Crews have begun building a 30,000-square-foot clean room at the Albany NanoTech complex, which will be the centerpiece of the research hub's collaboration with IBM Corp.
Work started last week on the $338 million Center for Semiconductor Research, which should be ready to receive equipment by November, said James Ryan, Albany NanoTech's vice president of technology. The clean room is located at the so-called Nanofab North, part of the group of buildings at the University at Albany at the corner of Fuller Road and Washington Avenue Extension in Albany.
Once the center is finished, it will be the largest of four processing facilities for 300-millimeter silicon wafers, the platforms on which scientists will build ever-smaller semiconductors and computer chips.
IBM will use the facility for research and development, in addition to its main R&D facility in East Fishkill, Dutchess County.
Officials said the collaboration at the new building represents more than 10 years of effort and investment by the state, Albany NanoTech and Big Blue.
"This is the culmination of what we've been working on since 1993 or 1994," said Alain Kaloyeros, Albany NanoTech's executive director.
