Extremely Small, Profoundly Big: imec's Forty-Year Microchip Odyssey

January 1984. Italian cyclist Francesco Moser set a new world hour record. U.S. President Ronald Reagan formally announced that he would seek a second term. And Apple's first-ever Macintosh computer hit stores. Meanwhile, Belgium was also preparing for a landmark event, with the official launch of the imec research center on January 16.

Initially, the organization employed 70 people. Little did anyone know that imec would grow into a powerhouse with more than 5,500 employees worldwide over the next four decades. What began as an initiative driven by a handful of visionary KU Leuven researchers has, forty years later, become a world-leading R&D center for microchip technology. Let’s take a look back at forty years of imec.

The trailblazer: Roger Van Overstraeten

Reflecting on forty years of imec inevitably brings to mind the visionary leadership of Roger Van Overstraeten, imec’s founding force and inaugural CEO.

Following his graduation from Stanford University, Roger Van Overstraeten could have pursued a lucrative career at Silicon Valley. Instead, he made the deliberate choice to return to Flanders, Belgium, where he embarked on a journey to develop the next generations of semiconductors with his dedicated team of KU Leuven University researchers. At that time, semiconductor technology was nascent and yet to establish its significance, whereas today, it is embedded in virtually every aspect of our lives – as semiconductors underpin the very essence of electronic devices, spanning smartphones, computers, televisions, and cameras.

“I remember imec’s inception as if it were yesterday. Everyone realized it was the start of something unique and was eager to be a part of it!”

Roger's unwavering ambition was evident from the start: establishing an unparalleled research facility dedicated to microchip technology. This audacious vision ignited passion and captivated minds – a flame that continues to burn brightly well into the 21st century.

Naturally, skepticism and reservations arose. Some questioned whether a region as modest in scale as Flanders could spearhead such a venture. Concerns regarding investment costs lingered. Nevertheless, Roger persisted. By the close of 1983, he received the green light: the “Interuniversity Micro-Electronics Center” – abbreviated as imec – was ready to be founded.

• Official founding date: January 16, 1984.
• Mission: to make microchips ever smaller, more powerful, and more energy efficient.  

As a young doctoral student on Roger Van Overstraeten's team, I remember that day – and the euphoria that accompanied it – as if it were yesterday. Everyone realized it was the start of something unique and was eager to be a part of it! 

That is how Roger Van Overstraeten – driven by a keen eye for technological innovation and unwavering determination – laid the groundwork for imec. Four decades later, these two characteristics are still ingrained in our DNA.

Forty years of an exciting journey

The past four decades have been an exhilarating rollercoaster ride, a dynamic trajectory reflecting the ambitious vision of Roger Van Overstraeten in imec's early years and scaling with the obstacles encountered.

One of these obstacles has been the need for ever more advanced equipment and infrastructure to fuel the industry’s quest for increasingly powerful, miniaturized microchips. It has led imec to amass an unrivaled collection of laboratories, cleanrooms, and state-of-the-art (prototype) equipment on which the entire ecosystem builds to accelerate its R&D.

“Two decisions that particularly shaped imec’s technological trajectory include our investment in a 300mm cleanroom and the launch of our (EUV) lithography program.”

 Attracting this ecosystem of partners (from material and device suppliers to chip and end-product manufacturers) has come with its own complexities. For example, given the intricate nature of our research programs, we've had to develop a unique pre-competitive collaboration model. This framework ensures that resources (such as equipment, researchers, and intellectual property) are shared among all partners – including imec – to spread risks and costs. It is an early embodiment of open innovation, so to speak.

Over the years, we have had to make difficult decisions in both these areas – all against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving chip industry and the challenges that come with continued chip scaling.

Two decisions that particularly shaped imec’s technological trajectory include our investment in a 300mm cleanroom and the launch of our (EUV) lithography program. And, in parallel, our unique collaboration framework led to demanding negotiations with the industry’s key stakeholders. 

Each step entailed a leap of faith for the entire industry and marked a pivotal moment in imec’s future. Yet, they all proved fruitful. They have allowed us to continue to push boundaries and foster collaborations with the world’s leading players, such as ASML, Intel, Samsung, and TSMC – thus realizing Roger Van Overstraeten’s vision.

Diversity and multiculturalism, passion and commitment

I'm often asked what the key to imec’s success is. As I mentioned, making timely and informed decisions is fundamental. But there's more to it than that.

“At imec, diversity is not just a concept – it is part of who we are."

What sets imec apart is our spirit of diversity and multiculturalism. The different backgrounds and cultures of our employees not only foster creativity but also shape the way imec negotiates and collaborates. Understanding and respecting different cultures has been crucial in successfully orchestrating large international projects. At imec, diversity is not just a concept – it is part of who we are.

And yet another thing I find particularly remarkable is that the passion and commitment that characterized us – employees from the first hour – still resonates in the younger generations who bring their best to imec every day. The pride of contributing to imec's success emanates from them every time we interact and whenever they represent imec at conferences around the world. This is truly inspiring!

In other words, reflecting on imec’s forty-year microchip odyssey fills me with immense pride. It is not only the efforts of Roger Van Overstraeten or his successors – Gilbert Declerck and myself – that have made imec what it is today. Our success is due to the collective efforts of the entire imec community, day in and day out. It foretells a promising future for the next four decades, in which our goal is nothing less than to maintain our position as a critical player in chip research and development, pursuing breakthrough innovations that improve everyone’s life.