Fostering silicon research in Algeria
The Unité de Développement de la Technologie du Silicium (UDTS) was founded in 1988 with a focus on silicon materials and semiconductor science and technology. UDTS has since evolved into a national research centre, CRTSE, with a focus on silicon applications in energy, biomedicine and biotechnologies, information and communications technologies, and industrial and environmental detection technologies. CRTSE is now working with local research organisations and universities to enhance capacity and meet international norms and standards. The EU has supported that effort with funding of the project NAS-ERA (Reinforcing nanostructured material research cooperation between the Unité de Développement de la Technologie du Silicium (UDTS) and the European Research Area (ERA)). Three projects took advantage of twinning between CRTSE and France's Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS). The focus was on the use of enzyme-functionalised atomically flat porous silicon for the electrochemical detection of phenol and phosphorous derivatives. New skills learned were fully exploited, resulting in six joint publications. Italy's Istituto Nazionale Di Ricerca Metrologica (INRiM) teamed up with CRTSE scientists to advance their capabilities in specific techniques. Short courses and training covered scanning electron microscopy, the use of LabView for electrical characterisation of silicon structures, and the use of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in situ for the detection of gases and vapours. Fruitful collaboration led to four more joint papers. CRTSE partnered with Germany's Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Foerderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V (FhG) to enhance capabilities in certain topics, including the development of an electrochemical cell for detection in solution and nanoporous aluminium oxide applications to biosensors. Two more papers have been published on outcomes from this twinning activity. Although the project's main focus was enhancing the research capabilities of CRTSE and integrating the work into the ERA, partners gave great emphasis to fostering the Algerian research and industrial communities. As such, numerous scientists participated in the NAS-ERA workshops and CRTSE's international conference Nanostructures for Sensing and Energy Conversion NaSEC'14. The NAS-ERA project reinforced ERA-CRTSE capabilities and partnerships for nano-structured materials research. It worked to help CRTSE develop a long-term research strategy that includes international and national collaboration.
Keywords
Silicon research, Algeria, CRTSE, nanostructured material, materials research
