Microfabrication Technology Platform

The microfabrication technology platform (clean room) is a strategic facility for the control and development of electronics.

 

For Algeria, electronics has always been of paramount importance, both for its economic take-off and for the socio-cultural emancipation of the population. This has resulted in the fact that the electronics sector was the first to experience the beginning of industrialization.

 

Nevertheless, from the previous national industrial development strategy, it appears that the import of means of production may be decisive for the establishment of new plants or the modernization of existing facilities, but it is not sufficient to industrialize a country. Sustainable industrial development requires the establishment and continuous increase of innovative capacities and skills capable of meeting the requirements of bringing new products and skills to market at any time.

 

To this aim, a seminar was jointly organized by the Commissariat aux Energies Nouvelles (CEN), the Entreprise Nationale des Industries Électroniques (ENIE), the ESCWA (Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in January 1986 in Sidi-Bel-Abbès to formulate recommendations on measures that could be undertaken to promote the electronics sector. Given the regional nature of this sector, experts from Arab countries and foreign experts participated in this seminar. This forum had resulted in various recommendations, including the establishment of a pilot infrastructure for the fabrication of integrated circuits (microelectronics technology centre) and design units.

 

The realization of this recommendation has led to the project to set up a microfabrication (clean room) technological platform at the Centre for the Development of Advanced Technologies, which constitutes a strategic installation for the control and development of electronics and particularly integrated circuits. In order to provide qualifying training, limited series production and research and development in microelectronic technologies.

 

On 26 April 2001, the President of the Republic launched the implementation of this Technological Platform by including the operation in the Five-Year Economic Recovery Support Plan (PSRE) and allocating an envelope of two billion Algerian Dinars (2,000,000,000,000 DA). As a result, CDTA has acquired a turnkey Technology Platform for research & development and the fabrication of VLSI integrated circuits in small series.

 

The Micro-Fabrication Technology Platform

It is a common service platform, with a surface area of 470 m² of class 10 (ISO 4), using a 1µm CMOS technological process, with a micro-fabrication capacity of more than 100,000 1µm CMOS chips per year and an opportunity to produce MEMS components. On May 31, 2016, this platform was approved and certified to be operational after several years of work stoppage.

 

The platform is a limited edition prototyping and fabrication service for CMOS and MEMS-based components, covering an area of 470 m² and class 10 (ISO 4), using a 1µm CMOS technology process, with a micro-fabrication capacity of more than 100,000 chips per year.

 

The products will be intended for academics, research centres and industrialists established mainly in Algeria; see also internationally.

 

The platform provides access including both the use of equipment for fabrication and characterization, as well as staff training services and scientific support in the realization of “nanomicroelectronic visions.

 

In addition, the technology platform is aimed at potential users and user groups with new ideas in micro-fabrication. This will reduce the financial barrier for start-ups, which often hinders the launch of new activities and collaborations. The Technology Platform is organized into four sections:

  • Process section
  • Printed Circuit Prototyping Section
  • Analogue Digital & Microelectromechanical System Design Section
  • Maintenance and industrial safety section

Dr. Mohammed MEKHELDI
Head of the PTM