Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology

Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology
Name	Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology
Native name	上海微系统与信息技术研究所
Established	1998
Type	Research institute
Location	Shanghai, China
Parent	Chinese Academy of Sciences

Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology is a research institute specializing in microsystems, microelectronics, and information technologies located in Shanghai, China. Founded under the aegis of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the institute conducts basic and applied research in microelectromechanical systems, semiconductor devices, photonics, and sensor networks. It supports national programs and collaborates with international institutions, industrial partners, and universities to translate scientific results into technologies for aerospace, telecommunications, healthcare, and manufacturing.

History

The institute traces its institutional lineage to initiatives within the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission in the late 1990s, aligning with strategic projects such as the 863 Program and the National High-Tech R&D Program. Early collaborations involved laboratories associated with Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and the University of Science and Technology of China, integrating expertise from centers including the Institute of Physics (Chinese Academy of Sciences) and the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics. Over time the institute participated in municipal projects coordinated by the Shanghai Municipal Government and contributed to national milestones like the China National Space Administration sensor developments and the National Integrated Circuit Plan. The institute expanded facilities concurrent with Shanghai initiatives such as the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park and cooperative agreements with entities like China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and China Mobile. Leadership interactions have involved figures linked to the Ministry of Science and Technology (PRC) and delegations from the European Commission and agencies such as NASA for technology exchange.

Research Areas

Research focuses on microelectromechanical systems and microelectronics, integrating work in areas tied to projects like Moore's Law-era semiconductor scaling and photonic integration initiatives associated with Silicon Photonics. Specific thrusts include microfabrication methods used in facilities influenced by standards from the Semiconductor Industry Association, device physics relevant to Gallium Nitride and Silicon Carbide power electronics, and sensor development for applications seen in Beidou Navigation Satellite System instrumentation and China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation payloads. Other programs relate to nanomaterials research advancing topics explored at the Max Planck Society, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tsinghua University, as well as algorithmic and information processing efforts resonant with work at Microsoft Research, Google Research, and IBM Research. The institute also targets biomedical microsystems intersecting with initiatives by Peking Union Medical College Hospital and Zhejiang University School of Medicine.

Facilities and Laboratories

Laboratory infrastructure includes cleanrooms, microfabrication lines, and characterization suites comparable to installations at IMEC, CEA-Leti, and university facilities such as those at Stanford University and California Institute of Technology. Core labs host equipment for photolithography, electron microscopy analogous to instruments at Argonne National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and optical testbeds used in collaborations with institutions like Photonics Research Center, TU Delft and École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. Specialized centers support MEMS foundry services, reliability testing relevant to standards from the International Electrotechnical Commission, and packaging capabilities linked to partners such as ASE Group and SMIC. Computational resources enable device modeling with software ecosystems similar to those used by Intel and TSMC.

Academic Programs and Education

The institute hosts graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in joint programs with universities including Fudan University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Tongji University, and East China Normal University. Training activities include coursework and seminars featuring scholars from institutions like Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and research exchanges with laboratories at Riken and KAIST. Educational outreach extends to professional training for engineers from corporations such as Huawei, ZTE, and Broadcom, and to summer schools modeled on programs by European Molecular Biology Laboratory and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.

Collaborations and Industry Partnerships

The institute has established strategic partnerships with state-owned enterprises like China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, major foundries including SMIC and design houses collaborating with ARM Holdings architectures, and multinational firms such as Intel Corporation, Samsung Electronics, and SK Hynix. Cooperative projects have involved telecommunications providers like China Mobile and space agencies such as China National Space Administration. International research agreements and technology transfer arrangements include counterparts at Fraunhofer Society, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, and Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. Consortium participation spans programs coordinated with Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (PRC) initiatives, regional innovation platforms like Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, and industry alliances similar to the Open Invention Network.

Notable Achievements and Awards

The institute has produced advances cited in contexts including MEMS acoustic sensors used in consumer electronics from vendors like Xiaomi and Apple Inc.-linked supply chains, photonic integrated circuit demonstrations relevant to Huawei optical platforms, and radiation-hardened sensor work applied to China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation missions. Recognitions include project awards under the National Natural Science Foundation of China, innovation prizes from the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology Commission, and collaborative accolades with enterprises honored by organizations such as the China Federation of Industrial Economics. Publications and patents from the institute have been presented at conferences including IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting, Optica (formerly OSA) conferences, and International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems.

Category:Research institutes in Shanghai Category:Institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences