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PRESS RELEASE: ASM, MiPlaza and Holst Centre join forces on ALD for MEMS applications

Today, ASM, Holst Centre and MiPlaza officially present a newly installed atomic-layer deposition (ALD) tool that will support the activities on ultra-low power sensors and other MEMS applications. It is the centerpiece of a joint development project that can open new application domains for ALD.

In CMOS processing, atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a proven technique for depositing ultra-thin layers of for example insulating high-k gate materials. Also in other domains, such as the production of hard disks and storage media, ALD is already used. For the domain of MEMS processing however, examples of deploying ALD are virtually non-existent.

At Holst Centre, an open-innovation initiative by IMEC and TNO, the opportunities will be investigated for ALD to contribute to the research programs on Micropower Generation and Storage and on Ultra-Low Power Sensors and Actuators. As one example, ALD might be a candidate to deposit thin functional layers determining the sensitivity of a sensor for a gas or other compound. While this is the initial focus of Holst Centre research with the tool, programs in the Systems-in-Foil domain are also being assessed.

For ASM, already a member of the IMEC Leuven partner network for several years, involvement in the research at Holst Centre holds promise of opening new markets. The outcome of research conducted with the ALD tool will allow the leading semiconductor equipment vendor to get insight in the requirements of these new application fields of MEMS and ultra-low power sensor applications.

MiPlaza, part of Philips Research, is involved in two ways. First, it provides the clean room facilities where the tool is located. Second, MiPlaza will bring this new capability to the attention of its existing clients and partners for possible use in their research programs, enabling the ALD tool capacity to be optimally utilized. Moreover, it brings a complementary area of expertise to MiPlaza’s service portfolio in the domain of nanotechnology. MiPlaza and Holst Centre are close neighbors on High Tech Campus Eindhoven, a setting that stimulates joint collaboration and partnership.

By sharing high-tech expertise, equipment and infrastructure, the entire project illustrates how joint collaboration can generate fruitful outcomes. Such collaboration is particularly relevant in these times of economic crisis, showing that combining forces can yield mutual benefit for the wider research community.
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Contact
Holst Centre
Koen Snoeckx
Communication Manager
E-mail: Koen.Snoeckx@holstcentre.com
T: +31 (0)40 277 40 91
M: +31 (0)612 71 98 43