CMC TO MANAGE $9.3 MILLION FROM CANADA FOUNDATION FOR INNOVATION TO DEVELOP NATIONAL TEST COLLABORATORY

For Release Feb. 14th, 2002


CMC TO MANAGE $9.3 MILLION FROM CANADA FOUNDATION FOR INNOVATION TO DEVELOP NATIONAL TEST COLLABORATORY
        
February 14th, 2002-Kingston, Ontario- CMC (Canadian Microelectronics Corporation) announced today a national initiative bringing world-class microelectronics and photonics test tools and techniques online for researchers at Canadian universities. CMC will manage a $9.3 Million award from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) through Queen’s University for the development of a National Microelectronics and Photonics Testing Collaboratory. This award builds upon earlier investments by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), CFI and Ontario Innovation Trust, and will enable university researchers to use the Internet to access the best available resources in the world to test and validate high-performance microchip designs at the levels of speed and complexity that the technology makes possible.

Over the next four years, the test collaboratory will evolve to include 22 Canadian institutions from CMC’s National Design Network that are conducting research in microelectronics and related fields. Four specialized test laboratories will host the test equipment: the Advanced Photonics Lab at Queen’s University; the Advanced Mixed-Signal Lab at McGill University; the Advanced Digital Systems Lab at the University of Toronto; and the Advanced RF Lab at the University of Manitoba.

This test infrastructure will facilitate both onsite and remote access to state-of-the-art equipment for the verification and test of system-on-chip (SOC) technology, mixed-signal (digital plus analog) systems, radio frequency (RF) components, and light-based (photonic) systems. It is the first comprehensive test collaboratory of its kind anywhere in the world. To achieve this advanced infrastructure, the CFI funds will be augmented by funds from other government sources and industry, for a total project value of over $23 million dollars.

Dr. Brian Barge, President and CEO of CMC, says increased access to leading-edge microchip and photonics test capability is pivotal to maintaining Canada’s lead in university infrastructure for research and development in microelectronics and related fields:

“The increasing linkage between microelectonics and photonics is changing the nature of microchip designs being developed within the research community. Canadian university researchers will now be able to verify and test their new designs at a speed and complexity that is equivalent to their design capability. This increases the competitive edge of highly qualified Canadian graduates, and the companies for which they work.”

Dr. John Cartledge of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Queen's University says, “The CFI funding makes a significant contribution toward the development of a truly exceptional Photonics Systems Test Lab. Researchers from Queen's and other Canadian universities will have remote and on-site access to state-of-the-art instrumentation for virtually all aspects of photonic systems testing. The facility will play a crucial role in CMC's future activities as key functions traditionally implemented in the electronic domain continue to migrate to the photonics domain."

Dr. Tom Brzustowski, President of NSERC observed the importance of projects such as the National Test Collaboratory in relation to the development of highly qualified people in Canada: “We are delighted that CMC, Queen's, and the other participating universities
are able to augment NSERC's longstanding investments in microelectronics and
related fields. CMC enables graduate students to be trained at the state of
the art in the industry --and that kind of training is at the very heart of
Canada's scientific and economic future"

"The National Collaboratory is an example of the type of collaboration
supported through the Canada Foundation for Innovation" said Dr. David W.
Strangway, CFI's President and CEO. "This project will strengthen Canada's
capacity to compete globally by providing universities the tools to attract
and retain talented faculty, and to train the next generation of
researchers."

About CMC
CMC is a unique model of government/industry/university collaboration that delivers to Canadian universities advanced tools and technologies to enable leading-edge research and high-quality training in microelectronics and related areas.

Established in 1984, CMC is a not-for-profit corporation and is funded by
the federal Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, matched by
industrial contributions of technology, services and cash. CMC is also managing major grants from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust through Queen’s university to deliver research infrastructure for system-on-chip investigations at Canadian universities. CMC's membership includes 44 universities and 25 industrial organizations. More information about the company is available at http://www.cmc.ca.

About the Canada Foundation for Innovation

The CFI is an independent, not-for-profit corporation established by the Government of Canada in 1997 to address an urgent need of Canada's research community: new, state-of-the-art research infrastructure. The Foundation covers 40% of the eligible costs of projects, with the remaining 60% coming from the research institutions and their funding partners from the public, private, and voluntary sectors. www.innovation.ca

About NSERC

NSERC is the primary federal agency investing in people, discovery, and innovation. The Council supports both basic university research through research grants and project research through partnerships among universities, governments and the private sector,
as well as the advanced training of highly qualified people. www.nserc.ca

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For more information, please contact:
Sonya Shorey
Canadian Microelectronics Corp. (CMC)
613-530-4698
613-851-9416
shorey@cmc.ca