"Our decision to locate in Columbus was driven by several crucial factors, and we are thrilled about the opportunities that this vibrant city presents for our growth and development,” said Prashant Patil, Micromize founder and CEO. “The work of CHIPS4CHIPS in supporting the semiconductor industry is commendable, and we are excited to be part of this innovative ecosystem.”

This exciting development was announced Tuesday, Jan. 23, at the Marcus Nanotechnology Center on Georgia Tech’s campus to a large group of state legislators and other state officials, a delegation of business and civic leaders from Columbus, and leadership from Georgia Tech and ATDC. The announcement is a true look at how statewide partnerships can lead to success for the Columbus region.

Micromize, a spinoff of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, selected Georgia as its new home, in part, to take advantage of the semiconductor packaging expertise at Georgia Tech. The company plans to establish its headquarters and manufacturing facility in Columbus, further solidifying its presence in the state’s vibrant technology ecosystem. Additionally, Micromize will center its cutting-edge research and development on Georgia Tech's campus.

"The collaboration with Micromize is a significant milestone for CHIPS4CHIPS and the entire region,” said Ben Moser, president and CEO of United Way of the Chattahoochee Valley and chair of CHIPS4CHIPS. “This announcement marks the first of what we believe will be many to come, and we are thankful that Micromize recognizes the potential of our region for this industry. Columbus is poised for remarkable development, and we look forward to the positive impact that Micromize will bring to our community.”

The strategic relocation is expected to create significant economic opportunities in the region. Micromize will bring 20-25 jobs to Columbus through its headquarters and manufacturing facility, contributing to the local workforce, and fostering growth.

Micromize will center its Research & Development Lab at Georgia Tech’s 3D Systems Packaging Research Center, which is regarded as the world’s best for semiconductor packaging research. This partnership represents a synergistic collaboration of industry leaders, research institutions, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Micromize's move to Columbus not only underscores the city's growing prominence as a technology hub, but also highlights the collaborative efforts driving innovation and economic development in the state of Georgia.

In addition to C4C’s nationally recognized workforce development efforts, the Fort Moore Army base, and its skilled workforce, the region’s proximity to a port and airport will facilitate efficient shipping, and Columbus played a pivotal role in supporting the company by providing essential infrastructure, he said.

“Our collaboration with Georgia Tech enriches our talent pool, adds exponentially to our research and development capabilities, and access to mentorship at ATDC enhances our commercialization potential,” Patil said. “We are also proud to be part of the effort to revitalize semiconductor manufacturing in the United States, with Columbus serving as our starting point as we embark on this exciting journey of growth and innovation.”

Georgia Tech, a leader in microchips and nanotechnology research, innovation, and fabrication, provides fertile ground for Micromize's relocation. The Institute’s commitment to advancing semiconductor technology aligns with the national push at the federal level (via the CHIPS and Science Act) to bring more semiconductor production to the U.S., making it more competitive in research, development, and manufacturing.

“As the state’s technology startup incubator, we’re excited to welcome Micromize into our portfolio and to support them into the next phase of growth and expansion,” said ATDC Director John Avery.

“Microchips, semiconductor packaging, and microelectronics are critical to our national economy and national security. Micromize’s choosing Georgia as its home to grow reflects what is proving to be a successful model when business, government, and research institutions such as Georgia Tech collaborate.”

At the forefront of this evolving data storage landscape, a collaboration between the Georgia Institute of Technology and Samsung seeks to substantially decrease the voltage in existing technology, unlocking the full potential of AI systems.

“Finding innovative solutions in data storage is paramount, it’s not just about saving photos or documents anymore. The storage needed is about enabling AI systems to transform how we interact with our devices, the world around us, and even each other,” said Asif Khan, an assistant professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) with a joint appointment in the School of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE).

Khan's lab is spearheading the collaboration which brings together three ECE labs, including those of Professors Suman Datta and Shimeng Yu. The lead author of the paper is Dipjyoti Das, a postdoctoral fellow under Khan's supervision. The second author, Hyeonwoo Park, conducts research under Datta. The team is joined by researchers from MSE, the Institute of Materials, the Institute of Electronics and Nanotechnology, and a dedicated team from Samsung.

“This is a pivotal era of transformation and opportunity in high-memory compute,” said co-author Suhwan Lim, an engineer at Samsung. “Strategic intersectoral relationships like this between Samsung and Georgia Tech nurture innovative thinking and lead to exciting experiential results that push us all forward.”

Adding to the already substantial Georgia Tech presence in the field of computer memory storage, the team's findings will be featured at the upcoming International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) in San Francisco this month.

