Demo floor

Imec makes ultra-sensitive, small ultrasound sensors based on thin-film technologies, that will revolutionize medical imaging techniques such as ultrasound and photoacoustics imaging. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize organs and tissues inside the body. Photoacoustics is based on the photoacoustic effect, where light is used to generate ultrasound waves. It has a higher resolution because it leverages optical contrast. We will showcase our optomechanical ultrasound sensor (OMUS) with unprecedented sensitivity, and our large-area ultrasound technology, allowing fabrication of flexible ultrasound patches. 

Photoacoustic imaging uses laser light on a tissue, that consequently generates ultrasound waves that are detected and processed to form images of the biological structures. Imec has developed a miniaturized microphone for photoacoustic imaging with unprecedented contrast performance. It enables low-power large-depth imaging for speciation analysis, metabolite detection, sub-cutaneous diagnosis etc. 

Flow cytometry is a powerful technique used in biology, medicine, and various other fields to analyze and characterize cells and particles based on their physical and chemical properties. It allows to identify specific types of cells, a recurring process in applications such as cell and gene therapy (CGT) manufacturing and quality control of the cellular product. Imec develops miniaturized on-chip flow cytometers, ideally suited for fast and cost-effective processing of cells, currently a major bottleneck in above mentioned cell therapy manufacturing. With this technology, imec e.g. collaborates with an Austrian technology startup Sarcura to develop automated T-cell separation for use in CGT manufacturing. Discover at this demo booth the flow cytometry chip with monolithically integrated silicon nitride photonics structures and microfluidics.

Sorting 20 million cells per minute, imec’s on-chip cytometry and cell sorting technology is a key component for label-based of label-free cell selection. It can e.g. be used for CAR-T cell therapy with single-patient bioreactors, or for immuno profiling for personalized cancer therapy (such as immune checkpoint inhibitor drugs). 

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a 3D optical imaging modality, that is crucial for retinal disease diagnosis and management. Current systems are bulky and expensive. Imec develops on-chip OCT as a compact and cost-effective alternative enabling wide-spread use beyond large clinics and hospitals. At this demo, you will discover the newly developed OCT chip with silicon nitride waveguides and germanium photodetectors. 

Spectral imaging can revolutionize surgical procedures by offering real-time insights into tissue composition during surgery. Imec introduces on-chip spectral filter technology, enabling highly integrated and compact spectral imaging systems with video-rate capabilities. These sensors are ideally suited for integration into a variety of surgical imaging systems such as surgical microscopes, exoscope cameras, proximity cameras for laparoscopy and distal on-tip cameras for endoscopy. Discover the latest developments in this field at the hyperspectral booth for medical imaging. 

Industrial processes such as chemical or bioprocesses require regular quality and process control to ensure a good yield. Today, this is mainly performed offline, disturbing the process flow. Imec develops multimodal sensors for continuous realtime inline/online monitoring. In this demo, a newly developed sensor probe for this application will be shown. 

Controlling bioburden (e.g. bacteria, fungi) is crucial in biomanufacturing processes, particularly in industries such as pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and food manufacturing, where product quality and safety are of the greatest concern. Imec develops a miniaturized solution to monitor bioburden in bioreactors. It’s based on lens-free imaging technology and PCR-on-chip. 

Neuropixels probes are miniature tools for high-density recording of neural signals, and for optical stimulation of the brain. They are used in over 900 labs worldwide for studying brain function and behavior in animal models. The probes are designed, developed and fabricated at imec, in collaboration with HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Allen Institute for Brain Science, and University College London. In this demo, we will show our latest Neuropixels probes and systems for electrical recording, as well as an active demo of our Optopix device, a prototype for combined electrical recording and optical stimulation. 

Nerve stimulation is being studied as a non-pharmacological alternative for treating conditions such as chronic pain, depression, and inflammatory diseases. To become a success, the nerve-stimulation devices need to become more effective, smaller, and low power. Imec demonstrates how its selective stimulation delivery methods, miniaturization capabilities, innovative (glass) encapsulation solutions and algorithms for closed-loop stimulation could transform this promising field of therapy. 

With organ-on-chip technology, one can mimic an organ’s cell and tissue activity on silicon. It allows to study biological functions and disease-related phenomena without using animal models. Other applications are personalized medicine and drug screening / development. In this demo, we will show our silicon-based sensor and actuator platforms that can interface with in-vitro cell cultures and tissues. Also, we will dive into our latest developments on a blood-brain barrier chip. 

Unobtrusive methods for health sensing are considered essential in the journey towards continuous vital sign monitoring. To accommodate this need, imec has developed robust vital sign monitoring technology built upon laser speckle-based sensing. Thanks to novel algorithms and sensor technology, it outperforms existing optical health sensors in terms of signal quality, and insensitivity to ambient light variations, while retaining performance irrespective of skin tone. This demo showcases speckle-based sensor technology in both remote and contact-mode, for use in clinical applications. 

