The ATIC cleanroom at the Masdar Institute became fully operational this week, significantly enhancing Abu Dhabi’s semiconductor research capability.
Built as a part of a broader research and academic collaboration between the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC) and the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, the facility provides the ultra-clean environment and photolithography tools needed for advanced microelectronics research and small-scale production.
'The research taking place in this cleanroom is guided by targeted industry and academic collaboration, playing a key role driving technology development while laying the foundations for a thriving research hub in the region,' said Sami Issa, Executive Director at ATIC. 'This facility is also an excellent example of what can be accomplished from the focused collaboration of organisations committed to our Emirate’s development.'
Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President, Masdar Institute, added: 'The cleanroom facility reiterates our ongoing research collaboration with ATIC, one of our key stakeholders. With the support of the UAE’s leadership, the Masdar Institute continues to offer new avenues for fostering specific skills of students in the semiconductor industry. We believe the facility will contribute further to strengthening Abu Dhabi’s knowledge capital in the high-technology sector.'
The cleanroom facility supports ATIC and Masdar Institute’s larger research initiatives, including Twin Labs, the ATIC-SRC Centre of Excellence for Energy Efficient Electronic Systems (ACE4S) and broader research towards Minimum Energy Electronic Systems (MEES).
Backed by ATIC and the State of Saxony, Germany, and hosted jointly by the Masdar Institute and Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, Twin Labs is researching 3D chip stacking, a potentially faster and more energy efficient semiconductor technology.
Launched in April this year and hosted jointly at the Masdar Institute and Khalifa University, ACE4S focuses on energy efficient devices with research in energy harvesting, power management, sensor technologies and wireless communications networks. Within the first three years, ACE4S will seek to produce integrated prototypes with healthcare applications as well as knowledge and research relevant to safety and security, aerospace, water quality and the environment. These innovations will contribute towards what Global Information predicts will be an AED24bn bio-MEMS market by 2018.