About Us

The Barcelona Microelectronics Institute (IMB) is the Barcelona location of the National Microelectronics Center (CNM). It belongs to the Spanish Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas – CSIC) since its foundation in 1985, together with the institutes in Madrid, (IMM-CSIC) and Seville (IMSE-CSIC).

The main activities of IMB-CNM is basic and applied research and development, education and training in micro and nanotechnologies, components and systems. Its mission is to improve the knowledge and to contribute to the implementation of solutions based in these technologies in new products, for solving societal challenges.

Overview

Over the years, the research activity of IMB-CNM in technologies, devices and integrated circuits based on the traditional Micro and Nanoelectronics (More Moore), has evolved into the fields of sensors, actuators, Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), microsystems and their integration as part of new electronic circuits and Smart systems to give them a greater functionality (More than Moore). The R&D activities of IMB-CNM are complemented with training of students, researchers and engineers and with technology transfer to companies.

Micro and nanoelectronics technologies are of horizontal nature, which allows their application to most industrial sectors. However, IMB-CNM has specialized mainly in their application in areas of great interest for both the domestic and international industrial sectors, such as energy and mobility, health and environment (including food).

IMB-CNM is located in Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), on the Campus of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), which is a privileged environment for both basic and applied/industrial research. It is a member of the Barcelona Nanotecnology Cluster-Bellaterra. The IMB-CNM as part of CSIC is also a member of the UAB Research Parc (Parc de Recerca de la UAB, PRUAB).

IMB-CNM also participates in Spanish and International Technology Platforms and Networks of Excellence and has established collaborative agreements with various universities and research centres, to which it offers not only cooperation in their R&D activities but also access to the technologies available in the «Integrated Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room». This infrastructure has been recognized by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness with the National label of large-scale infrastructure (Instalación Científica y Tecnológica Singular – ICTS).

The staff of IMB-CNM is around 175 persons, of which about 90 are researchers Ph.D. students. Training activities are periodically done not only for Spanish and European young researchers, but also from Latin America and the North of Africa.