Microelectronics Research Research Articles

Preface: phys. stat. sol. (c) 5/12

AbstractDear reader of this issue,We introduce to you a collection of Original Papers, Invited and Contributed Articles presented at the Micro&Nano 2007 Conference (3rd International Conference on Micro‐Nanoelectronics, Nanotechnology and MEMs), held in Athens, Greece on 18–21 November 2007.Micro&Nano 2007 was the third of a series of conferences held at NCSR Demokritos every three years which aim at gathering together all scientists and engineers working in the challenging field of micro‐nanoelectronics, nanotechnology and MEMs in an interactive forum and stimulating discussions on the latest achievements and new developments in this rapidly evolving field.The main topics of Micro&Nano 2007 were:– Micro and nano‐fabrication and processing,– Materials,– Devices,– Quantum devices and molecular electronics,– Integration, circuits and systems,– Industry and technology transferA total of 250 scientists representing 23 countries attended. There were a total of 205 presentations, 71 of which were oral (including 10 invited talks) and 134 were posters presented in two different sessions.The conference opening ceremony was honored by the presence of the General Secretary of Research and Technology Prof. I. Tsoukalas. During the ceremony, an honorary plaque was awarded to Prof. G. Kamarinos from the Polytechnical University of Grenoble, France, acknowledging his contributions to the early stages of microelectronics research in Greece. In addition, Dr. A. G. Nassiopoulou, Conference Chairperson and Director of the Institute of Microelectronics (IMEL) of NCSR Demokritos, gave an overview on the development of microelectronics research in Greece from the mid 1980s to the present day. She also presented the National Scientific Society “Micro&Nano” founded in 2004 (www.micro‐nano.gr).The next conference Micro&Nano will be held at the same place in the year 2010. We look forward to seeing you at that conference.We would like to thank all delegates, our session chairs, delegates who helped with refereeing and all committee members for their contribution to the success of the conference.Our acknowledgements also go to our sponsors for their financial support, NCSR Demokritos for hosting and supporting the conference and the General Secretariat of Research and Technology Greece, under whose auspices the conference was held. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

An automatic test environment for microelectronics education and research

An automatic test environment (ATE) based on a PSoC has been developed to perform electrical characterization of integrated circuits (ICs). The ICs are designed for academic and research purposes as part of the Electronic Design graduate program at NVESTAV-Guadalajara Unit; these ICs are manufactured in standard N-well, 5-V, 1.5μm/0.5μm CMOS technologies. The ATE offers programmable capabilities to develop master-slave architectures, memory for data storage, functions generator to stimulate circuits and systems, current/voltage sources for several purposes, current-voltage measurements, and ports to download experimental data to a PC. To date, several ICs have been tested with the help of the ATE. In this paper, however, examples based on MOS Transistors only are presented in order to describe the ATE performance and also to show how experimental data of the devices under characterization were validated through SPICE simulations, experimental data given by manufacturers, and using commercial equipment as well.

Optical biosensing: future possibilities

How the construction of oximeter sensors has evolved over the last decade is a reflection of the advancement in light sources and detectors from the optoelectronics and microelectronics research fields.

Enhanced low dose rate effect of the radiation-sensitive field effect transistors developed by the National Microelectronics Research Centre

An enhanced low dose rate effect (ELDRE) was observed in the radiation-sensitive field effect transistors (RADFETs) developed by the National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC) for a low total accumulated dose of less than ∼45 Gy in silicon, or 45 Gy(Si). The effect was seen to persist even after∼8 days of annealing at room temperature, implying that it was not a transient effect but rather a permanent one. On the other hand, the ELDRE was seen to disappear at high total doses of above ∼90 Gy(Si).

PRIME 2008 - 4th Conference on Ph.D. Research in Microelectronics and Electronics - Call for papers

PRIME 2008 - 4th Conference on Ph.D. Research in Microelectronics and Electronics - Call for papers

3rd Conference on Ph.D. Research in Microelectronics and Electronics 2007

3rd Conference on Ph.D. Research in Microelectronics and Electronics 2007

University–industry interactions in applied research: The case of microelectronics

In the first part of the paper we discuss the pattern of research in microelectronics, illustrating the reasons why, in order to achieve distinguished scientific performance, universities need to collaborate with industry, and in particular academic researchers need to interact with industrial ones by face-to-face knowledge exchanges. In the second part, using patent data integrated with information collected through interviews, we measure the extent and intensity of the ties of academic with industrial researchers, and apply social network analysis to reconstruct the network of collaborations. The picture that emerges (from this Italian case) is fully consistent with the specific research pattern. Collaboration is based on teams of researchers from the two spheres, and strong connections are associated with high scientific performance. Moreover, border-crossing collaborations tend to be driven by cognitive proximity and personal relationships.

