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.