As one of China’s most important optoelectronic high-tech research bases, the Department of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics is founded on the national key discipline Microelectronics and Solid State Electronics. It conducts the basic research for the application of the semiconductor, related materials and devices, aimed at solving important scientific issues in the international frontier science and technology and meeting important national needs. Meanwhile, it actively carries out industry-university-research (IUR) cooperation by following the development trend of micronanoelectronic technology and new optoelectronics technology. It has now nurtured a large number of high-quality talents in the microelectronics and optoelectronics and made remarkable achievements in team building, scientific research, laboratory construction and the transformation and application of high-tech achievements.
The predecessor of the department was one of the earliest established semiconductor sections in China (1956). In 1993, it was approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council to confer doctoral degrees. In 1994, it was awarded the title of key discipline in Jiangsu Province. In 1998, it set up the electronic science and technology postdoctoral research station. In 1999, it was assigned positions for Ministry of Education (MOE) distinguished professors of Changjiang Scholars. In 2001, it came out among the best when applying for the national key discipline in the evaluation of the discipline of microelectronics and solid state electronics, while in 2007, it came out the second best in the national key discipline evaluation. Now, the department has built up an outstanding research group, led by Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) academician Zheng Youliao and composed of high-caliber young and middle-aged academic leaders including MOE distinguished professors of Changjiang Scholars and winners of the National Science Fund for Outstanding Young Scholars. Specifically, there are 27 professors and 4 associate professors, including 2 “global experts” and 3 MOE distinguished professors of Changjiang Scholars, 5 Outstanding Youth Fund winners, 8 young talents in various fields, and 2 “Innovation Groups” nominated by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NNSFC).
In 2003, the department established the Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic and Electronic Materials Sciences and Technology. In 2011, it was among the first batch to be included in Jiangsu Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Solid-State Lighting and Energy-Saving Electronics. In 2013, it set up the National and Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Semiconductor Energy-Saving Devices and Materials. In 2015, it formed the National Demonstrative School of Microelectronics. In 2019, it founded the Ministry of Education’s Engineering Research Center for Optoelectronic Materials and Chip Technology.
The research directions of the Microelectronics and Optoelectronics Department include the following:
1. Materials and devices of wide band gap semiconductor heterostructure
2. Low-dimensional semiconductor structure and micro-nanoelectronics
3. Microstructured optoelectronic materials and devices
4. Spin electron and ultrafast photoelectron spectroscopy
5. Integrated circuit design
6. Photoelectron applications and industrialization technologies
Currently, the department is undertaking research on a number of cutting-edge topics in the field of optoelectronic information functional materials and devices, including various national projects such as “973” Plan, “863” Plan, major research instrument development projects, National Natural Science Foundation Innovation Group Projects, and Jiangsu “Innovation and Entrepreneurship Plan,” high-tech research plans, prospective IUR joint research projects, and innovative talent funds and basic research programs. The department has achieved fruitful research results such as the following: Basic Research on Several Low-Dimensional Semiconductor Surface Interface Regulation and Device, awarded the second prize of the 2017 National Science and Technology Award for Natural Science; Advanced Day Blind UV Detection and Application Technology, awarded the second prize of the 2016 National Technology Invention; New Semiconductor Heterostructure and Device Physics Research, awarded the second prize of the 2004 National Science and Technology Award for Natural Science; The Construction Principle and Photoelectron Characteristics of the Ordered Thyristor-Based Quantum Structure, awarded the second prize of the 2003 National Science and Technology Award for Natural Science; and Semiconductor Nanostructure Regulation, Integration and Device Application Basis and other achievements, awarded 14 provincial and ministerial science and technology awards. Over the past few years, the department has obtained more than 100 national invention patents and published papers in top international academic journals such as Nature Nanotechnology and Nature Electronics. At the same time, it has established long-term relationships of exchange and cooperation with well-known universities and research institutions in many countries and in Hong Kong and Taiwan regions. It has sent out and received graduate students and scholars to conduct joint research and jointly undertake research topics in such international cooperation and exchange.
