press release - NUS Enterprise

9 downloads 160 Views 131KB Size Report
Dec 5, 2014 - Singapore, encouraging researchers to explore innovative electron spin-based technologies for sensor, memo
PRESS RELEASE Embargoed till 5 December 2014, 2.00pm

Singapore Spintronics Consortium established to facilitate development of next generation technologies for data storage and logic applications New initiative to boost Singapore’s spintronics capabilities Singapore, 5 December 2014 – A research consortium has been set up in Singapore, encouraging researchers to explore innovative electron spin-based technologies for sensor, memory and logic applications. Called the Singapore Spintronics Consortium (SG-SPIN), it will facilitate collaborative research partnerships between the institutes of higher learning and industry. In addition to facilitating open innovation amongst multiple parties, SG-SPIN aims to grow and attract more companies to conduct spintronics activities in Singapore. The founding members of SG-SPIN are the National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Applied Materials, Inc., Delta Electronics and GLOBALFOUNDRIES. A Memorandum of Understanding between these five organisations was signed today, where they agreed to cooperate and collaborate in spintronics R&D activities. The NUS Industry Liaison Office, which is part of NUS Enterprise, took the lead in driving and facilitating this collaboration. SG-SPIN is led by Professor Wu Yihong from NUS Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore and NTU’s NTUitive. Spintronics – an emerging technology Spintronics is an emerging technology that utilises the intrinsic spin of electrons and associated magnetic moment, in addition to their electronic charge that is exclusively used in existing electronic devices. This area of research can potentially lead to more energy-efficient, larger capacity and faster devices compared to current technology. Spintronics technology is already used in harddisk drives and magnetic field sensors. Potential new applications include nonvolatile memory, logic and biomedical devices. “SG-SPIN is an excellent platform to galvanise spintronics research efforts in Singapore, for a more synergistic and targeted outcome. Over the past few years, NRF Singapore has supported a number of spintronics research projects, which have helped to build on the spintronics capabilities in NUS. We hope that this new consortium will help commercialise such research, so it can be translated into new applications that benefit society. The industry stands to benefit significantly from participating in SG-SPIN, as it gains access to in-depth research findings as well

as new opportunities for licensing spintronics-related intellectual property. From a national point of view, Singapore will benefit from these research collaborations in spintronics, due to the training of manpower and seeding of the next phase of semi-conductor development jobs here,” said Dr Lily Chan, CEO NUS Enterprise. Dr Lim Jui, CEO of NTUitive, NTU’s commercialisation arm, said that the university is excited to be part of this coordinated academic-industrial effort to translate technologies in an area in which Singapore has deep strengths. “Spintronics is an interdisciplinary field which merges mechanical and electronic engineering with physics. In recent years, NTU has been making a global impact in engineering and physics, through our strengths in translational research and industry partnerships. By working hand in hand with our consortium partners, we aim to make a real difference to the global spintronics landscape, and in so doing, deliver economic benefit to Singapore.” Driving the next phase of spintronics development in Singapore The SG-SPIN will help to drive the next phase of spintronics development and related fields in Singapore. It will also help to build up networks and partnerships within the sector. Currently, several projects by NUS and NTU in collaboration with GLOBALFOUNDRIES have been identified under SG-SPIN in four areas of future electronics: –







New magnetic materials and structures for sub-10nm non-volatile memories with almost infinite endurance. This project aims to increase the speed and capacity of data storage, without the loss of data over almost infinitely long periods. Spin-orbit engineering for energy-efficient memory and logic devices. The success of this project will provide balanced solutions in energy efficiency without sacrificing performance for future electronic gadgets, which is crucial as we migrate into the era of the Internet of Things. Electric field control of magnetism for ultra-low power spintronic devices. If realised, this will be a revolutionary way of switching magnetic memories between “0” and “1” using an electric field instead of electric current, thereby significantly reducing power dissipation. Advanced theoretical computation for predicting new materials and structures for next-generation spintronic devices that can potentially shorten the cycle time by multiple folds during the design phase for new devices by eliminating experimental trial and errors.

Singapore has been building up its spintronics capabilities since the late 1990s. The environment here is ideal for spintronics research, due to existing strengths in data storage and the concentration of companies in the electronics sector. The NRF Singapore has supported five Competitive Research Programmes in this area, investing approximately S$39 million – four at NUS and one at NTU. These research projects cover a wide range of topics, including electric-field controlled magnetic memory, spin wave and pure spin current devices, spin-orbit and spin transfer torque devices, spin transistors and domain wall memory. “NRF Singapore has helped, over the years, to catalyse research capabilities in spintronics in the universities and we are starting to have a good number of

