Research GroupsFacilities
The Microelectronics Research Center concentrates research in the following major areas:
  • New device and integrated circuit structures, including advanced component development and process modeling
  • Studies of hot electron transport in small geometry devices and the physics of scaled devices
  • Device processing including ion implantation, rapid thermal processing, plasma etching, remote plasma, and thermal chemical vapor deposition of silicon and related film
  • Advanced crystal growth of compound semiconductor materials, including III-V multiple heterojunction structures, employing MBE and MOCVD
  • New device structures for optoelectronic and photonic applications, and for microwave and millimeter-wave devices
  • New approaches to device packaging and interconnects, including optical interconnects.

    One of the most active and diversified areas of research in the electrical and computer engineering department is solid-state electronics, which includes semiconductor materials and devices, optoelectronics and photonics, electronic packaging, and interconnects. Our interdisciplinary approach brings together faculty from the Departments of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Science and Chemical Engineering. Faculty participate in several research groups, such as the Center for Synthesis, Growth, and Analysis of Electronic Materials.
    Our location within the electronics community of Austin, Texas, provides MRC with distinct advantages. For example, our solid state electronics faculty has close ties with the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation, SEMATECH, and IC2; all are located in Austin, Texas. Support from these consortia, as well as many industry and government laboratories, contribute to MRC’s versatility.
    Remote Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition Sanjay K.Banerjee
    LPCVD Sanjay K.Banerjee
    Optical Interconnect Group Ray T. Chen
    Ferroelectric & High-k Gate Dielectric Materials Jack C Lee
    MICRO-Electromagnetics Device Group Dean P. Neikirk
    Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Seth R. Bank
    Device & Process Simulation Maziar
    Organic Electronics and Chem/Bio Sensors Group Ananth Dodabalapur

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    The University of Texas at Austin and the state of Texas are committed to the advancement of microelectronics. The Microelectronics Research Center, established in 1983, is a key element in this partnership. The Microelectronics Research Center is located on the Pickle Research Campus in the Microelectronics and Engineering Research Building, which was completed in 1993. To date, over $50 million has been committed to build and equip this facility for both silicon-related and compound-semiconductor research. The facilities at MRC include 12,000 square feet of class 100 and class 1000 cleanroom space for crystal-growth and device processing.
    In addition to state-of-the-art cleanroom facilities, MRC has 15,000 square feet of characterization laboratories and office space for 15 faculty, support staff, and 120 graduate students.

    The cleanroom contains complete Si CMOS processing capability, including fine-line lithography, sputter deposition, reactive-ion etching, ultrahigh purity process gases, a DI water system, rapid thermal processing systems, wet chemistry stations, and low pressure CVD for polysilicon, oxides, and nitrides. The cleanroom also houses the reactors for several Si and III-V epitaxial crystal-growth techniques, including molecular beam epitaxy, metalorganic CVD, remote plasma CVD, rapid thermal CVD, and ultrahigh vacuum CVD. The characterization laboratories contain the apparatus for comprehensive optical and electrical measurements as well as extensive computer facilities.

    Building Statistics
    Personnel Statistics
    Silicon Processing Equipment
    Compound Semiconductor Resources

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    Last modified: November 22, 2004.
    © 2002 Microelectronic Research Center
    Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering – College of Engineering
    The University of Texas at Austin
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