In talents education, the department is committed to cultivating and bringing up high-quality professional talents with comprehensive, intelligent and creative qualities. Its undergraduates are suitable for continuing to pursue graduate degrees in microelectronics and related inter-disciplines in research institutions (one third of its undergraduates being in this category at present), providing talent teams for basic research and applied research. They are also suitable for technological development, applied research and managerial work in high-tech enterprises, chip design and manufacturing companies. The three national-level experimental teaching platforms, including the National-Level Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center, and the National Off-Campus Practice Education Base for Undergraduates, Nanjing University-Jiangsu Changdian Scientific and Technical Corporation Engineering Practice Education Center, have laid a solid foundation for the training of talents with expertise in microelectronics. In recent years, the department has presided over 30 educational reform projects (at the provincial level or above), has published 39 papers on educational reform in journals such as Higher Engineering Education Research, and has won the first and second prizes of excellent teaching results of Jiangsu Province. The undergraduates from the department have participated in the China college students’ “Internet plus” Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition, the national “Challenge Cup” contest, the electronics design competition, the college students’ integrated circuit design competition and so on and have won 84 awards of the provincial and ministerial level or above.
At present, the Department of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics has the nation’s best laboratories that are open to students, including a floor area of over 2,000 square meters for an ultra-clean laboratory of micro-manufacturing and integrated technique center, which has a complete semiconductor chip processing line, more than 200 sets of material and device testing facilities including MOCVD, MBE and other material growth facilities, and a complete software/hardware environment needed for integrated circuit design, including multiple high-performance servers, Synopsys, and Mentor EDA tools for the complete university program, which can be employed in chip design, logic synthesis, layout design, device simulation and other work. In the construction of “985,” “211” and “Double First-Rate” projects, the government and the university have invested more than 100 million yuan in the research infrastructure for this discipline and related laboratories and have built a large number of designated and shared facilities so as to strengthen the conditions for studying semiconductor optoelectronic material and device technology. In addition, the “Nanjing University Micro-Processing Center,” which the department has participated in constructing, has the nation’s first-class experimental conditions.
Serving as the important optoelectronic high-tech research base in China, the Department of Microelectronics and Optoelectronics always attaches great importance to promoting technological progress, upgrading and transformation of related industries in China, especially in Jiangsu Province by transforming its technological achievements. In recent years, it actively cooperates with local enterprises and built up the NJU Optoelectronics Engineering Research Institute, the NJU-Yangzhou Optoelectronic Institute and several other new research and development institutions in Nanjing, with many technological achievements successfully transformed to application.
Nanjing University’s School of Microelectronics, one of the demonstrative schools that MOE planned to construct in 17 universities in the country, explores a multi-party collaborative and innovative teaching model to meet the needs of the integrated circuit industry by basing its work on its disciplines of microelectronics and optoelectronics and tapping into the university’s academic strengths in semiconductor physics, materials and devices, and integrated circuit design. The School of Microelectronics follows the principle of “improving design, expanding manufacturing and building the packaging and testing base” and developed mutually-supporting chains of talents, innovation and industry by collaborating with a number of research institutes of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation, TSMC’s NJ branch, Hynix and JCET Group, expecting to cultivate innovative talents with high professional standards and an international vision. What’s more, it strives to integrate high-level talent training with high-level industrial technologies, high-quality research and high-efficiency achievements transformation, jointly providing strong support and significant guarantee for comprehensively promoting the engineering and technical personnel training of the integrated circuit industry.
Looking into the future, the department will adhere to its development principle of “combining university and research, strengthening the characteristics, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration, and seizing high points” and will jointly build institutes with enterprises. By joining efforts with its partners and integrating manufacturing and education, it can achieve mutual benefits and a win-win outcome, and achieve leapfrogging development.
