APIC Corporation and UAlbany NanoCollege Launch $10M Partnership to Develop and Commercialize Innovative 'Green' Computer Chip Technology

Collaboration will integrate optics and electronics and result in the creation of 20 high-tech jobs

UAlbany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering will look to develop 'green' computer chips through its new collaborative with APIC Corporation.

APIC Corporation, a Los Angeles, Calif.-based pioneer of photonics technology integrated with electronics, and the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) announced that they have formed a $10 million partnership for joint development and commercialization of innovative "green" technology to enable faster computer chips that use significantly less power.

The collaboration, which integrates APIC's expertise in photonics systems and devices with CNSE's world-class nanoelectronics resources, will result in creation of at least 20 high-tech jobs over the next 18 months, the majority at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex.

The APIC-CNSE partnership targets development and delivery of a new generation of modules and systems that utilize photonic integrated circuits (PIC), which combine optical communications with silicon-based CMOS technologies. As ongoing scaling continues to shrink the bandwidth of metal wiring used to connect CMOS circuits, severely limiting speed and functionality for advanced processors and multi-core systems, optical communication -- which uses light to transmit information -- is seen as a serious contender to break this communications bottleneck.

These PIC systems will be particularly useful in addressing the 21st century explosion in bandwidth and computing power needs – including advanced data centers, cutting-edge medical research, secure financial transactions and next-generation gaming capabilities – increasing speed by up to 60 percent, while reducing power consumption by as much as 90 percent.

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver said, "The agreement reached by the APIC Corporation and UAlbany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering is great news for the Capital Region and further attests to the effectiveness of our public/private economic development model. This is how we will create jobs, spin-off business opportunities, spur technological advancement, and rebuild our state economy in this new millennium. I commend the APIC Corporation for its wise decision and I am confident that with the leadership of Dr. Alain Kaloyeros, Albany Nano will remain 'the place to be' for cutting-edge nanotech R&D and commercialization."

Dr. Raj Dutt, Chairman of the Board and CEO of APIC Corporation, said, "APIC Corporation and its commercial arm PhotonIC Corp. is very excited about our partnership with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, a world-class education, research, development and technology resource. Combining the unparalleled capabilities of CNSE with APIC's leading-edge photonics technology will enable advanced photonics integration with electronics and accelerate its introduction into the commercial marketplace. Budgeted at $10 million over the next 18 months, this joint program will expand both CNSE’s and APIC’s technical workforce in Albany, N.Y. and Culver City, Calif., and pave the way for further collaboration in the future."

CNSE Senior Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros said, "The UAlbany NanoCollege is delighted to launch this partnership with APIC Corporation, which further builds on the vision, support and investment of Speaker Sheldon Silver and the New York State Assembly in establishing the NanoCollege and New York State as global hubs for nanotechnology innovation, education, and economic development and growth. This collaboration will enable APIC, a recognized leader in next-generation photonics technologies, to break new ground in the development of innovative photonics integrated circuits, and put CNSE at the leading edge of systems and interconnect research, development and commercialization, while enhancing the state-of-the-art capabilities at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex."

The partnership between APIC and CNSE also includes the potential for further R&D initiatives in the future, which may involve the location of additional APIC employees at CNSE’s Albany NanoTech Complex.

CNSE is the first college in the world dedicated to education, research, development, and deployment in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience, nanoengineering, nanobioscience, and nanoeconomics. CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex is the most advanced research enterprise of its kind at any university in the world. With over $6.5 billion in high-tech investments, the 800,000-square-foot complex attracts corporate partners from around the world and offers students a one-of-a-kind academic experience.

The UAlbany NanoCollege houses the only fully-integrated, 300mm wafer, computer chip pilot prototyping and demonstration line within 80,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms. More than 2,500 scientists, researchers, engineers, students, and faculty work on site, from companies including IBM, AMD, GlobalFoundries, SEMATECH, Toshiba, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML, Novellus Systems, Vistec Lithography and Atotech. An expansion currently in the planning stages is projected to increase the size of CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex to over 1,250,000 square feet of next-generation infrastructure housing over 105,000 square feet of Class 1 capable cleanrooms and more than 3,750 scientists, researchers and engineers from CNSE and global corporations.

For more news, subscribe to UAlbany's RSS headline feeds

Educationally and culturally, the University at Albany-SUNY puts "The World Within Reach" for its 18,000 students. An internationally recognized research university with 58 undergraduate majors and 128 graduate degree programs, UAlbany is a leader among all New York State colleges and universities in such diverse fields as public policy, nanotechnology and criminal justice. With a curriculum enhanced by 300 study-abroad opportunities, UAlbany launches great careers. For more information about this globally ranked University, visit https://www.albany.edu/. For UAlbany's extensive roster of faculty experts, visit www.albany.edu/news/experts.shtml.