An activity in 5 major scientific departments

The scientific activities of the Institute's 23 research groups are organised into five departments:

Within each of the different departments, a balance is maintained between academic research aimed at acquiring knowledge and more applied research to support industrial R&D.

Nanostructured Materials and Components

The "Nanostructured Materials and Components" department brings together the most fundamental research carried out at the IEMN, including the activities of the groups : EPIPHY, Nanostructures nanoComponents and Molecules (NCM), Physics, SILPHYDE and Sublambda. The studies concern thin films, heterostructures, periodic structures (2D, 1D, 0D), optics, acoustics, optoelectronics, nanotechnologies and organic and bio-inspired electronics. Experimental and theoretical work is carried out in concert in these different areas.

Micro/nano/bio-systems

The "Micro and Nano Systems" department has an internationally recognized expertise in the development of micro and nano systems. It is composed of about 50 people (including students). It makes extensive use of the IEMN's design, fabrication and testing platforms, in particular the clean room (1600 m2). The members of the department carry out research of an interdisciplinary nature and with a strong societal impact on materials, microfabrication processes, miniaturized sensors and actuators and microfluidics, which are made possible by recent technological advances in microelectronics, biology and chemistry.

Micro/nano Optoelectronics

The development of breakthrough technologies through the use of new materials and new concepts is the unifying element aiming to push back the current limitations of micro- and opto-electronic components. Whether the application domain is digital or analog, the improvement of noise, power and working frequency performances is the guiding thread of the studies carried out on microelectronic components in order to constantly improve the state of the art. In the optoelectronic and THz domains, the interactions between microwaves and optical waves lead to the development of innovative components covering a vast application domain, from telecommunications to sensors.

Telecommunications Technologies and Intelligent Systems

With a long experience in circuit design, this theme develops innovative systems for telecommunications and instrumentation. From baseband to millimeter waves (220 GHz), it has been a pioneer in impulse systems at 60 GHz. The main contributions are in the area of high speed and/or high mobility and very low power communications: energy recovery, storage and management, circuit design, heterogeneous integration, signal processing and cooperative communications for sensor networks and green radio. They are based on a balance between theoretical work, experimental validation, demonstrations and realizations.

Acoustics and integrated systems

IEMN's acoustics activities aim to develop fundamental skills on active materials and acoustic meta-materials, unusual properties of acoustic wave propagation and acoustic micro-systems, and to implement these skills in the design, fabrication and characterization of electronic components and systems. Two transversal themes structure these activities: sensor networks where general concepts and components for telecommunications, biology and instrumentation are studied; acoustic imaging in the broadest sense through the development of new imaging principles and non-destructive evaluation.