The Quest for Voltage Efficiency

The research focuses on improving NAND flash technology found at the core of storage devices like solid-state hard drives, USB sticks, and SD cards. NAND boasts an impressive 1,000-layer 3D architecture, cramming 100 terabytes of data into a minuscule space.

However, the critical challenge is NAND’s persistent high voltage requirements. Exceeding 20 volts poses challenges in computing due to increased energy consumption, heat generation, and the risk of damaging electronic components.

“NAND has been the backbone of data storage, so our research doesn't attempt to replace it; it's an upgrade. We're boosting NAND's power and pushing it into the digital storage future,” said Das, who designed and executed experiments, as well as contributed to characterization.

A Ferroelectric Future

The paper’s groundbreaking proposal aims to revolutionize NAND flash technology by replacing the traditional NAND gate stack — a multi-layered structure in a transistor essential for controlling the flow of electrical current in semiconductor devices — with a new ferroelectric structure and a tunneling barrier.

The team's method, introducing aluminum oxide (Al2O3) in the middle of the ferroelectric stack, has dramatically improved data storage capability, reducing voltage requirements by an impressive 40-60%.

Additionally, the study reveals that the Al2O3 layer functions as a tunnel barrier, impeding electron motion and establishing a dipole, creating an additional electric field that aligns with the polarization direction, boosting device memory performance.

The experiential findings could transform various sectors, including AI, mobile devices, edge data processing, embedded systems, and overall computing efficiency. 

“This breakthrough charts a new course towards more efficient, reliable and dense data storage solution,” said Datta, who is the Joseph M. Pettit Chair of Advanced Computing in ECE and a Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Eminent Scholar. “We are grateful to Samsung for their continued support, as we work towards the next milestone.”

Looking for Collective Solutions to Shared Challenges

According to Das, the approach not only demonstrates the capability to achieve reduced voltage and enhanced memory but also aligns with scalability and broad industry adoption. 

As the project ventures into commercial avenues, the input of Samsung's researchers will be crucial. Das and Park are actively uncovering the intricacies of disturbances that could impede the market acceptance of the new gate stack.

In this context, disturbances refer to any unintended disruptions or deviations from transistor behavior expectations. Das stresses the importance of understanding, controlling, and clearly defining disturbance specifications. Establishing a well-defined threshold for disturbances is pivotal for achieving widespread commercialization readiness in their research.

“Working alongside industry leaders like Samsung is essential for any endeavor aiming to make a transformative impact in everyday technology,” added Khan. “It becomes particularly pertinent as we collectively look towards a future dominated by the power required to fuel advancements in AI.”
 

Citation: Dipjyoti Das*, Hyeonwoo Park*, Zekai Wang, Chengyang Zhang, Prasanna Venkatesan Ravindran, Chinsung Park, Nashrah Afroze, Po-Kai Hsu, Mengkun Tian, Hang Chen, Winston Chern, Suhwan Lim, Kwangsoo Kim, Kijoon Kim, Wanki Kim, Daewon Ha; Shimeng Yu, Suman Datta, Asif Khan. “Experimental Demonstration and Modeling of a Ferroelectric Gate Stack with a Tunnel Dielectric Insert for NAND Applications.” Proceedings of the 2023 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM). Paper # 24.1

Falcomm is built on breakthroughs made over six years in the lab of founder and CEO Edgar Garay to revolutionize the power amplifier, a semiconductor found in devices from satellites to IoT to cellphones, that conditions and blasts the 1s and 0s from software through an antenna. Falcomm’s Dual-Drive PA combines ultra-efficient performance with an architecture that lends itself to production at scale. 

“Power amplifiers are the workhorse of the modern electronic era, but improvement to this technology hasn’t kept pace with the rise of the innovation economy,” said Garay, who holds a doctorate in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech’s School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he conducted the research that led to the formation of his startup.

“Falcomm’s ultra-efficient, silicon-proven technology will bring advances in power and efficiency to the semiconductor industry that help communications manufacturers to realize massive efficiency gains, while lowering costs. With urgent challenges in the environment and supply chain, we can’t wait another 90 years for change.”

With simultaneous transmission at each terminal of a transistor, the Dual-Drive PA delivers performance that is 1.8 times more efficient at 2 times higher power, with half of the silicon area requirements of traditional power amplifiers. For manufacturers, these gains will reduce thermal management and energy costs, while easing overall system requirements. 

A patented architectural design allows the product to be manufactured in high volume by semiconductor foundries in the United States. With fabless technology, the company is poised to grow a network of industry partners that catalyzes expansion in the $23 billion power amplifier market.

Born in Venezuela, Garay developed a passion for using science and engineering to solve problems while repairing machinery on a farm in his hometown. While pursuing doctoral studies at Georgia Tech, he recognized the opportunity to bring innovation to the power amplifier, which had not changed in decades despite the rapid advance of technology and its critical role in devices. 

