A three-year European project to take fundamental research on defects in semiconductors and apply it to real processes is being coordinated in the UK. Over €600,000 has been committed to the CADRES programme through the European Sixth Framework funding scheme, to explore the limits of CMOS and prepare for post-CMOS technology.

"The project brings together very specialised groups, people actively researching next generation silicon, and uses them as spearheads to approach industry," said Dr Jan Evans-Freeman, of the Electrical Engineering and Electronics Department at UMIST, who leads the project.

The 35 participating organisations from 14 countries, which include universities, research institutes and materials firms, will take part in three major activities: grouped meetings open to all interested parties; two large conferences; and student and staff exchanges.

The project officially kicked off at the start of the year, and Evans-Freeman said the group has now begun to approach large microelectronic firms and European wafer manufacturers.

"The philosophy of everyone involved is to look at defects in one way or another," she explained. "We're talking about almost atomistic level defects. It is the most fundamental of the [EU] Coordinating Action projects, so the work has particularly broad applicability."

The benefits are two-way. Industry gets access to the universities' work, and the universities find out how applicable their research is to industry. Evans-Freeman said the outcomes should include new collaborations between industry and materials scientists; new approaches to materials characterisation; and ideas for new research directions.

The universities of Surrey, Exeter, Southampton, Bath and Salford are among those taking part.