Asteroids may hold trillions in untapped metal wealth
There are thousands of metal-rich asteroids orbiting Earth, but can they be mined for the good of humanity? CNA's Julie Yoo looks at the technological challenges of turning these space rocks into usable resources.
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CNA
2 days ago
- CNA
Chile observatory captures the universe with 3,200-megapixel camera
SANTIAGO :Chile's Vera C. Rubin Observatory, which boasts the world's largest digital camera, has begun displaying its first images of the cosmos, allowing astronomers to figure out how the solar system formed and even whether an asteroid poses a threat to Earth. Located on Pachon Hill in the northern region of Coquimbo, the 8.4-meter (27-1/2-foot) telescope has a 3,200-megapixel camera feeding a powerful data processing system. "It's really going to change and challenge the way people work with their data," said William O'Mullane, a project manager focused on data at Vera Rubin. The observatory detected over 2,100 previously unseen asteroids in 10 hours of observations, focusing on a small area of the visible sky. Its ground-based and space-based peers discover in total some 20,000 asteroids a year. O'Mullane said the observatory would allow astronomers to collect huge amounts of data quickly and make unexpected finds. "Rather than the usual couple of observations and writing an (academic) paper. No, I'll give you a million galaxies. I'll give you a million stars or a billion even, because we have them: 20 billion galaxy measurements," he said. The center is named after American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, a pioneer in finding conclusive evidence of the existence of large amounts of invisible material known as dark matter. Each night, Rubin will take some 1,000 images of the southern hemisphere sky, letting it cover the entire southern sky every three or four nights. The darkest skies above the arid Atacama Desert make Chile one of the best places worldwide for astronomical observation. "The number of alerts the telescope will send every night is equivalent to the inboxes of 83,000 people. It's impossible for someone to look at that one by one," said astrophysicist Francisco Foster.
Independent Singapore
3 days ago
- Independent Singapore
Singapore launches GaN hub to power next-gen semiconductors
SINGAPORE: Singapore launched a new S$123 million semiconductor facility to boost its role in chip technologies and get a share of the growing gallium nitride (GaN) market. The new centre, located in One North, is called the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre for Gallium Nitride (NSTIC GaN). With plans to start commercial operations in mid-2026, NSTIC GaN will offer wafer fabrication and prototyping services to local companies and researchers. Dr Tan See Leng, Minister in charge of Energy and Science & Technology, said, 'In a world marked by strategic fragmentation, investing in GaN technologies improves our ability to compete globally and develop unique skills. This centre is a step forward in securing high-value semiconductor growth for Singapore.' GaN semiconductors' benefits GaN semiconductors offer superior voltage and frequency performance with less heat output than silicon. This means they are crucial for compact electronic systems in 5G and 6G infrastructure. They also have applications for autonomous vehicles, satellite communications, and military radar due to improved energy efficiency and advanced technology. It is the first local facility to offer both 6-inch GaN-on-Silicon Carbide and 8-inch GaN-on-Silicon wafer lines. This permits the production of both high-performance defence-grade electronics as well as commercial power devices. Wafer diameter affects chip output per batch, directly impacting cost and efficiency. Dr Tan stressed: 'Access to local fabrication lowers capital barriers and speeds up time to market. SMEs and start-ups can now prototype and develop chips locally, without facing prohibitive upfront costs.' A*STAR, DSO National Laboratories, and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) are spearheading the NSTIC GaN project as part of an initiative to strengthen Singapore's semiconductor ecosystem. Other nodes include an advanced photonics R&D centre and a $500 million advanced packaging facility in Tampines. The launch also saw several agreements signed to support industry partnerships. A notable collaboration involves NSTIC GaN, DSO, and the local startup WaferLead, which will work together to develop high-quality silicon carbide substrates. This is a critical component in GaN wafer manufacturing. Waferlead, which produces wafers for electric vehicles, renewable energy systems, and data centres, expects that using NSTIC's shared infrastructure could yield capital expense savings ranging from $6 million to $10 million. Its CEO, Dr Sunil Wickramanayaka, shared: 'These savings can be invested in market expansion and product development. Singapore is a key node in the global semiconductor industry. EDB estimates Singapore makes about 10% of global chips and 20% of semiconductor manufacturing equipment worldwide. Semiconductors account for nearly 6% of the city-state's GDP and provides jobs for over 35,000 people. The industry benefits from Singapore's strategic location, reliable regulations, and skilled workers. Exploring GaN and other novel materials is part of the industry's efforts to remain competitive.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Straits Times
