ASCENT+

Research Accelerator

ASCENT+ provides easy access to state-of-the-art facilities at CEA-Leti in France, Fraunhofer in Germany, imec in Belgium, INL in Portugal and Tyndall National Institute in Ireland.

The Research Accelerator gives early career researchers an on-site introduction to the technology/facilities available through ASCENT+. ASCENT+ will sponsor PhD students and early-career postdoctoral researchers to attend advanced nanoelectronics technology training courses. This will give the ASCENT+ sponsored researchers a clear insight to nanofabrication and outline how they can benefit from the ASCENT+ offerings to accelerate their own research. An expected outcome of the programme is that sponsored researchers will apply for access at any of the five facilities to enhance their studies.

Upcoming Training Events
Location Description Duration Schedule
No further RA events currently planned

For more detailed information go to Research Accelerator Info below.

N.B.: Applicants may only apply for courses outside their university/institute country
Successful candidates may not re-apply for further courses



ASCENT+ Research Accelerator

Detailed Information

Who should apply
Any PhD student or early-career postdoctoral researcher (up to 2 years after completion of their PhD) interested in nanoscale fabrication and nanoelectronics characterisation of next generation materials and devices .


Previous ASCENT+ Research Accelerator courses (2022-24)


Earlier Training Events
Location Description Duration Schedule
Tyndall National
Institute
(Cork, Ireland)
Nanoelectronics Fabrication and Characterisation 3 days 23-25 April 2024
INL
(Braga, Portugal)
Nanofabrication and Characterisation 2½ days 23-25 Jan 2024
CEA-Leti
(Grenoble, France)
Nanocharacterisation Platform 2 days 23-24 Nov 2023
Fraunhofer IPMS CNT & IZM ASSID
(Dresden, Germany)
∅300mm cleanrooms 2 days 4-5 Oct 2023
imec (Leuven, Belgium) GaN-IC Platform for Power Electronics 2 days 2-3 Mar 2023
Tyndall National
Institute
(Cork, Ireland)
Nanoelectronics Fabrication and Characterisation 3 days 6-8 Sep 2022


Nanoelectronics Fabrication, Characterisation and Devices

Tyndall National Institute, Cork, Ireland

This short course will involve hands-on practical training on fabrication and characterisation of nanoelectronic technologies.

The topics covered will include:
  • Nanofabrication: e-beam lithography, molecular doping, etching, and metal/dielectric deposition in the nanoscale
  • Characterisation techniques: electrical, optical and magnetic, physical
  • Materials growth (ALD, CVD, MOVPE) and device fabrication (2D materials and quantum devices)

Programme overview

Module 1Introduction to nanofabrication
(E-beam lithography. Metals and dielectrics)
Module 2Physical characterisation
(AFM, SEM, TEM, etc.)
Module 3Electrical and optical characterisation
Module 4Magnetic characterisation (SQUID, MFM, etc.)
Module 5Advanced materials and integration into devices
Module 6Future issues – ASCENT+ Offer


Nanofabrication and Characterisation

INL, Braga (Portugal)

Programme Overview
Nanofabrication (lectures by INL experts)
Deposition, patterning/lithography, and etching methods
Characterisation (lectures by INL experts)
  • Transmission Electron Microscopy
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy
  • FIB
  • EDX and EELS
  • XPS
Laboratory visits
Cleanroom and nanocharacterisation facilities


Nanocharacterisation Platform


CEA-Leti, Grenoble, France

Programme Overview
Day 1 – November 23rd
Overview of the Nanocharacterisation Platform Participants present their research topic and interact with experts regarding their characterisation needs Optical and X-ray analysis, includes:
  • Lab tours: Optics- and X-ray labs
  • Case studies presented by experts on dedicated instruments
Day 2 – November 24th
Surface analysis, includes:
  • Lab tours: Photoelectron spectroscopy and ion beam analysis labs
  • Case studies presented by experts on dedicated instruments
Electron microscopy, includes:
  • Lab tours: Sample preparation and transmission electron microscopy labs
  • Case studies presented by experts on dedicated instruments


∅300mm cleanrooms

Fraunhofer IPMS CNT & IZM ASSID, Dresden, Germany

In this 2-day workshop, participants will gain insight into the ∅300mm research cleanrooms of Fraunhofer, located in “Silicon Saxony” next to Infineon, Bosch and Globalfoundries. Fraunhofer IZM ASSID and Fraunhofer IPMS CNT bundle their competencies in the new “Center for Advanced CMOS & Heterointegration Saxony” with state-of-the-art equipment.

Programme Overview
Day 1 – Oct 4th
@ Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (IPMS CNT), An der Bartlake 5, 01099 Dresden
  1. Welcome note
  2. Tour: CMOS CR
  3. Lithography at IPMS CNT
  4. Electrical Characterization Methods
  5. Analytics & Metrology
  6. Enabling Technologies for CMOS near fabrication of next generation devices
Day 2 – Oct 5th
@ Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration All Silicon System Integration Dresden (IZM ASSID), Ringstraße 12, 01468 Moritzburg / OT Boxdorf
  1. Welcome note
  2. Hybrid Bonding
  3. Nanowire
  4. Hetero Integration
  5. Tour: BEOL/Assembly CR


GaN-IC Platform for Power Electronics

imec, Leuven, Belgium

Imec’s unique GaN-on-SOI process with deep trench isolation enables the manufacturing of complex monolithic GaN ICs for power electronics. In this 2-day workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore the process, components and get hands-on with a first design exercise.

Programme Overview
Day 1
  1. Welcome note / GaN-IC Value Chain
  2. ASCENT+ & Europractice projects
  3. imec’s GaN-IC Platform
  4. imec’s GaN-IC MPW Service
  5. Introduction to GaN Materials & Devices
  6. imec’s GaN-on-SOI Process Flow
  7. Introduction to Compact Model for GaN HEMTs
  8. GaN-IC Design: considerations and challenges
  9. Design Overview
Day 2 (Hands-on)
  1. Introduction to GaN-IC PDK & library devices
  2. Demo on GaN-IC Circuit Design – Part 1
  3. Demo on GaN-IC Circuit Design – Part 2
  4. Design your GaN-IC Circuit
  5. Imec’s 300mm cleanroom tour


Nanoelectronics Fabrication, Characterisation and Devices

Tyndall National Institute, Cork, Ireland

This short course will involve hands-on practical training on fabrication and characterisation of nanoelectronic technologies.

The topics covered will include:
  • Nanofabrication: e-beam lithography, molecular doping, etching, and metal/dielectric deposition in the nanoscale
  • Characterisation techniques: electrical, optical and magnetic, physical
  • Materials growth (ALD, CVD, MOVPE) and device fabrication (2D materials and quantum devices)

Programme overview

The course is divided into 6 modules
Module 1Introduction to nanofabrication
Module 2Metals and dielectrics
Module 3Physical characterisation
Module 4Electrical and optical characterisation
Module 5Advanced materials and integration into devices
Module 6Future issues – ASCENT+ Offer

Research Accelerator – Tyndall, 6-8 September 2022