On April 7 news, according to CNET reports, if you visit a quiet town Leuven in Belgium (Leuven), you will be able to appreciate the centuries of history. You will see the cobblestone streets, and there are zigzag roof after hundreds of years of red brick house. You can also see a group of Catholic university of leuven (founded in 1425), the students gathered in Oude Markt (old) square city square small bar, they a lot of people have been drinking leuven brewery operating (since 1366) the production of Stella Artois beer (era).

But you can't see only city in the past, just next to the square in the center of the middle ages, nearly 2400 researchers in the study of how to develop digital life will become our future 10 years the core of computer chips. Their work is Imec, you may have never heard of a unusual cooperation organization. There, such as samsung and Intel chip maker, ordinary is fierce rival, and university researchers and Imec own staff work together, study how to keep the rapid development of computer chip industry.

Luke, chief executive of Imec Van hofer (Luc Van den hove) said: "on the chip technology, no company can fully develop alone." You might think that with a laptop broadcast movie or use their phones to take a taxi is a very natural thing, but the basis of these technologies are from Imec. It was not long before the electronics industry will greatly change our lives, Imec's job is to make our future is full of surprises. Imec opens the way for the chip industry, shrinking electronic circuit, make the computer function expanded to smart watches and augmented reality helmet.

Belgium town in the middle ages as a chip research and development center in the future

Smaller electronic circuits

Imec also help chip industry into the unfamiliar industry, so the Imec also in the development of self-driving cars and health monitoring earplugs chip. Early in the development of the chip industry, such as Imec group is not so important now. But now study how to reduce the chip size is more difficult, built in the production of chip factory cost is higher. Intel used to reduce the chip electronic circuit times every two years, but now become narrow twice every three years.

Today's chips using electronic components is small, can be placed side by side on the hair more than 700. According to the former Intel co-founder Gordon Moore, the prediction of Moore's law, the chip computing capacity can be doubled every two years. By 2024 the size of the electronic components is only 1/5000 of a human hair. You may also in trouble for the summer vacation, but the plan has already been row Imec until 2026. The key point of the study is to figure out how to improve today's electronic products, and getting clear development direction in the future.

Linley Group analyst David Kanter (David Kanter) said: "when we are looking for alternative to silicon, proving that the future technology in commercially viable cooperation is absolutely important. Basically, everyone is using the same equipment and process the same difficult physics problems." Imec new investment $1.1 billion dust-free workshop this month just put into use, the huge, bright White House area is close to standard football field.

Belgium town in the middle ages as a chip research and development center in the future

Dust-free workshop

Although, at present, the house is almost empty, but will soon be installed Imec researchers design chip miniaturization of equipment needed for the stage. Imec already had two dust-free workshop, but the new workshop for development is very important for the chip 2020 or later to see. The research of high-tech equipment only Dr Of topics like, including nanowires, extreme ultraviolet carved, spin electronics and materials III - V. These sounds like foreign language vocabulary, but in the end you will thank them, because they will make your smartphone more intelligent, computer brain to new areas such as automatic driving a car.

Imec chip manufacturing work vice President Aaron katyn Ann (Aaron Thean) said: "our mission is to make electronic components extend Moore's law. Imec is the first place of what we can do this job." Known as dust-free workshop because its any possible damage to the chip manufacturing process can filter dust particles. Although most real chips are confined in cleaner production truck size machine, but the staff still need to wear hair cover and put on "dusters", prevent hair and dander fall off.

Job scope

Imec founded in 1984, the Belgian government. But is almost at the same time, industry partners began to provide most of the budget, and is growing every year, to about $470 million in 2015. In contrast, Intel's years of research and development budget of $11.5 billion.

Imec in spread to new areas of expertise, the researchers did not processor is a health care, in the field of the chip technology can transform a blood test, DNA sequencing, drug development, and health monitoring. As well as auto industry, the chip is very important in radar and other sensors.

This year, Imec announced a merger with Belgium iMinds another research center, which focuses on the software, there are 1000 researchers. Van den hofer said: "in this industry, the development will die if you don't, Imec has been change yourself."