IMEC announces MEMS design and technology agreement with INTI-CITEI, Argentina

Citation

(2001), "IMEC announces MEMS design and technology agreement with INTI-CITEI, Argentina", Microelectronics International, Vol. 18 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/mi.2001.21818aab.020

IMEC announces MEMS design and technology agreement with INTI-CITEI, Argentina

IMEC announces MEMS design and technology agreement with INTI-CITEI, Argentina

Keywords: IMEC, INTI-CITEI

Europe's leading center for microelectronics and ICT R&D has signed a two-year agreement with INTI-CITEI, the Argentinian research center for telecommunications, electronics and information technology. The agreement allows INTI to use IMEC's technology and design know-how of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and advanced packaging technology for internal R&D purposes.

INTI-CITEI is engaged in the business of thick film technology and plans to upgrade its current facilities to set up a state-of-the-art MEMS laboratory. The acquisition of IMEC's packaging and MEMS technologies is a first step towards the introduction of highly advanced microelectronics into Argentinian industry and, more specifically, into specialized small and medium-sized enterprises. INTI-CITEI also plans to introduce these advanced technologies after two years into the other member states of the MERCOSUR countries (Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Chile).

This agreement is of significant importance for IMEC, as it increasingly widens its industrial activities to play a world-wide role in the industrial development of microelectronics. The contract enables IMEC to introduce its existing research and know-how in various fields of microelectronics, as well as its highly advanced training programs, to the Latin-American continent, and more specifically to the MERCOSUR member countries.

Although the initial agreement is for two years only, both parties have expressed a desire to enter into long-term collaboration agreements on technology transfers and training programs in the near future. For the entire duration of the contract, two scientists from INTI-CITEI will reside at IMEC.

This agreement is the next phase in a collaboration following the Memorandum of Understanding between an Argentinian delegation and IMEC, signed on 20 April 1999, during the Flanders Technology Fair in Ghent (Belgium).

The Memorandum of Understanding provided for the establishment of a joint working group to determine the feasibility of a new microelectronics center in Argentina. Since that time, discussions have been held between IMEC and INTI on the technical, financial and IPR aspects of the new microelectronics center.