! With some help from breakout boards and microchip technology, these buttons can send signals to computers making them do all sorts of tricks – from playing sounds to displaying images on OLED screens or even controlling games! 6. What if I want my gadget outside?Then give your switch a coat! Not literally though – look for ones designed to brave the elements or consider adding protective covers yourself (think raincoats but for buttons). That way, whether sunbathing or caught in a downpour, your project stays safe.

As one of the world-leading research and innovation hub in nanoelectronics and digital technology,IMEC announced at the 2017 Symposia on VLSI Technology and Circuits that the world's first demonstration of a vertically stacked ferroelectric,AI doped HfO2 device for NAND applications.Using a new material and a novel architecture,imechas created a non-volatile memory concept with attractive characteristics for power consumption, switching speed, scalability and retention. The achievement shows that ferro-electric memory is a highly promising technology at various points in the memory hierarchy, and as a new technology for storage class memory. Imec will further develop the concept in collaboration with the world's leading producers of memory ICs.  Ferro-electric materials consist of crystals that exhibit spontaneous polarization; they can be in one of two states, which can be reversed with a suitable electric field. This non-volatile characteristic resembles ferromagnetism, after which they have been named. Discovered more than five decades ago, ferro-electric memory has always been considered ideal, due to its very low power needs, non-volatile character and high switching speed. However, issues with the complex materials, the breakdown of the interfacial layer and bad retention characteristics have presented significant challenges. The recent discovery of a ferro-electric phase in HfO2, a well-known and less complex material, has triggered a renewed interest in this memory concept.  "With HfO2, there is now a material with which we can process ferro-electric memories that are fully CMOS compatible. This allows us to make a ferro-electric FET (FeFET) in both planar and vertical varieties," noted Jan Van Houdt, imec's chief scientist for memory technology. "We are working to overcome some of the remaining issues, such as retention, precise doping techniques and interface properties, in order to stabilize the ferro-electric phase. We are now confident that our FeFET concept has all the required characteristics. It is, in fact, suitable for both stand-alone and embedded memories at various points in the memory hierarchy, going all the way from non-volatile DRAM to Flash-like memories. It has particularly interesting characteristics for future storage-class memory, which will help overcome the current bottleneck caused by the differences in speed between fast processors and slower mass memory." Imec recently presented the first, extremely positive results to its partners. The research center is now offering further development and industrialization of the vertical FeFET as a program to all its memory partners, which include the world's major companies producing memory ICs.  Van Houdt explained "FeFETs can be used as a technology to build memory very similar to Flash-memory, but with additional advantages for further scaling, simplified processing, and power consumption,with our longstanding R&D and processing experience on advanced Flash, we are uniquely positioned to offer our partners a head start in this exciting opportunity. They can then decide how best to fit ferro-electric memories in their products and chips." This is a breakthrough in CMOS-compatible ferroelectric memory, let's look forward to the CMOS-compatible ferroelectric memory together.  

Overview: Transportation electrification began with small electric vehicles and gradually entered into medium-duty and heavy-duty vehicle electrification. In this article, we will understand the importance of commercial vehicle electrification and the challenges ahead. Significance of Commercial Vehicles Electrification Global climate change has resulted from human-caused greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which have raised the earth's temperature over the past century. The 2016 Paris Agreement sought to reduce global GHG emissions in order to keep the average global warming within two °C above pre-industrial temperatures in order to combat this threat from climate change. The transportation industry, which produces nearly 25% of the world's CO2 emissions, is one of the biggest sources of GHG emissions. Road vehicles account for nearly 75% of all CO2 emissions in the transportation industry among all modes of transportation. Therefore, a crucial step in reducing direct CO2 emissions is the electrification of road transportation. Many governments have therefore established transitional plans to electrify their transportation sector by 2050. Around 10 million electric vehicles (EVs) were in use worldwide as of the end of 2020, with battery electric vehicles making up two-thirds of this total. These EVs are predominantly light passenger cars. Challenges in Commercial Vehicles Electrification Nearly 40% of the world's road transportation sector's CO2 emissions in 2015 came from commercial vehicles, and under the "business as usual" scenario, those emissions are expected to at least double between 2015 and 2050. Therefore, the electrification of commercial vehicles is a crucial research area because it offers a promising chance to significantly reduce these emissions. Due to the small size of electric vehicle batteries, their low mileage, and the lack of public charging infrastructure, the majority of studies on electrifying commercial vehicles have concentrated on the hybridization of these vehicles.  