Creation of a new conference dedicated to ph.d. research in microelectronics and electronics (PRIME)

Creation of a new conference dedicated to ph.d. research in microelectronics and electronics (PRIME)

1st Call for Papers Submission & Institution Participation / 2nd Conference on Ph.D. Research in MicroElectronics and Electronics PRIME 2006

1st Call for Papers Submission & Institution Participation / 2nd Conference on Ph.D. Research in MicroElectronics and Electronics PRIME 2006

From Classrooms to the Real Engineering World: The Training Program in the Microelectronics Research Center at Georgia Tech

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a training program that helps students transfer their classroom knowledge to hands-on equipment-operating and device-processing skills in the Microelectronics Research Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. The program is designed to bring down the barrier between engineering students and well-equipped research facilities, while decreasing the mistakes caused by new users. Since the program started three years ago, more than 500 on-site classes (a one-time class with a maximum of eight attendees per class) have been offered, and more than 3000 attendees have gone through the program. The program has had a strong impact on clean-room operation and the processing capability in the center. More importantly, students are prepared more thoroughly for the real engineering world.

Tackling the paradox: can attaining global research excellence be compatible with local technology development?

This paper uses the case of the IMEC (microelectronics research centre) to examine the compatibility between strategic IPR management of large independent research centres, and regional industrial policy missions given to such centres in return for government funding. In particular, the issue of whether a balance can be found between a necessary drive for international recognition and critical mass of funding, and a policy of IPR valorization towards regional firms is examined.The first section sets out the mission of IMEC and the evolution over time of its strategic approach to building global industrial partnerships based on a sophisticated model of IPR management. Drawing on a recent evaluation, the subject of the second section is the extent to which the results of the industrial and exploratory research activities of IMEC are then commercialized in local Flemish industry.The concluding section offers policy conclusions in terms of the instruments and objectives which public policy makers can apply to maximize the local impact of large globally operating research centres.

One for all, all for one [microelectronics research funding

Is European microelectronics R&D on the breadline? Money is the key thing European microelectronics firms want from their governments to keep Europe in the lead in microelectronics and nanotechnology research. Innovation requires funding, and the EU is not injecting enough money into microelectronics R&D, including programmes such as MEDEA+ (Microelectronics Development of European Applications). That's not to say that EU member-states do not invest at all. They do, just not in the areas that offer long and sustained returns on investment, such as electronics and energy, claim MEDEA+ board members. MEDEA+ is a pan-European microelectronics R&D programme. All the funding MEDEA+ receives is seen as a very important EU collaborative project that will keep Europe in the lead in the microelectronics and nanotechnology fields.

La fraude scientifique

The Scientific Misconduct Fraud in science is a very marginal phenomenon. Yet, in each case, there is a great deal of commentary. The most recent occurrence, called the Schon affair after the name of the researcher involved, was no exception to the rule. It certainly involved the elements that constitute the ideal case of fraud: a prestigious laboratory, the Bell Laboratories, a subject in the front of research in microelectronics and some prestigious reviews as Science and Nature. Faced with these cases, one can investigate the flaws of a system – conceived by scientists themselves – intended to evaluate scientific work submitted for publication. Fraud, such as hoaxes and plagiarism, proves that there is no such thing as a system without flaws. Yet more important was the calling into question of the scientific community’s dominant image as a social group which gives itself tacit rules of operation. Hence, the demand made by researchers themselves – under the pressure of public opinion – to clarify these norms, in other words to write them down in a kind of researcher’s code of conduct. Briefly, the Republic of scientists writes its own code of conduct.

Computing practices - Next-generation wearable networks

Increased research in microelectronics, wireless communications, and human-computer interaction, particularly augmented-reality applications, has made a symbiotic system technically feasible. Wearable computing, or wearware, focuses on making this technology useful in everyday life, particularly for integrating contextual data with the Internet to automate mundane tasks. The availability of portable, energy-efficient computing devices that can be easily integrated with clothing has renewed interest in the possibilities of wearware. The notion of a wearable network of interactive devices aiding users in their day-to-day activities is extremely appealing, but for it to become a reality researchers must develop interesting and useful applications. Consumers are not interested in the technology per se but in how it could enrich their lives.

Declerck of IMEC

If you were deciding where to build a microelectronics research lab, you're probably more likely to consider California's Silicon Valley before thinking of the Flemish-speaking Flanders region of Belgium. But that's where an inter-university microelectronics centre, IMEC, was established in 1984 and where it has thrived since, explains Luke Collins.

