>> Europractice


The European micro-nanotechnology
business accelerator for small
and medium-sized enterprises


  Europractice

Europractice, the creation of which was advocated by NEXUS, has two main components: the Competence Centers and the Manufacturing Clusters. Additional there is also a significant activity in training (Europractice Coordination and Training).

Europractice Competence Centers
The Competence Centers support design centers that are capable of providing design services and applications support to industry (especially SMEs) and academia within a particular application domain. The Competence Centers do not have their own fabrication capabilities, but rather select the most appropriate fabrication process for a given task. Each of the six European Competence Centers is operated by one or more research institutes. The six are:
• Automotive & Physical Measurement Systems (Fraunhofer ISIT, Germany)
• Bio-analytical and Biomedical Microdevices; Medical and Environmental Applications (Fraunhofer IBMT, Germany; and IMT, Switzerland)
• Process Control, Machine Tools Manufacturing, Microactuators, and Micromachines (RAL, United Kingdom; and Fraunhofer ISIT, Germany)
• Microfluidic Microsystems (Pont-Tech, Italy, C2V, the Netherlands; and RAL, the UK)
• Peripherals, Telecoms, and Micro-optical Microsystems (CEA-LETI, France; and Sintef, Norway)
• Radiation and Imaging Sensors, Aerospace, and Scientific Instruments (Sintef, Norway; and IMEC, Belgium)
In addition to application-specific design work and choice of fabrication technology, the Competence Centers conduct more general feasibility studies and technology assessments.

Europractice Manufacturing Clusters
The Manufacturing Clusters complement the Competence Centers by providing access to microelectronics fabrication capabilities that employ a spectrum of different technologies. The Manufacturing Clusters fabricate ASICs (application-specific integrated circuits) and multichip modules (MCMs) as well as MEMS and microsystems. Each cluster is composed of a group of industry facilities, with both a geographical focus and shared fabrication capability. Currently, there are five Manufacturing Clusters in the Europractice network, as follows:
• French Cluster: Concentrates on quartz bulk micromachining, single-crystal silicon bulk micromachining, silicon-on-insulator (SOI) surface micromachining, and sensing elements for smart systems (led by Sextant Avionique, includes TRONICs, CEA-LETI, and CNRS-LAAS).
• German Cluster: Specialities include deep-etch polysilicon, LIGA and micromolding for optical and fluidic applications, microstructured thin films, and
• UK Cluster: Technical capabilities include silicon and silicon nitride for chemical, radiation, pressure, and flow sensors; gas sensors fabricated in metal oxide; diamond-based sensors; microelectrodes; failure analysis; and reliability and environmental testing (led by AEA Technology, includes Applied Microengineering, Graseby Microsystems, and NMRC in Ireland; the University of Hertfordshire provides dissemination services).
• Swiss/Netherlands Cluster: Areas of concentration include design of microsensors, actuators, and microsystems; bulk and surface micromachining; bulk quartz etching; electroplating; and a quick-turnaround packaging service (CSEM in Switzerland in the leading role, with C2V and Holland Signaal (NL) also participating).
• Nordic Cluster: The newest of the five clusters, the Nordic group specializes in flip-chip bonding; low-cost assembly and packaging; bulk micromachining; high aspect-ratio etching; high-precision membranes; piezoresistor technology; as well as an ASIC service for microsystem applications (includes SensoNor and Sintef in Norway, MIC in Denmark, IMC in Sweden, and VTT in Finland, together with CNM in Spain, which seeks to improve access to the Nordic cluster for industry in southern Europe).
 packaging for MST (led by Bosch, includes microParts, HL-Planartechnik, Fraunhofer-IMS, Fraunhofer-ISIT, and GMA).
Europractice Coordination and Training
Some central coordination services for Europractice are provided by Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK; however, individual service providers in the Manufacturing Clusters interact directly with customers and promote their own capabilities. In addition to the design and fabrication of MEMS and MST, Europractice includes a Training and Best Practices Service (TBPS) which prepares users to make informed choices among available technology options.

More information on Europractice can be found on http://www.europractice.com.