Small on them

The Israeli microelectronics industry grew out of the Microelectronics Research Center at the Technion Today, three years after the opening of the Zisafel Center for Nanoelectronics, the two centers are a magnet for leading factors in the development of tiny electronic devices

Amit Zeidler, Orna Treniak and Anat Sade are the three latest "acquisitions" who joined the older team of the Zisapel Center for Nanoelectronics. "The human factor is the main element in research and development, so we are constantly working to expand and improve the human resource," says the head of the center Professor Nir Tesler. "The need for excellent researchers and leading faculty members is clear, but beyond the development and running of the processes (headed by Yaakov Schneider) there is enormous importance in the operation of the place and its maintenance. That's why we also invest a lot in the maintenance team (headed by Mark Gurevich) - a team thanks to which research and development 'runs' without problems."

The importance of infrastructure

Professor Tessler also emphasizes the importance of the infrastructural aspect, where a huge step has been taken thanks to the great contribution of the Zisapel family, which created the basis from which the center can continue to develop. "From the microelectronics research center, a significant part of the Israeli high-tech industry developed, and thanks to the Zisapel family, we have now broken into the field of nanoelectronics, which is a natural continuation of microelectronics. Another important pillar in this aspect is the ongoing assistance of the Russell Berry Institute for Nanotechnology, which is also expressed in the purchase of advanced equipment for nanotechnology."

Although the centers for research in micro- and nanoelectronics grew out of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, and the entire technical staff that operates them consists of people associated with the faculty, Professor Tessler emphasizes that these centers support research from all the faculties at the Technion, as well as a long list of non-technical units and bodies. Beyond the research work and the building of unique knowledge, the connection with the industry is a central goal in the activity of the centers. "Just come," calls Professor Tessler to people, units and companies at the Technion and beyond. Several business companies are already operating in the center, in various features of cooperation. Parties interested in cooperation are invited to contact: nir@technion.ac.il

Pulse Inteco: The branding of the future

In the past, contact with the industry was limited to renting equipment to commercial entities, and basic training. In the last decade, the center entered into a process of expanding cooperation with parties in the industry - for example, in the "hosting" of start-up companies in the laboratories and clean rooms. In 2005, a company called Pulse Inteco entered the center, which deals in the development and production of advanced laser transmitters and rangefinders based on those transmitters.

"The most important assembly in these transmitters is the switch - the Q-switch," explains the company's VP Shmuel Weiner, "and we use a special switch of its kind, a self-opening fruit. This is a very complex switch, the production of which requires clean rooms with an extremely high level of cleanliness (Class 100 and above) and sophisticated equipment."

The company examined various options to advance the development of the aforementioned switch, and according to Weiner, "We came to the conclusion that the Technion Microelectronics Center is the most suitable place for these requirements. Thanks to the cooperation with the unit, we were able to develop the product in a short period of time and start serial production of the switches. Furthermore, thanks to the professionalism of the unit's personnel and the advanced equipment at the center's disposal, we are already developing a new generation of switches for transmitters that operate at a higher rate and with high transmission energy."

Yaakov Schneider, who accompanies the company's activities on behalf of the Technion, explains that this is a complex product: "The switch consists of prisms made of different materials that contain nanometric channels, and the main challenge is to cut those channels without damaging the properties of the material and while maintaining a high level of cleanliness and quality. This is something that is only possible in clean rooms with advanced equipment, as we have."

The collaboration between the company and the Technion led to the successful development of those components - perforated material surfaces capable of withstanding strong shocks and strong laser radiation. These components are still manufactured in the center, from where they are transported to the factory where they are integrated into the complete assembly.

In Pulse Inteco's model, the Zisapel center serves as a kind of incubator for the start-up company. In addition to long-term "accommodation" of companies, the center also offers services of

Development of technologies for companies that do not "sit" in it. Another direction is the development of prototypes of products according to the order of the company. "Actually," says Professor Tessler, "we are open in any direction. We have knowledge, skill and equipment at a level that has no competitors in Israel, and we are happy to be flexible and approach any party that wants to cooperate with us. Our size is an advantage."

Scanning: see in the dark

Sirica is a five-year-old start-up company that operates in the center with a different model. "They came with their own equipment and knowledge, and actually needed the expensive 'envelope' of clean rooms, which we provide them," explains Schneider. "We also helped them with training, advice on buying the equipment and connecting it to the constructions of the clean rooms. That's why we are an incubator for them too, but of a completely different kind."