High-Z 0.9–1.0 MA X-pinch as a possible backlighter in 50–100 keV and sub-keV-10 keV spectral regions and a powerful soft x-ray source for surface modification research

The presence of collimated 1.5–2.0 MeV electron beams in 0.9–1.0 MA high-Z X-pinch plasmas leads to the generation of an anisotropic hard x-ray radiation (more than 50–100 keV) in the crossing point of the wires, with a 1–2 mm size source and a time duration of 100–150 ns. The side-on measured electron temperature is higher than the end-on. Introducing of a synchrotron radiation in a side-on direction is used for the explanation of the phenomenon. The new results of time-resolved 0.16–10 keV x-ray imaging and spectroscopic study of the development of jets and hot spots in X-pinches are presented. The plasma parameters varied significantly for consecutive x-ray bursts (hot spots) during the same X-pinch discharge. A minimum duration of x-ray pulses was 1.1 ns. The x-ray energy output was up to 10–11 kJ, and a maximum power can reach up to 3×1011 W. The X-pinch coupled with the x-ray glass-capillary converter for collecting and focusing of x rays can generate soft x-ray energy density up to (1–10) J/cm2, and the flux density up to (1–5)×109 W/cm2. The 1 MA X-pinch can be used as a possible hard and soft x-ray backlighter and a soft x-ray source for material science and microelectronics research.

Determination of ZnO temperature coefficients using thin film bulk acoustic wave resonators

Thin film bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators have been the subject of research in RF microelectronics for some time. Much of the interest lay in utilizing the resonators to design filters for wireless applications. Some of the major advantages BAW devices present over other filter technologies in use today include size reduction and the possibility of on-chip integration. As the technology matures, the necessity to more fully characterize the performance of the devices and to develop more accurate models describing their behavior is apparent. In this investigation, the effects that temperature variations have on 1.8-2.0 GHz zinc oxide (ZnO)-based solidly mounted BAW resonators (SMRs) are studied. The average temperature coefficients of the series and parallel resonant frequencies of the fabricated devices are found to be -31.5 ppm/degrees C and -35.3 ppm/degrees C, respectively. The slight decrease in separation between the two resonant frequencies with temperature implies there is slightly less effective coupling with increased temperature. No definite trend is found describing the behavior of the quality factor (Q) of the resonator with temperature variations. With little temperature coefficient data for thin film ZnO available in the literature, the importance of an accurate model is evident. The resonator device performance is simulated using Ballato's electronic circuit model for acoustic devices on a SPICE-based platform. By virtue of the comparison between the predicted and measured device response, various material parameters are extracted.

IMEC pushes the limits of CMOS

Abstract An evolution that started with thermionic valve-based mainframe computers and can now put multiples of their processing power into a modern lap-top is today proceeding towards ambient intelligence, in which ever more compact processing will be all around us and, quite literally, part of the furniture. Convergence of information and communications technology (ICT), today exemplified by the conjunction of GSM (global system for mobile) telephony with ‘palm’ PC power, will go much further as microscopic electronics become nanoscopic. Ultimately we will have the power to merge biological and inanimate intelligence to create extended neuro-electronic systems. Visionary stuff, but although the day of the cyborg may still be some way off, IMEC (Inter-University MicroElectronics Centre) — Europe’s leading independent microelectronics research organization — sees its role as expediting some aspects of this future. This means, inter alia, a dedication to maintaining the currency of Moore’s Law, in the belief that this can continue for several years yet before fundamental limits impose insurmountable barriers. Success will require further extension of the boundaries of complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS), that backbone of mainstream electronic technology. Materials, both the manipulation of existing and development of new, are germane to this, as Materials Today discovered on a recent visit.

Study of low temperature elaborated tailored optical band gap β-In 2S 3−3 xO 3 x thin films

Microelectronic research is highly interested in the achievement of material in thin film form with easily tailoring optical properties. Here, we present a simple low temperature and highly versatile method for obtaining inorganic thin films with variable band gap. The technique that we present allows the elaboration of indium oxysulfide β-In 2S 3−3 x O 3 x thin films, whose optical band gap can be tailored between 2 and 3 eV, at low temperature ( T a=473 K) on glass substrates. They offer the prospect of both new fundamental science and useful technological applications. They are typically produced by physical vapour deposition followed by in situ annealing. The introduction of oxygen into the films during the in situ post-annealing process is shown to be crucial for the growth of variable optical band gap material. The variation of the substrate temperature, T S, during the deposition allows to manage the band gap value. It is shown that this effect is related to the introduction of oxygen into the films.

The quest for the SPIN transistor

Microelectronics researchers have been investigating spin for at least 20 years. Indeed, their discoveries revolutionized hard-disk drives, which since 1998 have used a spin-based phenomenon to cram more bits than ever on to their disks. Within three years, Motorola Inc. and IBM Corp. are expected to take the next step, introducing the first commercial semiconductor chips to exploit spin-a new form of random access memory called M (for magnetic) RAM. In this paper, the author describes how the mystical property of electron spin is revolutionizing the memory business. If it can do the same with logic, electronics will become spintronics.