CMC Microsystems

CMC Microsystems, Montréal, Québec
What the facility does

Advanced technology microsystems and nanotechnology manufacturing capabilities foundational to semiconductor (microchip) and industrial sectors essential to Canada’s competitiveness. 

Areas of expertise

CMC Microsystems lowers barriers to conducting R&D in advanced technologies by coordinating cost-shared access to products and services for designing and manufacturing prototypes from a global supply chain of more than 100 suppliers. The focus is on foundational technologies – microelectronics, photonics, edge processing (artificial intelligence, machine learning), microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), quantum technologies, and nanotechnologies. 

CMC offers researchers technical support for: 

  • Access to state-of-the-art commercial software tools for design and simulation; a secure, distributed private cloud for hosting (CAD)
  • Cost-sharing for commercial fabrication processes for microsystems (FAB)
  • Technology platforms to mitigate risk and accelerate research and innovation; test equipment loans for short-term needs; technical services including quantum coding (LAB)
Research services

Access to computer-aided design (CAD), fabrication (FAB), and laboratory (LAB) products and services for the design, simulation, prototyping and/or testing of micro-nanotechnologies. This includes microelectronics, photonics, embedded systems and software, materials, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS research), and quantum technologies. Offerings include:  

  • More than 85 computer-aided design (CAD) tool suites available via desktop or CMC Cloud
  • Over 300 user guides, design flows and training materials 
  • Over 650 programmable development systems 
  • 40 Canadian university-based fabrication laboratories 
  • 25 multi-project wafer (MPW) services available through eight foundries worldwide 
  • 80 pieces of test equipment for rent (including technical support and advice to help choose the equipment to meet the needs). These include 3-month loans of analyzers, amplifiers, bit error rate testers (BERTs), meters, scopes, generators, probe station, pumps, imaging equipment, etc.
  • More than 30 training courses, webinars, fabrication workshops, and events annually

CMC makes real-world processes – microchip (chip) design, fabrication and test – available at institutions across Canada affordable for highly qualified graduates that join Canadian companies or start their own firms.

 

Sectors of application
  • Aerospace and satellites
  • Agriculture, animal science and food
  • Automotive
  • Clean technology
  • Defence and security industries
  • Energy
  • Environmental technologies and related services
  • Financial services and insurance
  • Forestry and forest-based industries
  • Healthcare and social services
  • Information and communication technologies and media
  • Life sciences, pharmaceuticals and medical equipment
  • Manufacturing and processing
  • Mining, minerals and metals
  • Ocean industries
  • Transportation
  • Utilities
Specialized facility Equipment Function

CAD Services

 

Microelectronics CAD: 

  • Cadence
  • Coventor
  • Keysight
  • Mentor
  • softMEMS
  • Synopsys
  • Solido
Design, simulation, verification, layout, and analysis of ASIC and PCB designs in microelectronics, MEMS and photonics.
CAD Services

Photonics CAD: 

  • ARM
  • Design Workshop
  • Luceda
  • Lumerical
  • Siemens Mentor
  • Optiwave
  • Photon Design
  • RSoft
Integrated environments for the design, for the design, capture, layout, and verification of optic components.
CAD Services

FPGA/Embedded Systems CAD: 

  • Altium
  • ARM
  • IAR Systems
  • IntelFPGA
  • NI Labview
  • Mentor
  • Synopsys
  • VectorBlox
  • Xilinx
Integrated development environments for FPGA platforms plus design and verification tools and processor technology. 
CAD Services

Multiphysics CAD Tools: 

  • ANSYS
  • COMSOL
  • FEI
  • SolidWorks
Modelling, including 3D visualization, simulation and analysis.
CAD Services

Quantum CAD: 

  • ANSYS
  • Cadence
  • COMSOL
  • Keysight
  • Siemens Mentor
  • SolidWorks
  • Synopsys
Design, simulation, verification, layout, and analysis of designs in superconducting, semiconductor and photonics quantum devices.

FAB Services

 

 

CMOS Prototyping (including process design kits - PDKs): 

  • GLOBALFOUNDRIES® - 12nm FinFET, 22nm FDSOI, 45nm RFSOI, 90nm BiCMOS SiGe 9hP, 130nm BiCMOS SiGe 8XP
  • STMicroelectronics 28nm
  • TSMC – 28nm, 65nm GP, 65nm LP, 130nm, 180nm, 350nm
  • AMS 350nm (Basic, HV, Opto)
Cost-shared access to multi-project wafer fabrication services targeting commercial sources.
FAB Services

MEMS Prototyping (including PDKs): 

  • TDSI MIDIS
  • Science PolyMUMPS (including post-processing)
  • PiezoMUMPS
Cost-shared access to multi-project wafer fabrication services.
FAB Services
  • III-V epitaxy on InP, GaAs or GE substrates
  • III-V Labs, Azastra, CPFC, FBH, Fraunhofer, Landmark
Custom epitaxy services sourcing worldwide.
FAB Services

