A new suite of advanced nanofabrication equipment makes MIT.nano one of the world’s most advanced research facilities in microelectronics and related technologies, opening new experimental opportunities and enabling promising inventions to become impactful. This opens up new possibilities for new products.
The equipment, provided by Applied Materials, significantly expands MIT.nano’s nanofabrication capabilities for wafers (thin circular slices of semiconductor material) up to 200 millimeters (8 inches) in diameter, which are widely used in industry. I will make it possible for you to respond. New tools will enable researchers to prototype vast numbers of new microelectronic devices using cutting-edge materials and manufacturing processes. At the same time, 200 millimeter compatibility supports closer collaboration with industry, enabling companies to quickly adopt innovations and mass produce.
MIT.nano leaders say the device will be made available to scientists outside of MIT, dramatically increasing the facility’s capabilities and equipping local experts with “tough technology” fields including advanced electronics. It says that it will be possible to explore new approaches more efficiently. These include power generation batteries, renewable energy, optical computing, biological sensing, and many other areas, many of which are yet to be imagined.
“The toolset accelerates our ability to launch new technologies that can be delivered to the world at scale,” said Vladimir Burovic, director of MIT.nano. He is also the Fariborz Mazeh Professor of Emerging Technologies. “MIT.nano is committed to a broad mission of building a better world. In the hands of talented researchers, we provide the toolsets and capabilities that can effectively move the world forward. To do.”
The announcement comes as part of an agreement between MIT and Applied Materials, which, along with a grant to MIT from the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) hub, will provide an estimated $4,000 in advanced nanotechnology additions. More than $1 million in private and public investment will be committed. MIT.nano manufacturing equipment and capabilities.
“There are other spaces in the U.S. where an 8-inch toolset can be integrated right next to a more basic toolset for research discovery, offering the same kind of versatility, functionality, and accessibility. I don’t think so,” Burovich said. “This creates a seamless path to accelerate the pace of innovation.”
Pushing the boundaries of innovation
Applied Materials is the world’s largest supplier of equipment for manufacturing semiconductors, displays, and other advanced electronics. The company plans to offer several cutting-edge process tools at MIT.nano that can support 150 mm and 200 mm wafers, enhancing and upgrading existing tools owned by MIT. In addition to assisting MIT.nano with the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the equipment, Applied Materials engineers will develop new process capabilities that will benefit researchers and students at MIT and beyond.
“This investment will greatly accelerate the pace of innovation and discovery in microelectronics and microsystems,” said Tomás Palacios, director of the MIT Microsystems Technology Laboratory and the Clarence J. Revell Professor of Electrical Engineering. . “This is great news for our community, great news for our state, and, in my view, a huge step toward realizing our national vision for the future of innovation in microelectronics.”
Nanoscale research in universities has traditionally been conducted in machines that are less compatible with industry, making it more difficult to turn academic innovations into impactful, mass-produced products. Jorg Sholbin, associate director of MIT.nano’s shared manufacturing facility, said the new machine, combined with MIT.nano’s existing equipment, represents a major advance in the field, and researchers will be able to use industry-standard wafers. He said he would be able to acquire and build. We can apply our technology on top of that to prove to businesses that it works on existing devices, or work closely with industry partners to co-develop new ideas.
“The ability to start small, know what you want to do, quickly debug your design, and scale it up to industry-sized wafers is critical in getting from an idea to a fully working device.” Shorvin says. “This means we can scale the process by allowing students to quickly test their ideas at wafer scale and incorporate insights directly into their projects.Providing proof of principle like this early on MIT.nano’s other tools accelerate work out of the academic environment and potentially save years of additional effort. Although it can be supplemented, the higher throughput and greater accuracy of Applied instruments provides researchers with reproducibility and precision that are unprecedented in academic research environments. Essentially, what you have is: It’s a sharper, faster, more accurate tool to get the job done.”
Shorvin predicts that the device will dramatically increase research opportunities.
“I think the main benefit of these tools is that they allow us to push the boundaries of research in a variety of ways that we can currently predict,” Shorvin says. “But there are also unforeseen benefits, lurking in the shadows waiting to be discovered by the creativity of MIT researchers. Typically, with each new application, more ideas and paths come to mind. Over time, more opportunities will be discovered.”
The equipment will also be available for use by people outside the MIT community, including regional researchers, industry partners, nonprofit organizations, and local startups, enabling new collaborations.
“I think the tool itself will be a great meeting place, a place where we can translate the best of our ideas in a much more effective way than before,” says Burovic. “I’m very excited.”
Palacios said microelectronics is best known for its work in miniaturizing transistors to fit into microprocessors, but it also has applications ranging from wireless communications and high-speed internet to energy management, personalized health care, and more. He points out that it is a vast field that enables almost every technology around us.
He is personally excited about using the new machine for power electronics and semiconductor-related research, including the search for promising new materials like gallium nitride, which have the potential to dramatically improve the efficiency of electronic devices. He said that
fulfill the mission
MIT.nano leaders say a major driver of commercialization will be startups inside and outside of MIT.
“This will not only accelerate innovation in the MIT research community, but also enable a new wave of entrepreneurship,” Palacios says. “We are reducing barriers for students, faculty, and other entrepreneurs to innovate and bring it to market. This fits well with MIT’s mission to make the world a better place through technology. I can’t wait to see the amazing new inventions that our colleagues and students create.”
Bulovich said the announcement is consistent with the mission of MIT leaders when they founded MIT.nano.
“We have space within MIT.nano to house these tools and the ability to manage their operations within MIT.nano, and as a shared, open facility. “This is the vision MIT had when designing MIT.nano, and this announcement helps realize that vision.” Bulovic says.