Leoben is known worldwide for its materials research. Less well known, however, is that currently around 100 scientists at the Leoben site are researching new innovative material solutions for electronics and microelectronics. This makes Leoben one of the research cities in this rapidly developing area. Excellent know-how in all material groups, in new innovative production technologies and their combination in the design of new electronic components are now a decisive factor in order to survive the Austrian and European electronics industry worldwide. Advances in materials research are increasingly finding their way into innovative and reliable products, enabling new and unprecedented functions of electronic systems.
More and more functions and higher performance with ever-increasing degree of miniaturization: this is the trend of microelectronics. This means that the most diverse classes of materials meet in the smallest of spaces and in the thinnest layers under ever more extreme conditions. Mechanical, electrical and thermal stresses on composites (polymers, composites, semiconductors, solders, glasses, metals, etc.) are increasingly affecting the lifetime and safety of microelectronic devices. In the interplay of materials science, process engineering, analyzes and simulations, the MCL and PCCL competence centers make an important contribution to innovations in microelectronics.
MCL and PCCL are involved in nano-scale and micro-scale material analysis in system analysis to enhance the performance and reliability of microelectronic devices.
They offer innovative solutions for microelectronics, based on functional polymers, composites or integrated sensor systems, which are characterized by miniaturization with simultaneous increase in function. At the same time, the mechanical, thermal and electrical loads on the materials and systems used are analyzed and optimized with regard to their reliability. The research of the MCL and the PCCL ensures that innovative new developments can be implemented with high reliability in the shortest possible time and thus the development costs can be correspondingly reduced.
MCL: We innovate Materials!
The Materials Center Leoben (MCL) is an internationally active research institution specialized in materials, production and processing engineering and innovative material applications. We are focussed on metallic materials, ceramic materials and their composites. The MCL carries out cooperative research and development projects with industrial partners and offers a comprehensive range of services. The MCL is part of a network of innovative scientific and industrial partners with expertise across the entire supply chain of the materials and production sector. Additionally, the MCL acts as the operating company and research partner of the COMET-K2-Competence Centre IC-MPPE – Integrated Computational Materials, Process and Product Engineering, which provides a sound basis for solving complex research and development tasks.
PCCL: Smart Polymers for the Future!
The Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL) is the leading Austrian “Center of Excellence” for cooperative research in the area of polymer engineering and sciences. In close cooperation with its scientific partners at four universities 100 highly qualified employees are active in a wide field of applications for plastics ranging from automotive and aircraft, to packaging, solar and photovoltaic industries. By linking scientific knowledge to the industrial need for innovation PCCL contributes to the competitiveness of its industrial partners, who cooperate on the basis of medium- and long-term R&D-projects with the PCCL. An important aspect of all research activities of the PCCL is the strong orientation on the performance and functionality of polymer products in service. The scientific approach centers on the establishment of “material-structure/processing/performance relationships”, based on systematic experimental investigations and advanced simulation and modeling tools.