About Programme (Electronics Materials and Microsystems)

1. Background

Strong and steady growth has occurred in the Finnish electrical and electronics industry since the 1970s. Research on telecommunications, in particular, is of the highest international standard. Indeed, the electrical and electronics industry is now Finland's leading export industry, a position traditionally held by the forest industry. In support of this trend, the Academy of Finland decided in 1998 to launch a new research programme, on electronic materials and microsystems. The programme covers the entire field from developing materials to processing them into different components and devices. The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the National Technology Agency of Finland. Its budget is FIM 30 million and its duration three years, from 1999 to 2002.

New research programmes are launched by the Academy every year, and their importance has grown considerably. A programme consists of a number of interrelated projects within the same target area of research. The aims are to raise the quality of research in the field, to create a sound knowledge base, to increase networking between researchers and to intensify researcher training. Social relevance is also a very important factor when decisions are made about new programmes.

The objectives of the Research Programme on Electronic Materials and Microsystems are to promote basic research that supports new innovative applications, to support the ongoing research and development effort within the Finnish electrical and electronics industry and to support applied research funded by the National Technology Agency and Finnish industry. A high standard of research and, by implication, highly competent research personnel are crucial factors in the continued growth and development of the sector. To ensure this, it is estimated that one in five university graduates should go on to take a PhD; half of them will be needed by industry, the other half by universities for teaching and research posts. The programme supports the development of research environments within university units, which is crucial to improving researcher training opportunities. The programme is also being used to encourage broader co-operation with Finnish and international research groups.


2. Research themes

The increasing integration of electronic components and devices has continued to reduce their size. Telecommunications has already been revolutionised by combining light and electricity. Work is under way to replace more and more electrical functions by optical ones for greater speed and efficiency. The integration of optical, mechanical, thermal and electrical devices has created a whole new specialist field known as microsystem technology.

Within this field there is a need for basic research on materials and devices, which will help to strengthen the competitiveness of SMEs in the sector. The research effort will also promote the further development of optical telecommunications and data transfer.  

Materials for Silicon Technology

Growth in the electronics industry will continue to rely on the rapid development of solid state devices. There is a constant need for more efficient materials and for more skilled and efficient use of them. Production of silicon wafers for device and microsystem fabrication began in Finland more than ten years ago. Competitiveness and the need for new innovations require an expansion in the level of Finnish expertise and the number of experts available.

New Materials and Interface Effects

Another area of intensive ongoing research is work with compound semiconductors. The main reasons why these are superior to silicon as a material in optoelectronics and optical telecommunications lie in the direct energy gap as well as higher carrier mobilities. There have already been efforts to begin industrial fabrication of devises based on gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) in Finland. New semiconductor materials such as nitrides (GaN) and carbides (SiC) are also being studied with the aim of developing new light-emitting and power devices or devices for high temperature applications. Furthermore, new materials are being developed for displays and sensor structures. An increasing number of materials, including polymers, are being tested and studied for semiconductor device manufacturing. It must be remembered that not only are the materials themselves important, but also the interface effects and the physical and chemical compatibility of different materials. Mastery of this field will
guarantee an important competitive edge.

Development of Devices and Microsystems

The most common processes in microelectronics are based on silicon technology. Silicon, however, is not only a good material for electronic devices, it also has excellent mechanical and thermal properties. Therefore, by combining existing processes with certain new features, this technology can be used to manufacture various miniaturized sensors and actuators. A great deal of work is currently under way in this field, focusing in particular on the development of new materials and increasingly complex devices. A microsystem is a combination of microcircuits, sensors and actuators with multiple physical and/or chemical functions. Physical functions include electrical, mechanical, thermal and optical functions. What are called 'smart microsystems' include microcircuits needed for controlling the devices and for the analysis of measurements taken. Finland has a strong tradition in the fabrication of micromechanical devices and is today a significant producer of silicon wafers for microsystems. Rapid development
of the more traditional electronic and optoelectronic devices and fabrication methods provides another rich source of research themes. Basic research must be promoted within this field so that the strong positions achieved can be maintained.


3. Research projects

The project applications submitted to the programme were evaluated by an international panel. Based on these evaluations, eleven projects were selected for funding by the Academy of Finland.