Applied Materials Joins Irish Strategic Research Cluster on Advanced Materials for Electronics

Cork, Ireland – 24 November, 2011: Applied Materials, Inc., the global leader in providing equipment to enable the manufacture of advanced semiconductor devices, has joined the Science Foundation Ireland-funded Strategic Research Cluster FORME (Functional Oxides and Related Materials for Electronics). The research cluster, led by Tyndall National Institute, UCC and working at a university site in Cork, Ireland, focuses on the development of materials and processes to enable the production of faster, smaller, more power-efficient logic processors for computing and associated memory and data storage issues.

"We are delighted to welcome Applied Materials to the research cluster. As a global industry leader, Applied Materials brings with it extensive knowledge and experience in the design of processes and equipment used in semiconductor manufacturing," says Prof. Martyn Pemble, Tyndall Researcher and Head of the FORME Strategic Research Cluster.

"FORME was created in 2007 and since its inception the group has produced exciting results in the area of advanced CMOS technology.  Applied Materials possesses an enormous amount of expertise in one of our key technology areas - atomic layer deposition (ALD). The fact that Applied Materials chose FORME and Tyndall after a global search for a new academic partner clearly demonstrates the worth of our work as perceived by the electronics industry," adds Pemble.  

"Applied Materials is excited to invest in this research project and we would like to thank Industrial Development Agency (IDA) Ireland for their support," said Klaus Schuegraf, Chief Technology Officer of Applied Materials’ Silicon Systems Group. "We are impressed with the quality of work and results achieved to date. Applied will provide and install multi-chamber state-of-the-art ALD equipment at the Tyndall research facility.  Also, we have a full-time member of our staff as a Researcher in Residence working directly alongside the Tyndall academic and industry partners."

"Intel Ireland was one of the original partners in the cluster and we are really pleased that a major equipment supplier has demonstrated its commitment to the field by contributing to the research capability of the academic team at Tyndall,"   commented Leonard Hobbs, Research Programme Manager, Intel.

Research work to investigate ALD processes on the newly commissioned ALD system from Applied Materials is expected to begin immediately and continue for at least two years.

The Applied Materials Ireland team is playing a key role in enabling this research project with engineering expertise and maintenance support. Applied Materials Ireland has supported leading semiconductor customers since 1992 with a mobile Irish workforce, many of whom operate in global functions, out of its Maynooth Business Park operations near Dublin.

This announcement was made during the visit of Máire Geoghegan-Quinn, European Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science to the Tyndall National Institute, UCC.

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About Applied Materials
Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the global leader in providing innovative equipment, services and software to enable the manufacture of advanced semiconductor, flat panel display and solar photovoltaic products. Our technologies help make innovations like smartphones, flat screen TVs and solar panels more affordable and accessible to consumers and businesses around the world. At Applied Materials, we turn today’s innovations into the industries of tomorrow. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

About FORME
The FORME Strategic Research Project aims to examine cutting edge issues of direct relevance to Irish Information and Communications Technology companies in both the medium term and the longer term - issues which relate to the development of faster, smaller, more power efficient logic processors for computing and associated memory and data storage.  The FORME SRC initially targeted two linked areas of high strategic importance to the ICT industry: evolutionary CMOS and revolutionary CMOS technologies.  With FORME’s alliances, academics and industrialists from across Ireland and beyond are brought together to form a unique multidisciplinary team. 

The SRC programme is funded by Science Foundation Ireland and has been developed to help scientists and engineers develop partnerships across academia and industry.  The programme addresses crucial research questions, fosters the development of new and existing Irish-based technology companies, and grows partnerships with industry that could make an important contribution to Ireland and its economy.

Further details are available at www.tyndall.ie/forme.

About Tyndall National Institute
Tyndall National Institute, University College Cork is one of Europe's leading research centres, specialising in ICT hardware research, with ca 450 staff, students and academic & industrial visiting researchers. Tyndall undertakes internationally-leading research into information and communications technology. Tyndall uses its facilities and expertise to support industry and academia nationally and provides large numbers of highly qualified graduate students, key to the development of Ireland’s national economy. Tyndall has over 200 industry partnerships and customers worldwide. Several start up companies in Ireland have been based on technology originating at Tyndall. The Institute’s researchers include 125 PhD and 10 Masters students, and 38 nationalities are represented within the institute at all levels, with its research published in 200 peer reviewed publications last year. Income for 2010 was over €33m.

Forme Partners

Industry

Applied Materials
Intel
Seagate
SAFC Hitech
Glebe Scientific
Asylum Research
Solarprint

Academic

Tyndall National Institute
University College Cork
Dublin City University
University College Dublin
Trinity College Dublin
Queens University Belfast

Contact:
Julie Dorel, Tyndall National Institute, Tel +33 (0)87 1309322, email julie.dorel@gmail.com
Michael Baxter, Applied Materials, Tel +49.6023.92.6276, Mobile +49.174.33.87590, email Michael_Baxter@amat.com
Leonard Hobbs, Intel, Tel +35316068287, Mobile +353872206251, email Leonard.p.Hobbs@intel.com