Access to European Infrastructure for Nanoelectronics

Project Information

ASCENTPlus

Grant agreement ID: 871130

DOI

10.3030/871130

Project closed

EC signature date 5 August 2020

Start date 1 September 2020

End date 28 February 2025

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Research Infrastructures

Total cost

€ 9 660 940,51

EU contribution

€ 9 660 940,51

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE CORK - NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, CORK
Ireland

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - ASCENTPlus (Access to European Infrastructure for Nanoelectronics)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2025-02-28

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The ASCENT+ Vision is to integrate major European Infrastructures that enables users from across the world to address emerging research challenges and accelerate innovation path-finding in Nanoelectronics.

The overall aim of ASCENT+ was to provide ‘fast and easy access’ to infrastructure for researchers. Through the dedicated website, enquiry submission portal and the Interface Team, ASCENT+ provided the nanoelectronics research community with a single point of entry to access state of the art infrastructure and unique platforms in Fraunhofer, imec, INL, CEA and Tyndall.

The full catalogue is showcased online through the ‘Virtual Showroom’. The Virtual Showroom provides descriptions of the processing tools and characterisation equipment, methodologies, expertise, datasets and platform technologies along with use cases.
Testimonials from users have repeatedly confirmed that access to facilities was easy to navigate, was quickly and enabled access to facilities that would otherwise not have been possible to obtain.

In total 550 researchers benefitted from access.
The project objectives are:
O1. Consolidate the seamless integration of the infrastructure and provide a simplified user-centric access
O2. Lower the barriers for academics and industry researchers, in particular junior researchers and from SMEs, to address emerging challenges in nanoelectronics with global impact.
O3. Foster a large multidisciplinary user base around the new challenges posed by the Nanoelectronics Technology Drivers of Quantum Advantage, Low-Power/High-Performance and Functional Diversity
O4. Accelerate path-finding from fundamental principles to proof-of-concept and capture the innovation potential
O5. Ensure long-term sustainability of the infrastructure and the ecosystem

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

ASCENT+ has over 3,000 members from 76% of EU member states/ associated countries, resulting in 272 enquiries from 35 different countries incl. 22 member states + 2 associated coutries (55% of EU MS/AC)
875 new signups have been achieved, in terms of scientific area, applications breadth and industry sectors.

70 technology offerings and approximately 150 tools have been made available at Access Provider sites, with over 100 support personnel (30 people directly involved and another 70 support in TNA provision) enabling delivery to TNA users.
ASCENT+ TNA projects have acted as a catalyst for further cooperation as 62% of TNA projects have indicated potential/scope for further collaboration. The TNA offering has been continuously refined with outputs from JRAs.

550 researchers have benefitted from TNA, including 65 PhD students and 32 Master students. 36 Early Career Researchers have been trained though the Research Accelerator Programme events provided by Access Providers.

60 articles have been published in Q1 journals & high-impact conferences as a result of ASCENT+ activities.

In addition, one PhD student received the Young Student Award at the last 2024 EMRS Fall Meeting in Warsaw with his presentation “Improved pulsed laser crystallisation of sputtered MoS2 by controlling deposited film thickness” on the work performed within ASCENT+ in collaboration with Tyndall National Institute and CEA-Leti.

ASCENT+ was involved in participation and organisation of 86 events. The project organised 54 booths and presentations including major conferences in the domain like EFECS (2020) or EUROSOI-ULIS (2024). It took part at 13 workshops including 7 Open Days and hosted 17 webinars.

The Industrial Clusters involved in ASCENT+ have also performed a successful profiling exercise targeting SMEs within their Clusters and their broader network. It attracted the appropriate contact persons and generated a pipeline of SME prospects. These prospects were then contacted and converted, when possible, to technical enquiries and TA project applications. With this intensive work, 17% of TNA effort was allocated to SMEs.

At least 11 proof-of-concept technologies have been developed, that are available to enter the development phase:
• Non-planar site-controlled pyramidal QDs (JRA2 - Tyndall, JKU)
• Ge-based quantum devices (TA and JRA2 - Tyndall, Warwick)
• Silicon nano-resonators (TA - Tyndall, Quantum Motion)
• AFM protocols and training (JRA 4 - Tyndall)
• MC simulation code for interconnect deposition (JRA 4 - Tyndall)
• Device integration of deposited 2D thin films (TA and JRA3 - Tyndall, UNIPD, Michigan)
• 2D devices (JRA 3 - CEA-Leti, Tyndall, INL)
• GaN-IC compact model (JRA 4 - imec, UGent)
• Patterned FeCAP memory stack (TA - CEA-Leti, FMC)
• Method for wafer manufacture (TA - FhG, Chipmetrics)
• GaN packaging on SOI devices (JRA 4 -imec, FhG)

Exploitation of these technologies is anticipated within 18-24 months.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Building on the success of the first ASCENT 4-year programme, ASCENT+ added significant impact in the field of semiconductors and nanotechnologies during the last four and a half years. The programme was designed to create a European platform for the provision of infrastructure and expertise from 14 partners and succeeded in building a strong community of 3,000 members engaging with the project.

This mobilisation of ASCENT+ to bring researchers and the research community together around the 86 events, the direct and social media marketing campaigns, the SME profiling and targeted actions, the Research Accelerator Programme and, most importantly the provision of access has fostered information exchange, knowledge transfer, and sharing of best practices, and resulted in the generation of knowledge, new ideas for innovation and collaborative projects as evidenced by the received testimonials of the users.

Providing access and mobilising resources was not just a means of supporting researchers, it also presented a unique opportunity to bring European stakeholders in micro and nanoelectronics closer together.

ASCENT+ effectively connected academia, research institutes, and companies, offering them a platform for exchange and collaboration. Joining the dots in the innovation chain, ASCENT+ engaged with industry platforms such as AENEAS, EPoSS and QUIC, and global organisations such as IRDS as well as established direct links with other EU initiatives such as NFFA, EMERGE, and SUSNANOFAB.

Although the ASCENT+ community has been in receipt of its second grant only, significant steps have been made towards the sustainability of the integrated research infrastructure. There are different aspects to consider regarding the sustainability of the ASCENT+ RI:
(i) Sustainability of the partners’ infrastructure; (ii) Sustainability of funding for the integrated network; and (iii) Sustainability of funding required for access projects.

Since the ASCENT+ kick-off, ASCENT+ Access Providers have secured significant funds in excess of €2 billion linked to the expansion and enhancement of research platforms associated with the ASCENT+ offer. This will ensure relevance and participation in future strategic research programmes.

In addition, ASCENT+ partners continue to work together on new R&I capacity-building projects, including the provision of access for research and technology development, within the Chips JU Pilot Lines, (FAMES, NanoIC, APECS, PIXEUROPE) new test and experimentation facilities (TEF’s) like PREVAIL and new access to Research Infrastructure projects such as INFRACHIP.

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