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Carrier mobility is a key parameter for the semiconductor industry, but its measurement is characterised by poor accuracy and unreliability for advanced transistors. The Microelectronics Research Group (RG1), working with the Logic Devices Consortium at IMEC (Inter-University Microelectronics Research Centre in Leuven, Belgium), developed a new technique that overcomes these problems, implemented it on industrial-standard equipment provided by Keithley Instruments (a US company based in Cleveland, Ohio), and prepared the application notes and software. This benefits test engineers in the semiconductor industry through significant improvement in the accuracy, reliability, cost, and efficiency of measurements. Keithley is disseminating information to its global customer base and is highlighting it as strength of its instruments in the promotion.
Researchers within the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UCL have investigated the properties of defects in bulk HfO2 and at Si/SiOx/HfO2 interfaces. Results have been used by an industrial partner, SEMATECH (SMT), to improve the quality and reliability of high-performance microelectronic devices based on transistors. This has helped SMT to meet project objectives on behalf of member companies such as Intel and IBM, and UCL research results have been consistently highly evaluated by these companies. Recommendations made by SMT have been implemented by industrial partners in their currently manufactured devices, such as the 22nm process technology released by Intel in 2011.
One of the main functions of enclosures around electronic systems is to shield electromagnetic fields and reduce their interference with other systems. At the University of York the design of new measurement techniques for Shielding Effectiveness (SE), new instrumentation, and improved numerical model based design techniques have delivered more rigorous engineering processes for smaller equipment shielding enclosures (e.g. PCs) and large enclosures with a secondary shielding function (e.g. airframes).
These have resulted in global sales of specialist equipment to many major electronics companies through York EMC Services Ltd, a revised international standard for the measurement of SE and efficient modelling techniques to determine the SE of complex composite materials.
Since the 1950s, when they were first developed, scanning electron microscopes (SEMs) have revolutionised science. However, the large physical size of these machines and their aggressive treatment of samples has limited their use. Now research carried out by Professor Mohamed El-Gomati has led to the development of products for global companies including Agilent, Carl Zeiss and Shimadzu. These products include the world's first low-voltage desktop SEM, capable of resolving features smaller than 5 nanometres, and handling radiation sensitive samples such as biological and medical materials, novel photoresists, nanotubes and nanorods. The smaller size has also improved accessibility of such instruments leading to significant efficiency gains for companies and academia worldwide.
An advanced plasma source based on novel engineering has been developed and proven in conjunction with Thin Film Solutions Ltd (TFSL). This source is retrofittable to existing electron- beam deposition systems and significantly improves the properties of thin films and advanced optical filters. TFSL has produced commercial products based on this source and has achieved sales to date of £2.3 million (letter from CEO of TFSL provided) as the new technology has been widely adopted in the optical filter industry.
Our research on semiconductor materials and devices has led to the establishment by e2v Technologies of a combined manufacturing, research and development facility within the School of Physics and Astronomy. We have adapted and transferred device simulation software to e2v, and have provided epitaxially-grown semiconductors and access to fabrication facilities which have been used in their manufacturing processes. Devices fabricated within the facility, which was opened in 2011, have generated sales of £7M for e2v. This initiative has also led to shifts in the investment priorities of e2v, and mitigated risks to the company arising from import restrictions associated with the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).