News & Comment

Ungendering engineering is necessary to break the tight connection between masculinity and engineering and make it a more inclusive profession. To attract more women to engineering, the gendered stereotypes attached to engineering must change.

Agentic artificial intelligence (AI) workflows, integrated with 6G-enabled edge computing, present a transformative approach to reduce hallucinations in generative AI. Combining real-time tool integration, self-reflection and collaborative multi-agent systems, this framework offers scalable, reliable solutions for diverse applications, advancing the accuracy and adaptability of generative AI in dynamic and data-intensive environments.

Amid geopolitical crises and economic challenges, it is crucial to reassess the future role of fossil fuel resources, particularly oil and gas fields. A promising opportunity now exists to repurpose these fields for geothermal energy, helping to accelerate the energy transition while mitigating the risk of resource stranding.

Female researchers in Japan face unique challenges caused by cultural and institutional norms, making their career progression more difficult than in other developed countries. Overcoming these barriers and fostering an inclusive academic environment require a systematic approach that includes targeted interventions and clear, enforceable measures to ensure compliance and accountability.

Traditional DRAM technology, with memory bit cells consisting of one silicon transistor and one capacitor, faces major scaling challenges. A new DRAM bit cell without a capacitor and with two thin-film transistors — each with an oxide semiconductor channel such as indium-gallium-zinc-oxide — shows promises for continuing the DRAM technology roadmap, clearing the way for high-density 3D DRAM.

Bridging the divide between mathematical innovations and real-world applications is essential for addressing global challenges. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, diversity and inclusion, we can unlock the full potential of mathematical findings, driving innovation across applied disciplines and delivering mathematical solutions to society’s pressing problems.

Aqueous sulfur-based redox flow batteries (SRFBs) are promising candidates for large-scale energy storage, yet the gap between the required and currently achievable performance has plagued their practical applications. Here, we propose several engineering strategies towards SRFB commercialization.

Autonomous electric vehicles (AEVs) will soon share roads with traditional traffic participants — human-driven vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists — which will require careful planning for safe interactions. Here we advocate for the development of human-like driving technologies for AEVs through human-inspired approaches and the Turing test.

Soft robots offer an ideal embodiment for artificial intelligence integration owing to their inherent safe interaction with humans. However, their growth is impeded by low standardization. Origami-based standardized soft actuators and a LEGO-like assembly strategy enable the creation of complex, functional, soft robotic systems.

High-frequency energy conversion is essential in modern systems, with most relying on solid-state conductors. However, traditional materials such as copper and aluminium face challenges such as skin effects, proximity effects and inefficiency; exploring liquid metal composites could enable liquid–solid hybrid energy conversion, advancing applications such as power converters, motors, magnetic fields and rapid recycling.

The FAMES pilot line on fully depleted silicon-on-insulator technology provides a complete toolbox of technologies for the development of innovative chip architectures with increased performance and lower power consumption of mixed-signal circuits.

Grid-scale, long-duration energy storage has been widely recognized as an important means to address the intermittency of wind and solar power. This Comment explores the potential of using existing large-scale hydropower systems for long-duration and seasonal energy storage, highlighting technological challenges and future research directions for pumped-storage renovation.

The possibility of stacking and twisting cuprate superconducting interfaces drives the search for emergent states in complex oxides with forbidden interfaces. However, the design of advanced coherent functional circuits is limited by the fragility of these interfaces. Here, we discuss the experimental steps needed to solve this challenge.

The recent introduction of the compute express link (CXL) memory interface provides opportunities for new memories to complement dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) in data-intensive compute applications. Research at imec shows that a 3D-integrated charge-coupled-device (CCD)-based memory with IGZO conduction channel is an excellent candidate.

EUV lithography is crucial for semiconductor manufacturing, with resolution affecting circuit size, performance and energy efficiency; however, it is also a highly energy-intensive process. This Comment discusses the potential of a simple two-mirror projector to tackle the longstanding issues of energy consumption and capital costs in existing EUV lithography technologies.

The European Chips Act of 2022 calls for European microelectronics pilot lines to develop and validate novel design and fabrication technologies for next-generation microelectronic chips. Fundamental for new electronic components and systems, advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration technologies are the focus of the APECS pilot line.

The rapid advances in van der Waals magnets provide a platform for exploring spintronics in the 2D limit. Leveraging the unique properties of 2D magnets with new tuning knobs could see 2D spintronics find its applications in both quantum and classic information processing.

With traditional scaling metrics struggling to meet emerging tech demands, rethinking compute systems is essential. The NanoIC pilot line, focused on innovation through collaboration of advanced logic, novel memories, and advanced interconnects, aims to fulfill the European Chips Act’s vision for leadership and competitiveness in global semiconductor innovation.

Cryogenic CMOS technology has a crucial role in large-scale integrated circuits and quantum computing. However, effective thermal management of cryo-CMOS presents new challenges, requiring in-depth studies of size effects and coherent modulation of phonon transport, and a rethinking of strategies and analytical tools to properly address these complex physical phenomena.

The convergence of spintronics and traditional semiconductor technology marks a critical juncture in the evolution of computing architectures, for which the development of foundation cells become indispensable. Here we discuss the current landscape of spintronics and propose a holistic co-design methodology to integrate spintronic devices into silicon platforms.