Fraunhofer IPMS ist Teil des europäischen Projekts ASCENT+

Fraunhofer IPMS provides access to infrastructure for European research institutions and companies

February 04, 2021

The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS offers access to its research infrastructure and technologies of micro- and nanoelectronics within the European project ASCENT+. This project enables researchers and companies to use high technologies, equipment and development services of leading European research institutions, corresponding to a total investment of 2.5 billion euros.

© Fraunhofer IPMS
The Center Nanoelectronic Technologies of Fraunhofer IPMS provides access to infrastructure and development services in the Ascent+ project.

Together with a broad network of partner facilities, the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS offers access to infrastructure and development services for European research institutions and companies. The portfolio includes processing, characterization, and process development on 300 mm wafers.

Within the EU-funded ASCENT+ project, numerous renowned European research institutes are opening their doors: In addition to Fraunhofer IPMS, Fraunhofer IAF, IISB and IZM from the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are participating. Furthermore, the French CEA-Leti, the Belgian imec, the Irish Tyndall National Institute and the Portuguese International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory are also participating. ASCENT+ thus represents the largest transnational offer of infrastructure and development services to date.

Working together for the next generation of micro- and nanoelectronics

“We aim to become the driving force for the next generation of nanoelectronics by enabling researchers and companies to take the next step towards quantum advantage through solid-state platforms, driving next generation computing with low-power, energy-efficient and high-performance devices, and achieving higher functionality of electronics through advanced integration approaches, new materials and innovative technologies. ASCENT+ provides a unique opportunity for users to gain access to Europe's leading research institutions to advance knowledge and technology, to generate new results and to nurture talent in their own laboratories," says Giorgos Fagas, coordinator of the ASCENT+ program.

Webinar explaining access for interested parties

ASCENT+ is offering webinars starting February 2021 to introduce the offerings and show interested parties how to submit a request to access the infrastructure or development service through a simple form.

Dates and registration can be found at: https://www.ascent.network/webinars/

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Offers of Fraunhofer IPMS within ASCENT+

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Quantum Technologies & Next Generation Computing

Fraunhofer IPMS offers mask-less patterning using via e-beam for prototyping and developing on (up to) 300mm substrates. A new PVD Cluster Endura tool (by Applied materials) allows sub-nm thickness deposition on (up to) 300mm wafer to realize various material systems like Co, Ru, Ti, Ta and oxides or alloys but also silicon based layers allow optical or electrical active material stacks which can be used as silicate glass like Si(C,N,O) or as SiGe thin films or superlattices.

Disruptive Devices

We offer our experience in memory development, e.g. material stacks fabricated with the new Endura Clover multi-cathode chamber for MRAM or RRAM applications, which can be used for in-memory computing. Other ferroelectric stacks already introduced in HVM fabs are also available. These have been developed on an ALD (doped) HfOx basis and can be customized to meet user needs.

Logic and memory co-integration devices in FEoL for in-memory/neuromorphic com-puting are under development in current projects, as are multi-level memories and TCAM test structures. For structures >130nm there are established industrial partner routes for memory test carriers and for special requirements e-beam structures (without masks) can be written down to <50nm.

Modeling

Data sets of (Si, Zr, ...) doping profiles of hysteresis in polarization curves of ferroelectric HfOx created by us can be used as reference points.

Devices / Test Structures

Novel Materials and Integration

As part of our established Screening Fab activities, Fraunhofer IPMS has built an infrastructure for IC manufacturers, suppliers of consumables and equipment, and research institutions to test and evaluate advanced processes on 300 mm wafers and. For further integration, we offer a professional test bench and qualification platform. In addition to single processes, complete lines can be used for testing material/process properties.

Fraunhofer IPMS has 300 mm test carriers and devices developed with our partners down to the 22 nm technology node, which can also be modified by structure narrowing or mix & match using e-beam lithography. E-beam nanostructuring itself can also be used to test new integration concepts, for which test patterns can be co-developed or requested.

More information can be found here: https://www.ipms.fraunhofer.de/en/research-development/nanoelectronic/Screening.html

Modeling

For the integration of different materials or structures (structure density etc.) CMP modeling algorithms are developed at Fraunhofer IPMS, which can be used for different CMP related problems

Characterization

For physical and electrical characterization we offer:

300 mm metrology including D-AFM, (AR)XPS, XRR/XRD, pattern error checking, Rs, HR profilometry, CD/review SEM, electrical prober, laboratory analytical tools including: AFM, XPS, SEM, TEM, XRD/XRR, FT-IR, ToF-SIMS, ellipsometry, porisometry CVS.

In our electrical characterization laboratory chip performances can be investigated on cou-pon or wafer level. Current measurement topics are noise, high frequency and millimeter wave parameters. Recently, two new wafer probers were purchased in addition to our existing equipment to meet the above characterization and reliability requirements. For unusual layouts, a picoprober is available to characterize unconventional samples.

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreements 871130 and 654384.

Press release