15 February 2013

Luc Fréchette preparing a microscopic visualization,
observed of Abdelkader Souifi and Vincent Aimez.

L’Unité mixte internationale Nanotechnologies et nanosystèmes (UMI-LN2 – Mixed international unit for nanotechnologies and nanosystems), located in the Institut interdisciplinaire d’innovation technologique (3IT – Interdisciplinary Institute for technological innovation) of the Université de Sherbrooke, has announced the creation of a  joint laboratory with STMicroelectronics, European leader of the microelectronics industry. This agreement takes place a few months after the creation of’UMI-LN2 by France’s National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), UdeS and several other French partners.

The joint laboratory’s scientific program has been set for a five year period with a budget of $7.2M (€5.6M) to study the management of heat in electronic assembly and materials for the recovery of energy in circuitry.

The laboratory aims to produce electronic chips that consume less energy, to even recover part of energy the chip itself has produced or from other sources, such as human heat output. According to Vincent Aimez, Co-Director of UMI-LN2, chips could become completely self-sufficient, no longer in need of batteries to power them.

Collaboration with STMicroelectronics will also enable access to technology and unique materials found nowhere else in the world that the North American academic milieu cannot obtain.

Partners in this collaborative program are the Université de Sherbrooke, STMicroelectronics, CNRS, l’INSA de Lyon (National Institute for applied sciences) and the École centrale de Lyon (Lyon central school). Professor Luc Fréchette of UdeS, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Microfluidics and Power Microsystems, will head the joint laboratory.

Source : Université de Sherbrooke

Photo credit: Michel Caron