ACCESS

PROTOCOL OF ACCESS TO THE MICRONANOFABS DISTRIBUTED ICTS

The MICRONANOFABS Distributed Network of Clean Rooms for Micro and Nanofabrication offers access and use of the infrastructures of the three nodes that form the network to both, the researchers from the public and private sectors under a competitive and open access mode. The network offers, as well, the technological support and the research expertise on micro and nanotechnologies, photonics and electrical, physical, optical and magnetic characterisation of materials, devices and circuits. The network also offers packaging and integration of components and systems services.

Services of design and consultancy prior to the fabrication of demonstrators are also covered by MICRONANOFABS together with other important activities of training of scientific and technical personnel on demand. MICRONANOFABS can also be the technological partner for research groups and industrial players in national and international R+D+I projects and contracts.

The Access to the three nodes through the MICRONANOFABS protocol will give the highest priority to the requests which in turn might also benefit of special fares.

HOW TO ACCESS

The access to the Micro/Nanofabrication and Characterization offered by the three nodes of the network is performed centrally through the online form.

The request can be generic or for a specific node. In both cases an external committee will evaluate the scientific quality and viability of the proposal. In case of approval, the Coordinator of the Network will contact the applicant to inform him on the node that will carry-out the work. The responsible person of the respective node will contact the applicant to prepare and carry out the requested work.

ACCESS TYPES

MICRONANOFABS offers single or combined access to its three nodes in two modes:

MODE 1

Application for a work to be done by the staff of the nodes of the ICTS

This is the most common type of access. It is the preferred option to do a complete manufacturing process. It is also the way of access when, due to the complexity of the required equipment, it cannot be operated directly by the applicant or when the applicant does not have the necessary expertise in micro/nanofabrication.

MODE 2

Qualified self-service access

Some processes and equipment can be directly used by outside users having sufficient expertise to operate them. In any case, no matter what the provenance or expertise, the applicant user must follow a pre-qualification process. In the website of each node there is a list of equipment opened for self-service access mode.

ACCESS CALLS

MICRONANOFABS has the Access Call permanently open since January 2016. The Access Committee meets periodically to facilitate the implementation of the service in the most efficient way. When necessary, a special procedure will enable rapid assessment.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

The access evaluation committee will determine the viability and the prioritization of the proposals according to the following criteria:

  1. Scientific and/or technological quality
  2. Technological viability within the infrastructure of the ICTS
  3. Temporary restrictions in accordance to the requested deadlines

In case of access applications emanating from R & D projects already funded by a competitive call by European or national funding agencies, the proposal will not be re-evaluated by the Access Committee according to the criterion a) of scientific quality. In this case the request for access shall include the code and name of the associated project and the source of financing.

CONDUCTING THE ACCESS

  •  If the requested action requires the participation of more than one node, the Coordinator of the Network will inform about the person that will be his/her main contact, according to the weight of work to be performed in each node.
  •  In Mode 1, the presence of the applicant researcher is not required and all the work will be performed by technicians of the corresponding network nodes under the supervision of the Coordinator of the Network.
  •  In Mode 2, the applicant researcher will have to accept the access and security rules associated to the respective node. After obtaining a positive evaluation (pre-qualification) to use an instrument, the researcher will agree the work programming with the Coordinator of the respective node and in agreement with the Coordinator of the Network.

OPEN CALLS TO ACCESS FINANCING

At present MICINN does not have a specific call to directly fund the access to the MICRONANOFABS ICTS Network. Therefore, the cost must be fulfilled by the applicant. The coordinator will inform on the cost of the access that will have to be approved by the applicant before starting the access.

Finally, applicants participating in the Spanish Plan Estatal de I+D+i of MICINN may express their interest in accessing to MICRONANOFABS at the time the project proposal is made. This will ensure that the project costs associated to the ICTS infrastructures access are perfectly eligible and accepted by MICINN as project cost.