Chips ACT: FBK among key players in Italian Pilot Line for advanced microchips

FBK was chosen as a research and innovation partner because of its established background in the development of high reliability and quality sensors, as well as the availability of state-of-the-art laboratories.

The European Chips Joint Undertaking has given a positive assessment for the first four Pilot Lines, including the Italian one led by CNR Catania.
The WBG (Wide Band Gap) Pilot Line project, led by Italy and carried out in collaboration with Finland, Poland, Sweden, Austria, France and Germany, involves the creation of a highly innovative infrastructure specialized in research on new WBG, wide band gap materials, such as silicon carbide and gallium nitride, which are fundamental for the development of devices for applications such as automotive, communications, space and renewables.

The positive assessment of the Italian project, along with those promoted by CEA leti (France), Fraunhofer (Germany) and IMEC (Belgium), positions Italy and its research centers in a small group of leading institutions in the field of microelectronics. The project will be led by the CNR in Catania (Imm), which is recognized as an ideal candidate because of its established research background in the field. The other Italian partners include Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Pavia based Chips.IT Foundation, and the IUNET interuniversity consortium.

These Pilot Lines are one of the most important actions of the so-called Chips Act, which aims to recover economic competitiveness and security for Europe in strategic sectors such as semiconductors. FBK was selected due to its very long experience and ability to combine research on these materials with the production of prototypes. – said , head of the FBK Micro and Nano Characterization and Fabrication facility – In particular, this project focuses on new semiconductors, for example silicon carbide and gallium nitride. Why these semiconductors? Because they provide higher efficiency and both electronic and mechanical performance in devices compared to silicon. So here is also an opportunity for FBK to be part of the development of high-efficiency systems that will more easily enable green conversion of our ways of moving or producing energy. In fact, silicon carbide in particular is excellent for preparing components in electric motors, in photovoltaic conversion systems and in other areas, such as high-frequency communications.”