OnePlanet Research Center develops advanced ingestible devices to measure multiple markers along the human gastrointestinal tract. Beginning 2024, the first sensors were used in a clinical trial and we can now show you the first in-human results on microbial protein fermentation measurements. Also, we will showcase an ingestible that can take liquid samples at a specific point along the GI tract. 

Despite the growing need for synthetic DNA, the supply of these molecules remains a persistent problem, presenting specific hurdles depending on the application area. To address these challenges, imec is focusing on improving critical aspects such as: (1) improving scalability through innovative micro-electrode chips that enable highly parallelized DNA synthesis; (2) implementing on-chip surface enhancement strategies to boost DNA quantities on nanoscale electrodes; and (3) developing fast fluidic microreactors to accelerate synthesis speed and reduce reagent consumption. 

The pharmaceutical industry is increasingly adopting biomanufacturing, a technique where living cells and organisms are used in precisely controlled bioreactors to produce biotechnological pharmaceuticals. This method enables to generate complex biological molecules for therapeutic purposes, requiring stringent monitoring and control to ensure product quality and safety. Imec researches compact multisensory systems to do continuous measurements in these bioreactors. This demo shows how imec is taking steps to tap the potential of this multisensory data using artificial intelligence to enable robust semi-autonomous control solutions for biomanufacturing operations.

Spectral imaging is a technique to capture and analyze the spectral content of light across different wavelengths, thereby revealing detailed information on the imaged objects. Imec has developed a unique process flow to deposit and pattern thin-film filters at pixel level on wafers with CMOS imaging devices. This turns these devices into spectral imaging sensors that can easily be integrated into cameras. The demo shows one of the latest achievements of the spectral team: a wide-spectral-range hyperspectral linescan sensor for single-aperture earth observation satellites constellations. 

For next-generation high-throughput wireless communication – beyond 5G – transceivers are needed with high performance, low power consumption, small footprint and low cost. Imec researches such radio solutions combining integrated CMOS and III/V devices with novel RF system, architecture and circuit concepts in its Advanced RF program. A recent result is a complete 140GHz beamforming transceiver which will be live demonstrated at ITF World. Furthermore, updated benchmarking of imec’s GaN-on-Si technology will be presented. 

Imec offers a one-stop-shop, from concept to components, to industrial partners. This includes prototyping and low-volume supply of specialty components. At this booth, you can gain more information on this service and discover some complex specialty chips that were made for partners. For example, the light-sensitive ultra-high speed video imager chip of Pharsighted. 

High-speed optical transceivers are needed for large-scale data centers, supporting e.g. demanding AI applications. To realize several Terabit/s capacity, one would need transceivers with densely packed photonic and electronic ICs. Imec demonstrates the use of micro-transfer printing for this kind of advanced heterogeneous integration. The technology combines a high placement accuracy and high manufacturing throughput, driving down the cost of optical transceivers. In this demo, it is demonstrated for the first time that high-speed electronic ICs and GaAs quantum dot lasers can be integrated onto 300mm silicon photonic wafers. 

Photonic chips are needed for a range of applications, going from data- and telecom to AI, high performance computing (HPC), sensors and quantum computing. Despite the promising nature of the technology, the photonic ecosystem is still very fragmented. That is why imec’s integrated silicon photonics platform (iSiPP) works with the entire semiconductor supply chain to provide prototyping, low-volume and even high-volume production of photonic wafers to fabless customers. This demo gives researchers, photonic chip design companies, and foundries the opportunity to find out more about the various options the platform offers. 

Quantum bits or qubits are the fundamental units of information in quantum computing. Imec researches and develops spin and superconducting qubits using state-of-the-art 300mm tools to be able to fabricate them at scale with high coherence times, low variability and high yield. 

Truly random numbers are a key component for many applications ranging from fundamental science to engineering. Quantum random number generation (QRNG) allows for the creation of truly unpredictable numbers due to the inherent randomness available in quantum mechanics. This demo shows a hybrid-integrated optoelectronics chip as quantum entropy for 100Gbit/s true random number generation, setting a new record for vacuum-based quantum random number generation by one order of magnitude. This ultrafast secure random number generator in the chip-scale platform was developed within the BeQCI project, aiming at deploying the first quantum communication network in Belgium, and holds promise for next-generation conventional and quantum cryptographic applications. 

Superconducting computing utilizes superconducting materials to perform computations. These materials exhibit near-zero electrical resistance at cryo-temperatures, leading to much more efficient operation for hyperscale AI and HPC. Imec pioneered a new technology for superconducting digital circuits and will demonstrate this at the ITF World demo floor. 