Garay’s research resulted in multiple patents, spurring him to spin out the technology and create Falcomm through assistance from Georgia Tech resources, including VentureLab and CREATE-X. Falcomm is the first company to receive investment from the Georgia Tech Foundation.

“Georgia Tech is proud to support our academic innovators to help them ensure their inventions have real-world impact,” said Raghupathy Sivakumar, Georgia Tech’s vice president of Commercialization and chief commercialization officer. “The Office of Commercialization is rapidly expanding our programs and initiatives to build out the largest and most robust entrepreneurial ecosystem at any public university. I am happy to say that Falcomm is the recipient of the first equity investment out of our new Research Impact Fund targeted specifically at spinouts based on Georgia Tech intellectual property."

The Falcomm team was recently bolstered by the addition of pioneering industry leaders who have demonstrated a track record of innovation in telecommunications, wireless, and semiconductors:

• Thomas Cameron, Ph.D., chief strategy officer, is a 35-year veteran of technology research and development in the wireless industry. During a 12-year stint at Analog Devices, Cameron served as chief technology officer of the Communications Business Unit and was a leading evangelist for the adoption of 5G connectivity. He held leadership and engineering roles in the RF industry at Bell Northern Research, Nortel, Sirenza Microdevices, and WJ Communications. Cameron has seven patents in wireless technology and has authored numerous papers and technical articles.
• Ned Cahoon, director of Foundry and Customer Relationships, brings more than 20 years of RF business development experience across the mobile and wireless infrastructure industries. He helped to stand up IBM’s $1 billion RF business before joining GlobalFoundries in 2016, where he served as a fellow in the office of the chief technology officer. A senior design and go-to-market leader, Cahoon brings experience building networks across foundries, academia, and technology companies.

For Falcomm, the funding follows quickly on the heels of the company’s selection to the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 200 in 2023. The company is a graduate of the Berkeley SkyDeck Accelerator and the EvoNexus incubator.

Bringing innovation to the tiny power amplifier can have a massive impact on some of the nation’s most pressing challenges. The energy efficiency gains resulting from an increase in power output come at a time of growing urgency around climate change. The ability to manufacture domestically comes at a time when nearshoring is a priority to address cost and supply chain challenges underscored by the global semiconductor shortage and resulting CHIPS Act.

“Edgar and his team are just as inspiring as they are hard-working. They have shown that it’s possible to assemble the talent and operations to innovate on a foundational technology that hasn’t seen meaningful advances in decades anywhere in the country,” said Guy Filippelli, Squadra Ventures’ managing partner. “By boosting efficiency and manufacturing domestically in the critical semiconductor industry, Falcomm’s innovations will bolster American competitiveness.”

The funding will be used to accelerate go-to-market activities with satellite companies and wireless infrastructure manufacturers, advance the company’s patented technology, and expand the team. Falcomm is actively hiring for roles in operations, engineering, and design. View job openings.

These T-cells use a complex process to recognize the foreign pathogens and diseased cells. In a paper published this week in the journal Cell, researchers add a new level of understanding to that process by describing how the T-cell receptors (TCR) use mechanical contact – the forces involved in their binding to the antigens – to make decisions about whether or not the cells they encounter are threats.

“This is the first systematic study of how T-cell recognition is affected by mechanical force, and it shows that forces play an important role in the functions of T-cells,” said Cheng Zhu, a Regents’ professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University. “We think that mechanical force plays a role in almost every step of T-cell biology.”

The researchers, who were supported by the National Institutes of Health, made their discoveries using a tiny sensor based on a single red blood cell, and a new technique for detecting calcium ions emitted by the T-cells as part of the signaling process. They independently studied the binding of antigens to more than a hundred individual T-cells, measuring the forces involved in the binding and the lifetimes of the bonds. That information was then correlated to the calcium signaling they observed.

Among the findings, the researchers learned that interactions between the TCRs and agonist peptide-major histocompatibility complexes (MHC) form catch bonds that become stronger with the application of additional force to initiate intracellular signaling. Less active MHC complexes form slip bonds that weaken with force and don’t initiate signaling. Overall, they found that the signaling outcome of an interaction between an antigen and a TCR depends on the magnitude, duration, frequency and timing of the force application.

“Force adds another dimension to interactions with T-cells,” Zhu explained. “Antigens that have a bond lifetime that is prolonged by force would have a higher likelihood of triggering signaling. Repeat engagements and lifetime accumulations play a role, and the decision to signal is usually made based on the accumulation of actions, not a single action.”

