
The project “Micro_Tech_for_Green”, officially started in June 2024 and with a planned duration of 5 years, is centered on power transistors and sensors and their applications in the field of green energy and renewables, aiming at TRL of 6-7. Moreover, to prepare the next generation of semiconductor devices for microelectronics, two additional smaller activities aiming at a TRL of 3-4, on neuromorphic computing and on quantum sensors, will be performed.
In particular, the project aims at developing new microelectronics-based technologies in four key areas:
1. Power and Sensor devices
2. Application to Renewables and Agrivoltaics
3. Neuromorphic computing
4. Technologies for Quantum Sensors
The first two areas will be focused on a number of enabling microelectronic technologies for new components (discrete power transistors, power Ics, sensors). The test ground of such new technologies will be advanced photovoltaics, in particular bifacial photovoltaics, in combination with agriculture, i.e., the emerging field of agrivoltaics. The use of PV module level electronics and / or of novel power transistors for solar inverters in combination with bifacial PV will be explored. The most promising technologies will be tested under operative conditions in an outdoor test field, to increase the TRL to 6-7.
The areas of development are the following:
• Materials and technologies for novel SiC, GaN, and IGBT power transistors
• Application of such new power FETs to Power optimizers / microinverters for bifacial photovoltaics
• Application of such new power FETs to Solar inverters
• Sensors networks for precision agriculture to monitor the agrivoltaic field
• New low-cost recyclable materials for sensors for precision agriculture and agrivoltaics
• Sensors for drones for the monitoring of agrivoltaic fields
• New technologies for water purification
The activities will be devoted to the realization, testing, and optimization of new technologies in the above areas, with the goal of achieving a TRL of 6-7 (Technology demonstrated in relevant environment – System prototype demonstration in operational environment).
To prepare the next generation of microelectronic devices, more exploratory research is also important. For this reason we also propose two other smaller activities aiming to demonstrators of a lower TRL, equal to 3-4. The first is an activity on neuromorphic computing. This will concern memristive devices through material engineering and nanostructuring. The other activity is on a quantum sensor for magnetometry realized by using color centers in SiC and exploiting quantum machine learning techniques.
The project will be mostly carried out by the laboratory on “Materials and processes Beyond the Nano-scale" (Beyond-Nano), located in east Sicily, in the area of Catania. The Beyond Nano Lab studies materials, processes, and new technologies for high-performance microelectronics, with particular emphasis on power and high frequency electronics, and on advanced photovoltaics. The Beyond-Nano Laboratory is equipped with state of art instrumentation for creating a continuum between materials science and microelectronics, to accelerate TRL improvement and the time to market of new technologies for microelectronics. Target applications are in the sector of green energy, automotive, and sensors, including also the sector of security and healthcare. The Beyond-Nano Lab infrastructure is based on the premises of the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM) of CNR. The work will be performed in the Beyond-Nano Laboratory and also in the various sections of IMM, located in Milan (Agrate), Rome, Lecce, Messina, and two Sections in Catania (the Headquarters and at the Univ. of Catania).