Samsung cooperates with IISc for advanced nanoelectronic device research

Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) announced a new partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to advance research and development into on-chip Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) protection. The partnership aims to develop cutting-edge ESD device solutions to protect ultra-high-speed serial interfaces in advanced integrated circuits (ICs) and system-on-chip (SoC) products, a joint statement said on Wednesday.

The relevant research is carried out by the group of Prof. Mayank Shrivastava at the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering (DESE), IISc. Solutions resulting from this research are deployed in Samsung’s advanced process nodes.

ICs and SoCs are essential to virtually every system, from small to large, that we see around us, but they are very sensitive to ESD failures, especially those built with advanced CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) technologies in the IC were developed on a nanoscale.

The majority of IC chip failures and returns in the field are attributed to ESD failures, it has been found. This know-how is also rare and sectors with the art of designing ESD protective devices and interface concepts are market leaders.

“Therefore, R&D in ESD technology for high-reliability interfaces and SoCs that operate with low power consumption and high speed is an integral part of semiconductor innovation efforts. The IISc is one of the few institutes in the world’s leading ESD device research,” the statement said.

The Research Agreement was exchanged by CVP & MD at Samsung Semiconductor India Research, Bengaluru, Balajee Sowrirajan and IISc Director Prof. Govindan Rangarajan in the presence of delegates from Samsung And IISc.

“We are excited to partner with the IISc to drive semiconductor innovation and intend to develop ESD knowledge alongside the expertise available at the IISc. Our aim is also to promote capacity building through training programs at postgraduate level, provide opportunities for students to undertake internships in industry and encourage entrepreneurial ventures by young researchers,” said Sowrirajan.

Prof. Rangarajan said: “The partnership reaffirms our commitment to strengthen collaborations between industry and academia, which can have a significant impact in the years to come.” for ESD reliability threats for advanced SoCs. We have conducted both fundamental and applied research on ESD protection devices, with a strong focus on creating practical solutions for the semiconductor industry across a range of technology nodes,” said Prof. Shrivastava.