System architecture innovations are key to handling the fast-evolving workloads of tomorrow, e.g. for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) applications. Imec performs research on true hardware-software codesign to architect RISC-V-based post-exascale hardware. Discover imec’s unique framework to co-optimize hardware and software in this demo. 

IC manufacturing today accounts for 175 MtCO2eq GHG emissions, including upstream supply chain, and this is expected to increase by 50% by 2030 due to the growth of the industry and the complexification of technologies. Imec’s sustainable semiconductor technologies and systems (SSTS) program sets out to assess, improve and disrupt fab processes to reduce their environmental impact. This demo is about the virtual fab webapp – imec.netzero – that shows the environmental impact of IC high-volume manufacturing for various technologies. 

Ultrawideband (UWB) technology can be used to monitor the health of drivers and passengers in a car. More specifically, the vital signs are extracted from the signal reflected from a person’s skin. By using advanced angle-of-arrival algorithms it is even possible to measure the vital signs of two people simultaneously. The advantage of using UWB technology is that it is very low cost and benefits from the market introduction of UWB in cars. At the demo booth, imec showcases the performance of its algorithms for UWB-based vital-sign sensing of two persons at the same time. 

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a critical component in the sensor suite of autonomous vehicles, e.g. for obstacle detection and avoidance, and sensing in challenging conditions such as fog or rain. Miniaturization and cost reduction are today the main drivers for LiDAR development. Imec contributes to this field: by developing a fully solid-state integrated FMWC LiDAR sensor, using integrated photonics technology. In this demo, we show the latest photonics hardware and how it fits into imec’s innovative LiDAR system architecture, enabling both for lower cost and higher performance. 

With 140GHz radar technology, vital signs of car drivers and passengers can be extracted from the signal reflected by a person’s skin. The advantage of using such high frequencies – 140GHz as compared to 60Ghz used in today’s cars – is improved sensitivity, robustness and smaller size. As compared to e.g. UWB technology, radar technology is more expensive but has a much higher resolution. Imec demonstrates at this booth, the performance of its 140GHz radar prototype and algorithms for measuring a person’s heart and respiration rate. 

Unlike traditional radar systems that provide only range and azimuth information, imaging radars generate 2D or 3D images. Such radars are typically large because their angular resolution is related to the number of antennas used in MIMO architectures. Imec focuses on a specific type of imaging radar: a synthetic aperture radar or SAR, that utilizes advanced signal processing techniques to achieve high-resolution radar imagery. Imec’s solution uses the ego-motion of the vehicle and novel algorithms to reduce the amount of antennas needed. Come and discover a live radar demo where an object will be imaged from a moving platform. 

Software modelling tools help in proving the value of new sensors before the hardware is introduced in a car. The problem is that new types of sensors are not available in these modeling environments. Imec develops digital twin technology for new automotive sensors. This allows to predict the performance enhancement when e.g. SWIR imagers are combined with radars, lidars and RGB cameras. In this demo, you will be able to discover how imec introduces new sensor modalities (developed at imec) to an existing modeling environment. 

The cars of the future will be high-performance computers on wheels, using chiplet-based processors. Chiplets – small pieces of silicon performing specific functions in e.g. a system-on-chip – allow for a modular approach with fast time to market, cost savings and higher yields. Imec aims to accelerate and derisk chiplets for automotive. In this demo, imec shows a test chip with stress sensors, temperature sensors, and programmable heaters which is used to build thermo-mechanical testbeds for representative system architectures. These testbeds will effectively “shift left” our partner’s product development timeline by years, by knowing – well in advance of actual silicon development – which interconnect technologies can support automotive quality and reliability. 

Short-wave infrared (SWIR) cameras can augment the sensor suite of the car of the future, e.g. to improve visibility in adverse weather conditions. Imec develops quantum-dot image sensor technology that enables compact and cost-effective SWIR cameras, targeting the automotive specs and high-volume manufacturing. In this demo, we will show a quantum-dot based SWIR camera that enables the visitors to see things that are invisible to the human eye. 

Measuring heart rate and respiration of car drivers and passengers is interesting for overall health monitoring and safety enhancement. Near-infrared (NIR) lasers can be used for this purpose, especially when combined with the laser speckle plethysmography (SPG) technique. Changes in the speckle pattern generated by laser light interacting with e.g. moving blood cells can result in more robust measurements, also for use cases with a limited field-of-view. In this demo, imec shows the performance of its algorithms for SPG-based NIR laser sensing, for vital-sign monitoring in a car. 

Accurate environmental perception based on cameras is crucial for e.g. autonomous vehicles and surveillance. Semantic segmentation models are often used in this case, linking each pixel in the image with a predefined class (e.g. road, car, pedestrian). These models consume a lot of energy. Imec has developed an adaptive neural network that can reduce the total energy consumption of image segmentation models, by automatically adjusting itself to the complexity of the input. 

