The new laboratory is led by the Thin Film Technologies research unit of SAL (TFT, Head Marco Deluca), with contributions from Electronic Sensors (ELS, Head Rudolf Heer). The lab will feature about 40 m2 of ISO7 cleanroom area dedicated to the development of novel low-cost and environmentally friendly materials, making it possible to address novel process technologies like pulsed laser deposition. Low-TRL exploratory research with a high flexibility in materials and processes will be used to design and optimize promising technologies that can potentially be upscaled to an industrial level. Furthermore, the lab will be a test ground for the development of novel device architectures at small scale. In addition, another 40 m2 will be dedicated to characterization methodologies to investigate the structure, functionality, and reliability of the produced thin film devices.
Based on 4” wafer technology, the TFT lab in Graz will perfectly complement our competences in the SAL cleanrooms in Villach, providing us with the necessary flexibility to address basic scientific questions to advance the quality and competitiveness of our devices and technologies.
“The TFT Graz Lab will be a unique infrastructure in Austria and it will be firmly rooted in the academic ecosystem”, shares Marco Deluca, Head of the Research Unit for Thin Film Technologies at SAL. “Industrial partners are welcome to use the TFT Graz lab facilities on their own or in collaboration with academic partners. This way, we can create synergies that will strengthen the Austrian and European position in advanced devices based on thin films.”
Research on thin film technologies at SALOur research unit Thin Film Technologies lies at the core of R&D for microsystems. We offer solutions for growing, characterizing and testing of thin films, which give state-of-the-art Electronics and Software Based Systems (ESBS) their functionality. |
