IMB-CNM opens the doors to the public during Science Week 2025 with guided visits

Science Week 2025, promoted by the Fundació Catalana per a la Recerca i la Innovació (FCRI), returned this year to spark citizens’ curiosity once again. As part of this initiative, and following a long-standing tradition, the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM) opened its doors by organizing guided tours through its unique facilities. In total, 33 people took part in the three scheduled visits to explore the world of chips. 

During the hour-and-a-half tour, participants had the opportunity to take a close look at the technology that surrounds their daily lives, learn about the unique process of chip fabrication, and explore the evolution of the discipline by visiting the Zenon Navarro Microelectronics Area. There, visitors found various pieces of historical fabrication equipment and graphic resources illustrating different microelectronics processes.

The visit concluded in the perimeter corridor and maintenance areas of the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room, where research and device development take place. It is the largest public clean room in Spain and is recognized as a Unique Science and Technology Infrastructure (ICTS) by the Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities.

The tours were led by scientific and technical staff from the institute, who also explained their work and motivations:

• Jordi Antoja, postdoctoral researcher trained in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at the UAB. He is currently a quantum-lines engineer at the institute, working in quantum technologies within the NEMS and Nanofabrication Group (NanoNEMS).
• Yohana López, a chemist specialized in electrochemistry and a member of the Chemical Transducers Group (GTQ). She works as a technician in the Integrated Photonics Platform at IMB-CNM.
• Xavier Mas, Head of Maintenance at IMB-CNM, and responsible for the service facilities of the clean room. He participated in two visits to explain how water is deionized, how the pH of acids is controlled, and how air ventilation inside the clean room is managed.
• Martin Pérez, electronic engineer and PhD in engineering sciences, is carrying out a postdoctoral stay in the Radiation Detectors Group at IMB-CNM, funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellowship (No. 101106191). His work focuses on developing silicon carbide neutron detectors for applications in FLASH radiotherapy.

The organization and registration management tasks were also actively supported by Natalia Bermejo, Sabela Rey, José Luis Ávila, and Tomás Moreno, which contributed to the smooth running of the activity and helped bring microelectronics closer to society.