tech news-Applied Materials taps IIT Bombay for semiconductor material innovation
Semiconductor equipment vendor Applied Materials, Inc. and IIT Bombay have announced the state-of-the-art “Applied Materials Chemistry Laboratory for Energy and Nanoelectronics” (CLEAN) at the IIT Bombay (IITB) campus. The new lab to develop semiconductor and other materials for use in both electronic and solar cells. This collaboration has also resulted in atleast India’s engineering institute having a 200mm semiconductor fab.
The lab was launched today at a ceremony attended by Mike Splinter, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Applied Materials, Omkaram Nalamasu, chief technology officer of Applied Materials, and Prof. Devang Khakhar, director, IIT Bombay.
“This is a great example of the kind of university and corporate collaboration that is helping to advance technology by enabling world-class research, innovation and workforce development,” said Mike Splinter. “Our goal is to serve as a catalyst for developing the critical technology needed to solve the many challenges of next-generation electronic and solar device manufacturing.”
“Applied Materials has grown to become IIT Bombay’s most important industry collaborator in terms of the scale of research collaboration,” said Professor Devang Khakhar. “We welcome the establishment of the Applied Materials CLEAN laboratory through Applied’s generous support. This will begin a new phase of the collaboration in areas related to renewable energy, which are a focus of IIT Bombay’s research.”
The five-year old relationship between IIT Bombay and Applied Materials for nanoelectronics and solar photovoltaic technology research got a boost by Applied Materials endowing IIT Bombay with over $12 million for the following projects:
1. The establishment of the Applied Materials Nanomanufacturing Laboratory, India’s first 200mm semiconductor fabrication (fab) facility and one of the few university-based 200mm facilities worldwide.
2. Collaborative research on nanoelectronics and solar PV technology.
3. Applied’s donation of three state-of-the-art physical vapour deposition and chemical vapour deposition process chambers to the National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education (NCPRE) for depositing thin films for solar cell applications.
4. A solar PV and LED lighting system that lights up the main avenue at IITB’s campus
5. The establishment of The Applied Materials Chemistry Laboratory for Energy and Nanoelectronics
IITB, with a history of strong focus on semiconductor technology research is enhancing its capabilities in areas of renewable energy-focused research with the launch of the CLEAN lab. This lab will enable IITB to become one of the few academic research centers in India to have such advanced technological capabilities.
“The Indian government is enabling the creation of an ecosystem that will promote research in photovoltaic and nanoelectronics to drive expertise and competence in these fields,” said Dr. Omkaram Nalamasu. “We see a very strong synergy between our objectives and those of the Government of India. We are committed to working with universities and institutions such as IIT Bombay to develop innovations that will improve people’s lives.”
Applied Materials said it has started association with IIT Bombay through several research scholar exchange programs. This association led to the company recognizing the rich faculty and student research talent available at IIT Bombay and building a very good synergy and relationship. The inauguration of the CLEAN lab marks another milestone in Applied Materials’ longstanding relationship with IIT Bombay,