Light-duty trucks (LDTs), which have been successfully electrified without significantly altering travel habits, have been the primary focus of the initial deployment of zero-emission commercial electric vehicles (CEVs), including electric trucks (ETs). Heavy-duty truck (HDT) deployment is in the pilot stage, whereas the deployment of medium-duty trucks (MDT) is still in the early stages. According to recent studies, there have been around 2,50,000 light-duty commercial electric vehicle sales, including trucks, with a stock of close to 31,000 medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. When compared to light passenger vehicles, commercial electric vehicle adoption has lagged, which has been attributed to the unsatisfactory policies implemented in this sector. With the availability of suitable charging infrastructure that meets the charging needs of these vehicles, the possibility of electrifying commercial vehicles grows. Commercial vehicle drivers are unlikely to switch to electric vehicles if the charging process is more challenging, uncertain, and time-consuming. However, as can be seen from Table 1, there are a variety of uses for commercial vehicles, which also affects the average load, trip length, and daily mileage of these vehicles. Furthermore, compared to passenger vehicles, the operational schedules of commercial electric vehicles can affect how quickly these vehicles charge up at charging infrastructure. Table 1. Different applications of commercial vehicles. Source: IEEE AccessVMTi refers to Vehicle Miles Travelled,PTOii refers to Power Take-Off,Percentageiii The percentage of the truck population by vocations depends on California truck population. Recent Advancements in Commercial Vehicles Electrification  In contrast to diesel and alternative fuel trucks, however, recent advancements in lithium battery technology have made electric trucks both technically and financially feasible. Existing studies have examined the potential advantages of ETs over diesel trucks over a vehicle's lifetime. These studies have found that, despite the high upfront costs of ETs, they can perform at least as well as diesel trucks over their entire lifecycle, particularly if the latter have long battery lives and high annual mileage. Moreover, the use of ETs, particularly MDTs, and HDTs, has increased as a result of regulations and government incentives encouraging the use of zero-emission vehicles. With battery sizes ranging from 300 kWh to roughly 990 kWh, a number of truck manufacturers, including DAF, Daimler, MAN, Navistar, Nikola, PACCAR, Volkswagen, Volvo, Tesla Inc., and Thor Trucks, have made significant plans to electrify their MDTs and HDTs. Due to their short-range needs and compact batteries, MDTs have drawn the most attention from these announcements regarding electrification. All of the announcements have a model for medium-duty trucks, and some manufacturers, like Daimler and BYD, have already released their commercial trucks for certain markets. In their announcements, some manufacturers, including Navistar, Volkswagen, Thor Trucks, Freightliner, and Tesla Inc., have mentioned the production of HDTs.  On the other hand, a lot of businesses have started incorporating ETs into their fleets or have made an announcement regarding their procurement of ETs. For instance, Walmart Inc. reported 45 class 8 Tesla Semi HDT pre-orders for the coming year. Similar orders for electric delivery trucks were made by Amazon and Rivian in 2019, and Anheuser-Busch announced plans to use 21 HDTs from BYD in California by the end of the year. In general, commercial vehicles, such as trucks, can be divided into three groups based on their gross vehicle weight (GVW). LDTs fall into this category if their GVW is less than 3.5 tonnes (t), MDTs fall into this category if their GVW is between 3.5t and 15t, and HDTs fall into this category if their GVW is above 15t. Each category has a wide range of vehicle types appropriate for their range of occupational operations, such as long-haul freight and garbage collection trucks.  Due to policies encouraging the adoption of zero-emission vehicles and advancements in battery technology, the electrification of MDTs and HDTs has been increasingly adopted in recent years. MDT models with battery bank capacities ranging from 48.5 kWh to about 350 kWh and an estimated range of up to 400 km have been produced by numerous truck manufacturers. Many models of HDTs with battery bank capacities between 120 kWh and 1000 kWh to cover an estimated range of up to 800 km have been introduced or produced. Table 2 lists the specifications of some MDTs and HDTs that are currently advertised or reported. Table 2. Specification of some commercial electric vehicles. Source: IEEE Access The estimated range of CEVs and the availability of appropriate charging infrastructure determine whether or not they can be used to cover the daily travel distance of commercial vehicles. According to surveys, most medium-duty commercial vehicles travel an average daily distance of 80 km to 250 km, while heavy-duty commercial vehicles travel an average daily distance of up to 700 km. As a result, at locations where they park overnight or in between shifts, the reported range of medium-duty CEVs can cover a sizable portion of the daily travel distance with just one charging event per day.  However, some medium- and heavy-duty CEVs require high charging rates to be met in a single charging event over the times they are parked because of high charging requirements (such as long-haul operation, multiple-shift operation, etc.). A high percentage of the daily travel distance is covered by multiple charging events per day at various locations along commercial vehicles' routes due to the constrained capacity of some electrical power infrastructure, which restricts the charging rate of charging infrastructure. Therefore, the number of times a CEV may need to be charged each day will depend on the daily mileage of commercial vehicles, the CEV's estimated range, and the infrastructure's charging rate. Summarizing With Key Points: Some of the takeaways from the article are as follows: Transportation emits nearly 25% of the world's CO2 and GHGs. Thus, many governments have transitional plans to electrify transportation by 2050. As of 2020, there were 10 million electric vehicles (EVs), two-thirds of which were battery-electric. Light passenger cars dominate these EVs.Most studies on electrifying commercial vehicles have focused on hybridization because electric vehicle batteries are small, have low mileage, and lack charging infrastructure.If charging is difficult, uncertain, and time-consuming, commercial vehicle drivers will not switch to electrifying their vehicles.Recently, MDTs and HDTs have been electrified due to policies encouraging zero-emission vehicles and advances in battery technology.  This blog post is part of a full research article from IEEE Access.*******************************************************************************************************************************************