Peking University Microelectronics Center

Peking University Microelectronics Center
Name	Peking University Microelectronics Center
Established	1980s
Type	Research center
Parent	Peking University
Location	Beijing, China

Peking University Microelectronics Center is a research and teaching hub within Peking University focused on microelectronics, semiconductor devices, integrated circuits, and microsystems. It serves as a nexus linking academic programs, national laboratories, industrial partners, and international collaborations, hosting multidisciplinary teams that bridge basic research and applied technology. The Center contributes to national initiatives, technology transfer, and talent cultivation through graduate programs, specialized labs, and joint ventures.

History

The Center traces roots to semiconductor research groups formed at Peking University in the late 20th century alongside China's reform era, contemporaneous with institutions such as Tsinghua University and Shanghai Jiao Tong University. It expanded during the 1980s and 1990s, paralleling the establishment of national projects like the 863 Program and the growth of research alliances including the Chinese Academy of Sciences networks. In the 2000s the Center increased collaborations with international entities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, and ETH Zurich while engaging with domestic initiatives led by Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China. The Center's evolution reflects broader shifts involving institutions like Micron Technology, TSMC, and Intel Corporation in China's semiconductor ecosystem.

Organization and Leadership

The Center is organized under the administrative umbrella of Peking University's School of Physics and the School of Electronics, reporting to university leadership including the President of Peking University and coordinating with bodies such as the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Leadership typically comprises directors drawn from prominent figures who have held positions in institutions like Chinese Academy of Engineering, Tsinghua University faculties, or the Institute of Microelectronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Advisory committees include academics from University of California, Berkeley, University of Cambridge, and corporate representatives from Huawei, SMIC, and Samsung Electronics. Management structures mirror models used at centers like Bell Labs and IMEC with divisions for administration, research strategy, and industry relations.

Research Areas and Labs

Research spans semiconductor devices, integrated circuit design, nanofabrication, MEMS, photonics, and packaging, intersecting with themes found at Nanjing University and Fudan University. Major labs include device physics groups akin to those at the Laboratory for Information Technology and cleanroom facilities comparable to National NanoFab Center setups. Subunits focus on CMOS scaling, heterostructure devices relevant to III-V semiconductors, silicon photonics paralleling work at University of Southampton, MEMS resonators like projects at Delft University of Technology, and advanced packaging similar to initiatives at ASE Technology Holding. Cross-disciplinary centers collaborate with departments such as School of Information Science and Technology, Peking University and institutes tied to Beijing Institute of Technology.

Academic Programs and Education

The Center supports graduate education through joint supervision of master's and doctoral candidates in programs coordinated with Peking University's Graduate School, offering coursework analogous to curricula at Carnegie Mellon University and National University of Singapore. It provides seminars featuring scholars from California Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, and Imperial College London while participating in national talent programs such as the Changjiang Scholars Program and doctoral supervision networks with Chinese Academy of Sciences institutes. Professional training and short courses are offered for engineers from companies like SMIC, Tower Semiconductor, and ASE Group.

Industry Collaboration and Technology Transfer

The Center maintains partnerships with major industry players including Huawei Technologies, SMIC, BOE Technology Group, Tencent, and fabless firms inspired by RDA Microelectronics. Collaborative models emulate technology transfer mechanisms used by Stanford University and UC Berkeley, hosting joint labs, incubators, and spin-off enterprises. The Center negotiates licensing and joint-development agreements with foundries such as TSMC and equipment suppliers like ASML and Applied Materials, and contributes to consortia linked to national efforts like the Made in China 2025 initiative and regional innovation clusters in Beijing.

Facilities and Infrastructure

Facilities include class-100 and class-1000 cleanrooms, electron-beam lithography tools comparable to those at Cornell University's nanofabrication facilities, scanning electron microscopes like systems used at Max Planck Institutes, and probe stations for device characterization similar to setups at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The Center hosts high-performance computing clusters for electronic design automation workflows akin to resources at Intel Labs and accesses national testbeds coordinated with National Supercomputing Center in Tianjin. Shared instrumentation networks align with practices at IMEC and regional technology platforms supported by the Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission.

Notable Projects and Contributions

Notable contributions include advances in low-power CMOS circuits, high-mobility channel research comparable to Graphene and GaN studies, MEMS sensors for consumer electronics reminiscent of work by Bosch Sensortec, and silicon photonics components for optical interconnects similar to efforts at Luxtera. The Center has participated in national chipset projects connected to China's National Integrated Circuit Industry Development Guidelines and produced alumni who hold positions at SMIC, Huawei, Tesla, Micron, and academic posts at Peking University and Tsinghua University. Collaborative patents and publications appear in venues like IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Nature Nanotechnology, and conferences such as International Solid-State Circuits Conference.

Category:Peking University Category:Microelectronics research institutes