Materials and Micro-integration

The group of materials and micro-integration performs research on system integration of a wide variety of smart systems, with a particular focus on material-related problems.

Topics include:

  • Packaging/system integration of microelectronics
  • Packaging/system integration of medical devices
  • Miniaturization of smart systems and devices
  • Bonding technologies for harsh environments
  • Intermetallic bonding (SLID)
  • Conductive adhesive bonding
  • Manufacturing processes for ultrasound transducers
  • Integration of functional nanomaterials in microelectronics
  • Nanostructures of Wide Bandgap semiconductors for photocatalytic applications

The group is responsible for the characterization laboratories at USN, including SEM, optical microscopy, AFM and SAM, as well as bonding/ systemintegration tools at chip and wafer level.

The group teaches courses in material science, packaging technology, micro- and nanotechnology, measurements and characterization, at bachelor-, master- and PhD-level.

Projects

  • A/Nano2021 – GE Vingmed – 36,5, million NOK
  • BIA – Conpart – 11,5 million NOK
  • Nano2021 – Sensocure - 9,8 million NOK
  • FRINATEK – Solmat – 4,4 million NOK

Ongoing PhD projects:

  • Lars Holhjem, Implantable CO2 sensor for ischemia detection
  • Giang Nghiem, Novel Particle Technology for Display Interconnect 
  • Andreas Larsson, Electronic packaging for harsh environments
  • Avisek Roy, Carbon nanotube to CMOS integration for ultra-sensitive gas sensors
  • Kim Robert Gusavsen, Converting COto fuels using renewable energy
  • Zengxing Zhang, Black silicon technique for solar energy application
  • Chaoqun Cheng, Earth-abundant solar energy materials for H2 generation
  • Tor Håvard Aasen, Catalyst development for renewable Energy

Networks and partners

The group has strong connection to the regional industry. For more than a decade, the group has coordinated “Norwegian Centre of Expertise – Team Packaging Technology”, a network connecting packaging/systemintegration experts in microelectronics-/microsystem industry companies with USN researchers and other research institutes. For some of these companies, the group has collaboration projects, including:

  • GE Vingmed Ultrasound
  • Conpart
  • Sensonor
  • Sensocure
  • SINTEF
  • Techni
  • TegMa
  • Memscap
  • Oslo University Hospital

The group is further responsible for several of the major international collaborations at USN:

  • Joint International Master in Smart Systems Integration (Erasmus Mundus-sponsored Joint Master given together with Heriot-Watt University (Edinburgh, Scotland) and Budapest University of Technology and Economics (Hungary)
  • Exchange programme with Vietnamese universities HCMUT and HCMIU (funded through NORPART)
  • NanoEl project: E-learning for nanoelectronics, Asia-Europe collaboration (funded through Erasmus +, with TU Sofia and Politechnico Torino as main partners)