A Bell Labs researcher into nanotechnology faces an inquiry into claims that some of the data in his papers have been falsified (Nature, May 23, and Science, May 24). Scientists noticed similar looking graphs in different papers by Jan Hendrick Schoen and others. He denies the charges. Lydia Sohn of Princeton studied graphs from Science (December 7, 2001) and Nature (October 18, 2001).

Even the random instrument noise was the same. On
being informed of the situation, these two journals asked for clarification
from Schoen, who replied that he has sent the wrong figure to one of the
publications. He offered to amend the error. A correction appeared in
Science last Friday (May 24).
But then Paul McEuen (Cornell) found a third graph representing a different
device's characteristics that contained matching portions to the originally
disputed diagrams. Further searches by Sohn, McEuen and others resulted in
disputes over eight figures over six papers - four articles in Science
(February 11, 2000; April 28, 2000; November 3, 2000; December 7, 2001), one
in Nature (October 18, 2001) and one in Applied Physics Letters (December
24, 2000).
Bell Labs has now convened a special review committee to be chaired by
Malcolm Beasley of Stanford University. Schoen will be able to continue his
work until the review is complete. This is hoped for by the end of the
summer.
A report on Bell Labs' research appeared in Bulletin 405, October 22, 2001,
based on the Nature paper.

Hitachi's Semiconductor & Integrated Circuits group is to absorb the LSI
design operations of its subsidiary Hitachi ULSI Systems in October this
year.