April 26, 2012 — The College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering’s (CNSE) Smart System Technology and Commercialization Center of Excellence (STC), Canandaigua, NY, was designated as a Trusted Foundry by the US Department of Defense’s (DOD) Defense Microelectronics Agency.
The Trusted Foundry program is a DOD initiative to accredit trusted, secure sources for IC development and manufacturing for various defense and intelligence applications. With the accreditation, CNSE’s STC can now serve the DOD, intelligence agencies, allied foreign governments, and government contractors. STC houses over 30,000 square feet of certified cleanroom facilities to enable fabrication, packaging and testing.
The designation was achievable through STC’s ability to meet the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and the expansion of its secret security clearance through the Defense Security Service (DSS). In addition, DMEA requires all Trusted sources to maintain ISO registration, with CNSE’s STC having achieved ISO 9001:2008 certification at the end of 2011.
CNSE’s STC is New York’s only Trusted Foundry for the processing, packaging and assembly of micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS) and optoelectronic devices.
In recognizing the designation, New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo noted work to make the state “the epicenter of the global nanotechnology industry…through smart and targeted investments.” The classification as a Category 1A Trusted Foundry will help CNSE’s STC drive “new technology companies and high-tech jobs to the nanotechnology cluster in Western New York,” said CNSE SVP and CEO Dr. Alain E. Kaloyeros.
Next-generation MEMS are used in field-deployable, multi-functioning nanosensors and actuators, integrated system-on-a-chip (SOC) and system-in-a-package (SIP) technologies, and protective coatings and materials for the safety and security of military personnel and equipment, among other nanotechnology-based military applications. Also read: CNSE wins 6M in sensor projects for military power gen
The Trusted Foundry program seeks to maintain technological superiority for the U.S. military and ensure national security. Due to the rapid pace of technological development and the commercial microelectronics technology business climate that has shifted a significant amount of computer chip manufacturing offshore, that security is at risk. The Office of Secretary of Defense issued the Defense Trusted Integrated Circuits Strategy that established "Trust" as a minimum need for the Department of Defense in 2003 to address this risk.
Learn more about CNSE’s STC at www.cnse.albany.edu.
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