Analysis - MOVING ON FROM MOORE

A Belgian research centre whose pioneering use of 'open innovation' has provided vital technology for most of the world's largest semiconductor companies is changing the way it works, in a bid to meet new technological and innovation challenges. IMEC, based in Leuven, runs collaborative research and development programmes to develop next-generation manufacturing processes for key chip companies. It works by setting out a programme for developing these processes, then inviting companies to become partners in the pre-competitive work. IMECs launch a 'More than Moore' programme, under which it has combined many of its research teams into a single multi-disciplinary organisation headed by Luc Van den hove, acting as chief operating officer. This is expected to improve the way the scientific disciplines work together, which is becoming ever more important as technology solutions are increasingly driven by end applications. The programme will develop variants of IMECs mainstream 130 nm manufacturing process on 200 mm wafers, tuned to particular applications or to enable the integration of other technologies