The CONCEPT reactor

The name behind the CONCEPT project is derived from the acronym “Crystalline Oxides for Next Generation Computing and Emerging Photonic Technologies”. But what does this mean? To understand this, we need to take a small dive into the history of electronic devices.

The scientific principles and the first electronic devices emerged in the first half of the 20^th century and have since changed close to every single aspect of our everyday life. In this relatively short time in human history, we’ve succeeded time and time again to exceed our own expectations. In 1965 Gordon Moore, co-founder of Fairchild Semiconductor and Intel, observed that the number of components per integrated circuit was doubling annually, a trend he predicted would continue for at least another decade. By 1975 he revised his theory to a doubling of components per integrated circuit every two years, and this was coined “Moore’s Law”.

It’s impressive that the technological advances have kept up this rapid development and that a prediction of future developments extrapolated from a historical trend has stayed true for this long. Moreover, all people alive today have been able to experience this technological boom and all the new gadgets that followed.

However, the term “trend” inherently implies an “end”, and Moore’s Law is no exception. The devices are now so small and so densely packed together that they enter a new realm of nature and the principles that made all of this possible to begin with, no longer apply. This leads us to the next generation of electronic devices, which are revolutionary because they require re-engineering with fundamentally different materials and principles. The process of reinventing these devices is as exciting as it is necessary.

Why do we think the CONCEPT project is ready to undertake such a big feat? For one, the CONCEPT project is assembling a broad team of scientists and engineers across country borders from both academia and commercial science to investigate from many different angles. Furthermore, the CONCEPT project has a holistic approach to the topic with a goal of combining the scientific principles with commercial production. Let’s elaborate!

Some of the partners are developing the science and the chemical processes behind the new materials, and testing if they can work for the desired application. We in Baldur Coatings AS, one of the CONCEPT partners, are working on developing the machine that might be able to produce these new materials in the scale needed to make them commercially desirable. By shortening the path from initial research to factory production, the CONCEPT project is making groundbreaking strides. The reactor prototype will have a large reaction chamber to coat large wafers with the control and uniformity needed for materials with nanoscale quality made by atomic layer deposition. To ensure that many different materials can be deposited without having to break a vacuum, the precursors have separate precursor tubes and temperature zones. The outer chamber can easily be modified to fit characterization techniques and robotic arms.

The reactor prototype is light and flexible. Therefore, it’s suitable for further research and development as well as being implemented in existing production lines. In summary, the CONCEPT project represents a groundbreaking effort to advance next-generation computing and photonic technologies through innovative materials and processes. By fostering collaborative, interdisciplinary research and development, the project aims to pave the way for revolutionary electronic devices and technologies.