IITB, Applied Materials to set up new lab

MUMBAI, INDIA: Applied Materials, a provider for manufacturing solutions for the semiconductor and IIT Bombay, India's highest-rated university and a leader in education and research, today announced the state-of-the-art 'Applied Materials Chemistry Laboratory for Energy and Nanoelectronics' (CLEAN) at the IIT Bombay (IITB) campus.

This new laboratory expands the scope of collaboration between IIT Bombay and Applied Materials to include the development of new materials that can potentially be used in a variety of electronic and renewable energy-focused applications, including the fabrication of next-generation solar cells, said a press release.

The lab was launched today at a ceremony attended by Mike Splinter, chairman of the board, president and CEO of Applied Materials, Omkaram Nalamasu, chief technology officer of Applied Materials, and Prof. Devang Khakhar, director, IIT Bombay.

"This is a great example of the kind of university and corporate collaboration that is helping to advance technology by enabling world-class research, innovation and workforce development," said Mike Splinter.

He added that their goal is to serve as a catalyst for developing the critical technology needed to solve many challenges of next-generation electronic and solar device manufacturing.

"Applied Materials has grown to become IIT Bombay's most important industry collaborator in terms of the scale of research collaboration," said Professor Devang Khakhar.

He added that they welcome the establishment of the Applied Materials CLEAN laboratory through Applied's generous support. This will begin a new phase of the collaboration in  areas related to renewable energy, which are a focus of IIT Bombay's research.

The event also celebrates a successful five-year relationship between IIT Bombay and Applied Materials for nano-electronics and solar photovoltaic technology research.

"The Indian government is enabling the creation of an ecosystem that will promote research in photovoltaic and nanoelectronics to drive expertise and competence in these fields," said Dr. Omkaram Nalamasu.