IMEC
Stichting imec Nederland
NL

IMEC, a leading nanoelectronics research center, unites experts, industry partners, and academia to pioneer breakthrough technologies and drive advancements. Their state-of-the-art clean rooms provide controlled environments for fabricating and characterizing nanoscale devices and materials.
IMEC houses two advanced semiconductor clean rooms. The 300mm clean room is designed for next-gen technology nodes, featuring cutting-edge lithography tools like extreme ultraviolet lithography. It spans 7,200m², operates 24/7, and enables advanced sub-7nm CMOS R&D. The 200mm clean room facilitates prototyping and low-volume production, supporting heterogeneous integration with processes like die-to-die bonding. It covers 5,200m², including a class 1 area of 1,750m².
IMEC's 500m² biolabs include a state-of-the-art Biological Safety Level (BSL)-2 lab. These labs facilitate in-vivo recordings and stimulation using commercial and custom probes. They house advanced instruments such as extracellular electrophysiological multi-electrode array (MEA) setups, 16-channel probe setups, and stereotaxic surgery setups with stereomicroscopes.
A remarkable achievement of IMEC is the Neuropixels 2.0 neural recording probe. With 1,280 low-impedance TiN recording sites densely tiled along a 10 mm-long shank, it offers precision. A 4-shank version enables dense sampling with 5,120 recording sites. Each Neuropixels 2.0 probe has 384 simultaneously recordable channels and integrates on-chip circuitry for signal conditioning and digitization. This breakthrough technology allows long-term monitoring and dense sampling of single-cell activity and larger neuron populations in awake and anesthetized animals. It advances neuroscience research for a deeper understanding of the brain's complexities and potential applications in healthcare, neurology, and neuroengineering.
IMEC also fosters collaboration, serving as an innovation hub. They facilitate partnerships between industry players, academia, and startups, ensuring that cutting-edge research translates into practical solutions and impactful products.