Photonics Prototyping (including PDKs): 

  • AMF Silicon Photonics
  • III-V epitaxy on InP/GaAs/GE substrates (various sources)
  • GLOBALFOUNDRIES® 45SPCLO
Cost-shared access to multi-project wafer fabrication services.
FAB ServicesPackaging and assembly equipmentStandard component wire bond; single or multi-die assembly; custom packaging and assembly services; engineering support.
LAB Services

Development Boards and PXI Cards: 

  • Xilinx ML605 and ZCU102 boards
  • NI and Keysight PXI cards (chassis, scopes, SMUs, analyzers, generators, controllers)
  • Atlas DK AI Developer Kit
Equipment and software loan for AI and Embedded Systems Development.
LAB ServicesFabrication, Assembly, Characterization and Test (FACT)Custom fabrication and characterization services from Canadian university labs.
LAB Services

Nanofabrication Process Design Environment: 

  • CMC
  • camLine
Cloud-based design environment for nanotechnology researchers including XperiDesk-driven process repository.
LAB Services

FPGA and SOC Evaluation and Development Kits 

  • Xilinx
  • Intel/Terasic
FPGAs, memory and industry-standard peripherals suitable for a wide range of applications including acceleration, high-performance heterogeneous agile computing and/or processing, and software-defined radio.
LAB ServicesHeterogeneous Computing Middleware Platform (HCMP)Software Platform. Middle-ware for developing industrial-strength heterogeneous computing software.
LAB ServicesPXI-based Microsystems Integration PlatformMulti-technology validation of a micro-device in a system context.
LAB ServicesGPU-based Multiprocessor Array PlatformAccelerated processing of algorithms and simulations.
LAB Services

Cloud-based Clusters: 

  • Atlas 800 Cluster (model 9000)
  • FPGA/GPU Cluster
Accelerate compute intensive applications, especially AI training and inference. Stack and complete ecosystem of machine learning frameworks.
LAB ServicesIBM Quantum Computers (127-65-, 27-, 16- and 7-qubit systems)Specialized access to IBM Quantum Hub at Institut quantique - training, quantum coding service.
  • Acadia University 
  • Algoma University 
  • Algonquin College 
  • Assiniboine Community College 
  • British Columbia Institute of Technology
  • Cape Breton University 
  • Carleton University 
  • Cégep de Sherbrooke
  • Cégep de Trois-Rivières
  • Centennial College 
  • Collège Lionel-Groulx 
  • Concordia University 
  • Conestoga College 
  • Dalhousie University 
  • École de Technologie Supérieure 
  • Fleming College
  • Georgian College 
  • Humber College 
  • Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) 
  • Lakehead University 
  • Laurentian University 
  • McGill University 
  • McMaster University 
  • Memorial University  
  • Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology 
  • Nipissing University
  • Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) 
  • Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC)
  • Ontario Tech University
  • Polytechnique Montréal 
  • Queen's University 
  • Red River College Polytechnic (RRC Polytech)
  • Royal Military College of Canada 
  • Saint Mary's University 
  • Sheridan College
  • Simon Fraser University 
  • Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT)
  • St. Lawrence College 
  • Toronto Metropolitan University
  • Trent University
  • Université de Moncton 
  • Université de Montréal 
  • Université de Sherbrooke Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) 
  • Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) 
  • Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) 
  • Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR) 
  • Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)
  • Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) 
  • Université Laval 
  • University of Alberta 
  • University of British Columbia 
  • University of Calgary 
  • University of Guelph 
  • University of Lethbridge 
  • University of Manitoba 
  • University of New Brunswick 
  • University of Northern British Columbia 
  • University of Ottawa 
  • University of Prince Edward Island
  • University of Regina
  • University of Saskatchewan 
  • University of Toronto 
  • University of Victoria 
  • University of Waterloo 
  • University of Windsor 
  • Western University 
  • Wilfrid Laurier University 
  • York University
TitleURL
CMC Microsystems Success Stories.www.cmc.ca/SuccessStories
CMC Microsystems Corporate Reports (Annual Report, Fabrication Reports, etc.).https://www.cmc.ca/corporate-reports/
CMC Microsystems News Releases.https://www.cmc.ca/cmc-news/
FABrIC – Canada’s Semiconductor Ecosystem, Accelerated.https://www.cmc.ca/FABrIC
Virtual Incubator Environment (VIE) for Startups.https://www.cmc.ca/VIE
CMC Microsystems equipment rental.https://www.cmc.ca/equipment/
Computer-aided design (CAD) services.www.cmc.ca/CAD
Fabrication (FAB) services.www.cmc.ca/FAB
Laboratory (LAB) services.www.cmc.ca/LAB