experts working in the area. Companies in Singapore are increasingly finding value in working with universities and vice versa. It is now an opportune time to establish the SG-SPIN as a platform to encourage greater interaction amongst academia and industry to realise innovation. I am excited that partners like Applied Materials, GLOBALFOUNDRIES, Delta Electronics, NUS and NTU are cocreating the future of spintronics,” said Professor Low Teck Seng, CEO NRF Singapore. - end – Media enquiries should be directed to: Chan Yiu Lin (Ms) Greener Grass Communications (For NUS Enterprise) Email: [email protected] Mobile: (65) 9765-5897 About National University of Singapore (NUS) The National University of Singapore is a leading research-intensive university centred in Asia. Ranked in the top 30 worldwide, NUS offers a global approach to education and research, with a focus on Asian perspectives and expertise. NUS has three Research Centres of Excellence (RCE) and 26 university-level research institutes and centres. It is also a partner in Singapore’s fifth RCE. NUS shares a close affiliation with 16 national-level research institutes and centres. Research activities are world class, and NUS is well-known for its research strengths in engineering, life sciences, medicine, social sciences, natural sciences and at the intersection of these disciplines to address issues such as ageing and sustainability. NUS Enterprise provides an enterprise dimension to NUS’ teaching and research activities. This is done through initiatives focusing on Experiential Education, Industry Engagement & Partnership and Entrepreneurship Support. Through its Industry Liaison Office, NUS Enterprise manages and protects the University’s intellectual property and promotes collaborations between NUS and industry. For more information, please visit: www.nus.edu.sg. About Nanyang Technological University (NTU) A research-intensive public university, Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has 33,500 undergraduate and postgraduate students in the colleges of Engineering, Business, Science, Humanities, Arts, & Social Sciences, and its Interdisciplinary Graduate School. It has a new medical school, the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, set up jointly with Imperial College London. NTU is also home to world-class autonomous institutes – the National Institute of Education, S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Earth Observatory of Singapore, and Singapore Centre on Environmental Life Sciences Engineering – and various leading research centres such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) and the Institute on Asian Consumer Insight (ACI).

A fast-growing university with an international outlook, NTU is putting its global stamp on Five Peaks of Excellence: Sustainable Earth, Future Healthcare, New Media, New Silk Road, and Innovation Asia. Besides the main Yunnan Garden campus, NTU also has a satellite campus in Singapore’s science and tech hub, one-north, and a third campus in Novena, Singapore’s medical district. For more information, visit www.ntu.edu.sg

About Applied Materials Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT) is the global leader in precision materials engineering solutions for the semiconductor, flat panel display and solar photovoltaic industries. Our technologies help make innovations like smartphones, flat screen TVs and solar panels more affordable and accessible to consumers and businesses around the world. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

About Delta Electronics Delta, founded in 1971, is a global leader in power and thermal management solutions and is a provider with world-class stature in several product segments. Our mission statement, “To provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow,” focuses our role in addressing key environmental issues such as global climate change. As an energy-saving solutions provider with core competencies in power electronics and in innovative research and development, Delta's businesses encompass Power Electronics, Energy Management, and Smart Green Life. Delta has sales offices worldwide with manufacturing facilities and R&D centers in Taiwan, China, USA, Europe, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, India, Mexico and Brazil. In 2010, Delta created and R&D Center in Science Park II to focus on technologies like energy management, bio-medical, networking and Things. Delta currently has multiple collaborations with several Singapore, and is committed to continually investing significant resources in Singapore for the following years.

sustainable Internet of parties in amount of

For detailed information on Delta Group, please visit: www.deltaww.com.

About GLOBALFOUNDRIES GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the world’s first full-service semiconductor foundry with a truly global footprint. Launched in March 2009, the company has quickly achieved scale as the second largest foundry in the world, providing a unique combination of advanced technology and manufacturing to more than 160 customers. With operations in Singapore, Germany and the United States, GLOBALFOUNDRIES is the only foundry that offers the flexibility and security of manufacturing centers spanning three continents. The company’s three 300mm fabs and five 200mm fabs provide the full range of process technologies from mainstream to the leading edge. This global manufacturing footprint is supported by major facilities for research, development and design enablement located near hubs of

semiconductor activity in the United States, Europe and Asia. GLOBALFOUNDRIES is owned by the Advanced Technology Investment Company (ATIC). For more information, visit http://www.globalfoundries.com. About National Research Foundation, Prime Minister's Office, Singapore The National Research Foundation (NRF), set up on 1 January 2006, is a department within the Prime Minister's Office. The NRF sets the national direction for research and development (R&D) by developing policies, plans and strategies for research, innovation and enterprise. It also funds strategic initiatives and builds up R&D capabilities by nurturing research talent. The NRF aims to transform Singapore into a vibrant R&D hub that contributes towards a knowledge-intensive, innovative and entrepreneurial economy; and make Singapore a talent magnet for scientific and innovation excellence. For more information, please visit www.research.gov.sg