Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/929192
JANUARY 2018 I DESIGN007 MAGAZINE 9 Andy Shaughnessy is managing editor of Design007 Magazine. He has been covering PCB design for 18 years. He can be reached by clicking here. and predicts that EDA tool companies will need to "put the 'A' back in EDA." Craig Armenti of Mentor is also bull- ish on automation, making the case for fully automated schematic verification in PCB design tools. In an interview, Karel Tavernier of Ucamco discusses his plans to enhance the automation of his com- pany's CAM tools, as well as the vener- able Gerber standard, and why he's such an advocate for artificial intelligence in the design process. And Ty Stephens of UK-based Pulsonix explains in an inter- view how his company plans to become a greater presence in the U.S., starting with their new component search engine that lets users bring in verified parts in one click. We also have great columns from our regular contributors Barry Olney of iCD, Jade Bridges of Electrol - ube, and consultant Tim Haag. We're also including an IPC APEX EXPO 2018 pre-show supplement, fea- turing interviews with the IPC managers who put this show together each year. Designers shouldn't miss our interview with Nancy Jaster, manager of design programs at IPC, who has news about the speakers and events planned for this year's Design Forum during IPC APEX EXPO. Yes, it's show time! Are you going to DesignCon, IPC APEX EXPO, or CPCA? If you are, we'd love for you to stop by our booth and chat about what's new in your neck of the woods. But if you can't make it to Santa Clara, San Diego or Shanghai, you can still keep up to date with our cov- erage of each show, from start to finish. Let me know what you think about our new look. Now, we have a lot to do, so let's get cracking. See you next month! DESIGN007 Mysteries of a Promising Spintronic Material Revealed Researchers at UC Riverside used an unconventional approach to determine the strength of the electron spin interactions with the optical phonons in antiferromag- netic nickel oxide (NiO) crystals. The interdisciplinary team of researchers, led by Alexander Balandin, distinguished professor of electri- cal and computer engineering, used ultraviolet Raman spectroscopy to investigate how spin ordering affects the energies of phonons in these materials. Practical appli- cations of spintronic devices in information processing require accurate knowledge of the strength of the elec- tron spin interaction with phonons. "Our results shed light on some of the long-standing puzzles surrounding this material, reveling unusual spin– phonon coupling," said Balandin. The UC Riverside team also included Jing Shi, profes- sor of physics, and Roger Lake, professor of electrical and computer engineering, in addition to members of their research groups, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers. The investigation of the spin-phonon interaction will have important implications for development of spin- tronic devices. By avoiding electrical currents, spintronic devices have a potential for ultra-fast and low-energy- dissipation operation. Interaction with phonons is one of the energy dissipation mechanisms in spintronics. The data reported by the UCR researchers may help in optimizing the design of spintronic devices by altering phonon properties and the way phonons interact with electron spins.