In the sixth generation of mobile communication – 6G – researchers and industries envision that communication and sensing capabilities will become integrated. Imec demonstrates these integrated sensing and communication capabilities for several wireless technologies in different use cases. For example: the communication activity in the 2.4 GHz or 60 GHz band can be used to detect the size of crowds – up to hundreds of people and/or their level of movement; UWB technology allows for joint localization, sensing and communication with a single anchor. In this demo, the ‘ITF crowd’ will be monitored using the first two technologies while a robot with a UWB tag will be able to simultaneously communicate, localize itself and detect obstacles. 

Semiconductor industry is facing a huge challenge to recruit enough employees with the right skills, and to ensure their current employees maintain up-to-date knowledge in this rapidly evolving field. Discover imec’s workforce development offering to tackle this challenge. It involves expert and non-expert courses, internships, PhD tracks, summer schools, sabbaticals and the development of more advanced learning formats to solve the scalability problem of on-the-job training.

Combining various sensor inputs results in more accurate and robust detection and tracking, for example for collaborative robots. Imec developed a radar-video processing convolutional neural network that offers more accuracy than state of the art radar processing and more robustness to poor visibility conditions than any video-only method. This result is demonstrated through live radar-video detection of people visiting the demo booth. 

Imec has strong expertise in deterministic connected systems that make use of Wi-Fi technology, illustrated by imec’s unique openwifi innovation platform. This demo specifically showcases a customizable Wi-Fi system with a focus on time-sensitive networking, presenting mobility features while ensuring low latency and high reliability. This is interesting for applications such as industrial automation, professional multimedia, healthcare,  and robotics.

Integrated in a gas diffusion electrode, imec’s unique nanomesh technology enables compact electrolysers to convert CO2 to valuable molecules, such as fuels or feedstock to produce chemicals and plastics. This brings an “indirect” electrification pathway for the so-called hard-to-abate industries, like steel, petrochemicals, aviation, shipping, heavy-duty transport, enabling them to transition to renewable energy sources. It also provides the chemical industry with means to shift from fossil carbon to recycled carbon as a primary feedstock. The demo will show the gas diffusion concept and its role in the future CO2-circular economy. 

Ubiquitous use of environmental sensors is essential to identify sources of emissions and the effects of emission-reduction measures. Autonomous small sensors would be ideal for this use. We show 2 prototypes: a prototype of a solar-powered air quality station based on electrochemical sensors for the detection of outdoor airborne nitrogen compounds (NO2 and NH3) coupled to a cloud platform for calibration and visualization. Ideal for use in agricultural or smart-city scenarios. And a prototype demonstrating open path sensing of methane using imec photonic beam switching chip for use in both agriculture and oil and gas industry worldwide. 

One of the more recent extensions to the Bluetooth ecosystem is low-energy (LE) audio, which enables wireless audio streaming on top of BLE. It is useful for hearing aids, wireless headphones, conferencing applications etc. Imec, together with the partners from the imec.ICON project BLE2AV, develops next-generation wireless audio and voice solutions based on LE audio. Please visit our interactive demo to discover more details about these solutions more in detail. 

Imec coordinates the Flanders AI Research Program, with the aim of promoting AI adoption in Flanders by funding new researchers and developing practical use cases to inspire further AI adoption. The program gathers AI experts from all five Flemish universities and all strategic research centers to develop generic AI-solutions for real-life problems in the domains of health, industry, planet & energy, and society. Learn all about this research, and how you can adopt it in your organization at our booth. 

Trustworthy and fine-grained analysis of human actions is key for surveillance applications as well as for patient monitoring or wellbeing of employees. Imec developed reliable, privacy-friendly radar and video analytics pipelines, leveraging cutting-edge signal processing, machine learning, and explainable and distributed AI algorithms. It enables an accurate interpretation of scenes and gathering reliable and actionable insights into human behavior. The demo presents the practical application of the technology in real-life use cases. 

In the future, people will work assisted by robots and wearing exoskeletons. Imec researches different technologies to enable this assisted working environment: multi-sensor concepts for obstacle detection, tactile sensor technology for transparent and brittle objects, self-healing and self-closing suction cups for reliable gripping, indoor localization technology etc. At the demo floor, recent achievements in this field will be showcased and visitors will be able to wear an exoskeleton. 

The beating heart of imec’s infrastructure is its state-of-the-art 300mm cleanroom, the world’s most advanced pilot line for semiconductor R&D. It’s where cutting-edge semiconductor research is performed to develop next-generation CMOS technologies beyond 2nm, and where partners get access to a neutral environment to accelerate, differentiate, and derisk their product roadmaps. Discover imec’s extensive infrastructure and future plans in this new movie with unique 3D visualizations.