Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology

Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology
Name	Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology
Established	2014
Parent organization	Georgia Institute of Technology
Director	Oliver Brand
City	Atlanta
State	Georgia
Country	United States

Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology. The Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary research center at the Georgia Institute of Technology, consolidating advanced capabilities for microelectronics and nanoscale science. It operates as a core facility within the Georgia Tech Research Institute enterprise, providing open-access laboratories to academic, industrial, and government researchers. The institute's mission is to drive innovation in semiconductor devices, MEMS, and integrated systems through state-of-the-art fabrication and characterization tools.

History and establishment

The institute was formally launched in 2014 through the merger of two pre-existing Georgia Tech centers: the Microelectronics Research Center and the Nanotechnology Research Center. This strategic consolidation was driven by the National Science Foundation's vision for shared national infrastructure, notably under the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure program. The creation aligned with broader national initiatives like the National Nanotechnology Initiative and responded to evolving needs in the global semiconductor industry. Its establishment solidified Georgia Institute of Technology's role as a leader in the Southeastern United States for advanced electronics research and development.

Research focus and core facilities

Primary research thrusts include advanced CMOS and post-CMOS technologies, semiconductor device fabrication, bioMEMS, photonics, and quantum information science. The institute houses a flagship 15,000-square-foot cleanroom complex certified by the International Organization for Standardization as a Class 10 and Class 100 facility. This space contains tools for lithography, thin-film deposition, etching, and metrology, supporting work from fundamental materials science to prototype system integration. Key capabilities support work on wide-bandgap semiconductors like gallium nitride, flexible electronics, and integration with emerging materials such as two-dimensional materials and carbon nanotubes.

Organizational structure and leadership

The institute operates under the executive leadership of the Georgia Tech Research Institute and the academic oversight of Georgia Tech's College of Engineering. It is directed by professor Oliver Brand, an expert in MEMS and sensor systems. Governance involves a technical advisory board with members from industry partners like Texas Instruments, Micron Technology, and Applied Materials. Research activities are organized into cross-disciplinary teams, often involving faculty from the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, the School of Materials Science and Engineering, and the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

Key research achievements and impact

Notable contributions include pioneering work in silicon carbide power electronics for electric vehicles and grid applications, developed in partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy. Researchers have demonstrated record-performance MEMS resonators for timing applications and advanced optoelectronic devices for sensing. The institute's work has directly supported DARPA programs in electronic warfare and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity efforts in secure hardware. These advancements have led to numerous patents, the launch of several startup companies, and sustained research funding from agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the Office of Naval Research.

Education and workforce development

The institute serves as a critical training ground for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in nanoengineering and microsystems. It administers the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates site in nanotechnology and hosts regular workshops for professionals from companies like GlobalFoundries and Northrop Grumman. Educational programs are closely integrated with the Georgia Tech Institute for Materials and the Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience, providing students with hands-on experience in a production-grade facility that mirrors industrial fabs.

Partnerships and collaborations

Strategic partnerships extend to federal laboratories including Sandia National Laboratories, the Air Force Research Laboratory, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The institute is a founding member of the Southeast Nanotechnology Infrastructure Corridor. Major industrial alliances include the Semiconductor Research Corporation and the Nanoelectronics Research Initiative. International collaborations involve institutions like the University of Tokyo and IMEC in Belgium, focusing on next-generation logic device scaling, advanced packaging, and heterogeneous integration technologies.

Category:Research institutes in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Georgia Institute of Technology Category:Microelectronics and nanotechnology institutes