He compared the force component of T-cell activation to multiple steps needed to enter a person’s office inside a secured building. A key card and a personal identification number may first be necessary to enter the building, while an ordinary key might then be needed to get into a specific office. Requiring both recognition of an antigen and specific level of mechanical force may help the T-cell avoid activating when it shouldn’t, Zhu said.

Zhu compared the accumulation of bonds to the punches that a boxer sustains during a fight. A rare very hard single punch, or a series of lesser blows over a short period of time, can both lead to a knockout. But a series of light blows over a longer time may have no effect, Zhu said.

Researchers already have other examples of how mechanical force can affect the operation of cellular systems. For instance, mechanical stress created by blood flow acting on the endothelial cells that line blood vessel walls plays a role in the disease atherosclerosis. Force is also necessary for proper bone growth and healing. That mechanical forces would also play a role in the immune system therefore isn’t surprising, Zhu said.

“We now have a broader recognition that the physical environment and mechanical environment regulate many of the biological phenomena in the body,” he said. “When you exert a force on the TCR bonds, some of them dissociate faster, while others come off more slowly. This has an effect on the response of the T-cell receptor.”

In their experiments, Zhu and collaborators Baoyu Liu, Wei Chen and Brian Evavold used a biomembrane force probe to measure the strength and longevity of bonds between T cells and antigens. The probe consists, in part, of a red blood cell aspirated to a micropipette. Attached to the red blood cell is a bead on which researchers place the antigen under study. Using a delicate mechanism that precisely controls motion, the bead is then moved into contact with a T-cell receptor, allowing binding to take place.

To test the strength of bond formed between an antigen and the TCR, the researchers apply piconewton forces to separate the bead holding the antigen from the TCR. The red blood cell acts as a spring, stretching and allowing a measurement of the forces that must be applied to separate the TCR and antigen. The technique, which requires motion control at the nanometer scale, allows measurement of binding between the antigen and a single TCR.

To assess the impact of the binding on intracellular signaling, the researchers inject a dye into the cells that fluoresces when exposed to the calcium signaling ions. Detecting the fluorescence allowed the researchers to know when the mechanical force triggered T-cell signaling.

“We can directly look at kinetics and signaling at the same time,” explained Liu, a research scientist in the Coulter Department and co-first author of the paper. “We can observe the signaling directly induced by TCR interactions.”

As a next step, Zhu’s team would like to explore the effects of force on development of T-cells using the new experimental techniques. Evidence suggests that the forces to which the cells are exposed while they are in a juvenile stage may affect the fates of their development.

This research was supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS), both part of National Institutes of Health, through awards AI38282 and GM096187. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.

CITATION: Baoyu Liu, Wei Chen, Brian D. Evavold and Cheng Zhu, “Accumulation of Dynamic Catch Bonds between TCR and Agonist Peptide-MHC Triggers T-Cell Signaling, “ (Cell 2014).

Research News
Georgia Institute of Technology
177 North Avenue
Atlanta, Georgia  30332-0181  USA

Media Relations Contacts: John Toon (jtoon@gatech.edu) (404-894-6986) or Brett Israel (brett.israel@comm.gatech.edu) (404-385-1933).

Writer: John Toon

The Humboldt recipients are academics whose fundamental discoveries, theories, or insights have had a significant impact on their own disciplines and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future.

Li’s research focuses on theory and computation of disordered materials — such as glass and liquid — with an emphasis on understanding the underlying atomic structures and their relations to properties. These materials are known for the lack of long-range order, making it extremely difficult, if not possible, to determine the exact atomic structures experimentally. The missing connection between the structure and property has challenged scientists for decades.

Using computational and theoretical approaches, Li’s research is directed towards the fundamental understanding of the mechanisms, process, and structures of the materials. He has made many contributions in the topics of glass transitions, deformation localization in glassy materials, thermodynamic and statistical physics models for metastable systems and their phase transitions, and algorithm development for computations.

“Besides the honor and recognition, for which I am very grateful, the Humboldt Research Award brings a tremendous opportunity for international collaboration of basic research through the financial support and also the Humboldt network.” Li said. "The fundamental understanding enables us to carry out new experiment and computation that could lead to development of new materials that have not been possible for disordered or amorphous materials.”

In addition to the honor, the Foundation also provides financial support for Li to foster and carry out creative collaborative research in Germany. Li will work closely with colleagues in two world-class institutions in Germany: Prof. Robert Maaß at Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM) in Berlin and Prof. Jörg Weissmüller at Hamburg University of Technology in Hamburg.

They will work on how new design of microstructures in disordered materials could bring revolutionary changes to the physical and mechanical properties and how length scale and geometric and topological shapes influence the surface and interface properties of this class of materials.