Some of the company's entrepreneurs, led by Valerie Gerber (currently CTO), previously worked at the Technion, so the relationship between the company and the Technion was smooth and natural. "A small company like ours is not able, in the initial phase, to establish an infrastructure of clean rooms by itself," says the company's CEO, Rani Kiefer. "That's why we actually invented a working model that didn't exist in the center. This model allows us to use expensive and advanced equipment such as an electron microscope. For a company of our caliber, this is a huge force multiplier.”

The heads of the company state that the cooperation with the Technion takes place mainly at the Zisapel center, but there are also connections with other units at the Technion. Since its establishment in 2005, the company has placed two generations of equipment at the Zisapel center - one was used to prove the initial feasibility of the product, and the other for the development of more sophisticated components. Today the company is looking for investors to finance the third phase, which will bring it to the commercial production phase. "This model of collaboration has proven itself, and it is clear to me that this relationship has been essential in our journey to the point where we are," Kiefer notes.

Sirika deals with the development of infrared detectors, which enable vision in total darkness. Infrared detectors were first developed in the sixties, for military purposes, and in 2000 they also entered the civilian market. However, the prices of such detectors are currently around $1,000 per unit, which prevents them from becoming an equal product for everyone - an "integral part of every toolbox," as Kiefer defines it. This is because these detectors, based on MEMS technologies, are complicated products that also require high-quality vacuum packaging.

The development of Sirika allows for a drastic reduction in costs - a single detector is expected to cost only about $100 USD. "Our patent is the conversion layer we developed: a silicon layer that converts infrared light into visible light. The next step - the translation of visible light into an image - is literally small money, as it is performed by cheap components (CMOS) that already exist on the market."

Scanning detectors have many potential applications. The natural market is, of course, the security market, but the automotive market is also thirsty for such detectors, which enable a warning of too short a distance between cars, of falling to the curb, etc. Infrared detectors are currently installed in many of the premium cars (new BMW, Audi and Rolls Royce models), but a significant reduction in their prices will allow their implementation in more popular cars. Infrared detectors are also used in the field of construction - they enable the detection of cracks in the structure, water leaks inside a wall, short circuits and gas leaks.

The students: a real experience of R&D

The students are a key target audience for the center's activities, which currently holds process courses not only for undergraduates but also for graduate degrees. "The infrastructure and training offered by the Technion's student center are very unique, also at the international level," says Professor Tessler. "We give students a real experience of research and development - not just theoretical explanations but direct contact with the devices and the technology."

"It has a price, of course," adds Jacob Schneider, the center's engineer. "The intensive use of the equipment creates many malfunctions, but the benefit is enormous: these students really learn how to build devices and how to test them. This way they leave ready for the industry. This is the big bonus that we only offer - integrative work that ends up with a real product that can be tested and improved."

"Education is the most important investment," says Professor Tessler, "and our success can be seen among our graduates, who are kidnapped by industry."

The Zisapel family: wanted to contribute more

"The people of the Technion came to us and asked us to donate one floor in the electrical engineering faculty building," says Zohar Zisafel. "We told them we want to donate more. They were amazed, but very quickly came back to us with the proposal to establish a center for nanoelectronics." Thus was born the Nanoelectronics Center at the Technion, which was officially inaugurated in 2007.

Sarah and Moshe Zisafel had a shoe store in Tel Aviv. Yehuda, their eldest son, helped them there during his vacations from school, and also looked after his little brother Zohar when he was sick.

Later Yehuda enlisted in the communications corps. He began studying at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Technion during his military service. Zohar came to the faculty a year after him, was the outstanding faculty in his cohort, and later received the Israel Security Award for his service in the Intelligence Corps.

With Zohar's release from the army, the two brothers began developing together innovative communication equipment, especially modems, and two years later began selling the tiny modem they had developed to the American market. "The addition of Zohar was significant," says Yehuda. "We created a rare partnership. We are very different, each from his brother - and that's good."

In the decades that have passed since then, the two brothers founded dozens of hi-tech companies, donated generously to institutions and students, and voluntarily participated in a variety of projects and organizations. Yehuda headed the Technion alumni organization, and initiated the project "from three to five" which helps high school students complete five matriculation units in real subjects. The two brothers maintain a close relationship with the Technion, a relationship whose highlight was the establishment of the Zisafel Center.