New $123m advanced facility launched, gives local semiconductor firms a leg-up
Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology Tan See Leng (centre) tours the cleanroom at the National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre for Gallium Nitride during its launch on June 26. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI SINGAPORE – A new $123 million facility that enables Singapore to produce advanced semiconductors for the designing of more compact and larger-capacity electronics and communications systems opened its doors on June 26 under an ambitious national plan. The National Semiconductor Translation and Innovation Centre for Gallium Nitride – dubbed NSTIC (GaN) – at one-north is slated to start commercial services in mid-2026. Speaking at the centre's launch, Minister-in-charge of Energy and Science & Technology Tan See Leng said the local semiconductor industry has the potential to be more competitive globally. It currently accounts for close to 6 per cent of Singapore's gross domestic product and employs about 35,000 people . 'With a surging demand for such systems, the global radio frequency gallium nitride device market is projected to double to over US$2.7 billlion (S$3.4 billion) from 2022 to 2028 ,' said Dr Tan, adding that the new centre aims to capture some of these opportunities. Gallium nitride (GaN) can operate at higher voltages and generate less heat compared with traditional silicon. These properties allow for smaller and more energy-efficient devices crucial for the development of 5G and 6G communications and satellite systems, commonly used for autonomous vehicle navigation and remote surveillance. 'In today's volatile global environment, marked by supply chain fragmentation and strategic competition, what we're doing reinforces the importance of investing and developing world-leading capabilities,' said Dr Tan. 'It is only by building a deep technological differentiation can we then achieve our objectives of driving the next bound of high-growth value add... and position ourselves at the forefront of next generation semiconductor technologies.' In 2023, NSTIC (GaN) received $123 million in funding over five years to set up production lines and pay for manpower costs and expertise. A partnership between A*Star, DSO National Laboratories and Nanyang Technological University, NSTIC (GaN) aims to provide companies and researchers with local access to advanced wafer fabrication and prototyping infrastructure. It is part of a broader NSTIC initiative led by A*Star, which aims to uplift the local semiconductor industry. Other NSTIC centres include NSTIC (Advanced Photonics), which focuses on R&D in flat optics and silicon photonics, and NSTIC (R&D Fab), a $500 million national advanced packaging facility at JTC nanoSpace @ Tampines. NSTIC (GaN) is the first in Singapore to host both 6-inch GaN-on-Silicon Carbide and 8-inch GaN-on-Silicon wafer fabrication lines. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI NSTIC (GaN) is the first in Singapore to host both 6-inch GaN-on-Silicon Carbide and 8-inch GaN-on-Silicon wafer fabrication lines. A wafer is a thin circular semiconductor material that is used as the base of hundreds to thousands of chips. The diameter of the wafer determines the number of chips that can be fabricated, which impacts production efficiency and cost. Having both production lines will allow the centre to serve a range of applications, from common consumer products to advanced satellite communication systems, said Dr Tan. NSTIC (GaN)'s commercial services will allow companies to overcome high capital costs, which is often a pain point in research translation, he added. 'Our small and medium-sized enterprises and start-ups would be able to access these services locally to accelerate their product development and fabrication, and achieve speed-to-market,' Dr Tan said. Several memorandums of understanding and research collaboration agreements were signed on June 26. One of them is between NSTIC (GaN), DSO National Laboratories and local start-up WaferLead to develop high-quality silicon carbide substrates, which is a key component in GaN wafer production. WaferLead's chief executive Sunil Wickramanayaka said that creating a high volume production line for components in Singapore requires a huge capital, which budget-strapped start-ups may not be able to access. Here is where NSTIC (GaN) comes in handy. Using NSTIC (GaN)'s equipment instead of buying its own is projected to save WaferLead around $6 million to $10 million in capital costs, he said. WaferLead produces bare silicon carbide and epitaxial silicon carbide wafers, which can be used in power devices such as electric cars, solar inverters and wind generators, Dr Sunil added. 'We can use that money instead for other applications, such as market and product development, and that helps us a lot,' he said. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
