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Chapter 4 Romanian Research Attacks Niche Areas And Prepares The Specialists In Microelectronics

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Chapter 4 Romanian Research Attacks Niche Areas and Prepares the Specialists in Microelectronics (Marius Bâzu)

4.1 Introduction The first Romanian research institution in microelectronics was the Research Institute for Electronics Components (in Romanian: Institutul de Cercetare pentru Componente Electronice - ICCE), established in 1969, as a research centre of the factory IPRS Băneasa, with the declared purpose to achieve in Romania the first small power planar silicon transistors, but also for developing technologies for the electronic components produced by the factory: diodes, transistors, thyristors, passive components, later also integrated circuits. The centre was established by the Professor Mihai Drăgănescu, member of the Romanian Academy, which was the first director. The institute has always had, as tutelary institution, the profile ministry, under its many denominations over the years. Between 1969 and 1996, ICCE has evolved through three major stages: The stage CCPCE: Until 1974, the institute worked in the premises of IPRS-Băneasa, under

the name the Research and Design Centre for Electronic Components (in Romanian, Centrul de Cercetare și Proiectare pentru Componente Electronice - CCPCE).

The stage of accelerated development: Between 1974 and 1989, the institute worked in the new premises built in close proximity of IPRS-Băneasa, first under the name the Research Institute for Electronic Components (ICCE), then under others, dictated by the standard names of Romanian research institutions, modified each 3-4 years, the specific of each research institution being mentioned only by the last word or at most two words: the Centre for Scientific Research and Technological Engineering for Semiconductors (in Romanian, Centrul de Cercetare Ştiinţifică şi Inginerie Tehnologică pentru Semiconductoare - CCSIT-S), then the Centre for Scientific Research and Technological Engineering for Electronic Components (in Romanian, Centrul de Cercetare Ştiinţifică şi Inginerie Tehnologică pentru Componente Electronice - CCSIT-CE) and, eventually, the Institute for Scientific Research and Technological Engineering for Electronic Components (in Romanian, Institutul de Cercetare Ştiinţifică şi Inginerie Tehnologică pentru Componente Electronice - ICSIT-CE).

The post-revolution stage: Between 1990 and 1996, the institute resumed the most appropriate name, the Research Institute for Electronic Components (ICCE), operating in the same premises.

In December 1996, ICCE merged with the Institute of Microtechnology under the name of the National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnology (in Romanian, Institutul Național de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Microtehnologie, IMT-București). 4.2 ICCE leadership (director, period, short biographical notes, general assessments of the institution's evolution during that period of directorate), headquarters 4.2.1 The Stage CCPCE (1969-1974)


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Founder and first director of the institute was Professor Mihai Drăgănescu, member of the Romanian Academy, who also founded other representative institutions for Romanian electronics. Between 1970 and 1974, the director of CCPCE Băneasa was Dr. Ioan Bătrâna (Fig. 4.1), who had been between 1966 and 1969 deputy scientific director of the Institute of Electronic Research (ICE); then, in 1974, Dr. Ioan Bătrâna became general manager of the Industrial Group for Electronics and Computer Engineering (in Romanian, Centrala Industrială pentru Electronică și Tehnică de Calcul - CIETC), and since 1983 he has been again head of the Institute. The headquarters of the institute inside IPRS-Băneasa included initially two halls (ground floor and floor) of the body B. Subsequently, there were also assigned spaces on the floor of the body C, which had the IPRS-Băneasa department of power devices at the ground floor, as well and in the building body unofficially called Aquarium. The CCPCE has worked closely with IPRS-Baneasa, most of the researched devices being put into operation in the factory sections. The approvals of the research projects were made mandatory in the presence of the representatives of the de facto beneficiaries, i.e. the specialists from IPRS-Baneasa, even if all the contracts were signed with the ministry. During this period, several types of transistors, diodes and thyristors were certified and manufactured at IPRS-Baneasa. 4.2.2 The stage of accelerated development (1974-1989) Between 1974 and 1983, Dr. Constantin Bulucea was director of the institute (Figure 4.2). Deputy Director of the company was Eng. Gheorghe Constantinescu, who became in 1981 the first Director of the factory Microelectronica. To be noted that during the entire ICCE operating period the main technologist of the institute was Dr. Constantin Postolache (Figure 4.3). Between 1983 and 1991, Dr. Ioan Bătrâna came back as Director of the institute, having as Deputy Scientific Director Dr. Constantin Bulucea, then, from November 1986 (after Dr. Bulucea left the country), Dr. Dănuţ Olteanu. In 1974, the institute moved to a new headquarters, in the vicinity of IPRS-Baneasa, comprising a set of three buildings: a six-storey main building, continued to the Northwest by a ground floor building where the technological workshops were located, and to the East by another ground floor building that housed the mechanical workshop, all of these building bodies having internal access corridors between them.


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In the period 1976-1978, the microproduction department was built, a ground floor and three-storey building attached to the technology hall (and with internal access to it), located at the North of the courtyard separating it from the main building.

Fig. 4.1 Dr. Ioan Bătrâna, ICCE Director in 1970-1974 and 1983-1991.

Fig. 4.2 Dr. Constantin Bulucea, ICCE Director in 1974-1983, Deputy Director in 1970-1974 and 1983-1986.

Fig. 4.3 Dr. Constantin Postolache, main technologist of ICCE.

After the earthquake of March 1977, the central building of the institute was severely damaged, and extensive consolidation work was required, which lasted about two and a half years. The staff working in the central building was moved during the consolidation of the building to the Factory for Peripheral Equipment (in Romanian, Fabrica de Echipamente Periferice – FEPER), newly built on the Pipera platform. In September 1979, the central building was put into use again and the staff working in the FEPER building returned to the main building of the institute. After 1980, to the East of the mechanic workshop, a new three-storey building was built, where several laboratories were moved. There was also headquartered the second ICCE microproduction department, focused on technological equipment. As far as the research activity is concerned, since 1974, the ICCE started to have research contracts with other institutions in Romania, in addition to IPRS-Baneasa, which remained however an important beneficiary. These were components mostly used by the domestic electronics industry and not required in such large quantities as to justify their entry into production at IPRS-Baneasa. The optimal solution from an economic point of view was the micro-production at ICCE. As the range of manufactured components grew year after year, the Institute's management requested and obtained from the tutorial institutions the approval for the construction of a micro-production building. The three-storey building was carried out in the ICCE's courtyard, being inaugurated in 1979. Since then, the ICCE has become a semiconductor device manufacturer, and the 1980s catalogue has not less than 450 pages, covering 5 families of devices.


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Since 1980, ICCE has delivered high-reliability electronic components for a series of special programs: N (nuclear power), G (heavy water – in Romanian, apă grea), M (subway, in Romanian, metrou), A (army), R (missiles, in Romanian, rachete), etc. For the reliability selection, accelerated aging programs developed in the institute, based on their own research, were used. On the other hand, during this period, ICCE researchers have been involved (most of the time, by leaving ICCE) in developing new investments in the field, such as1: - In 1974: IPRS Băneasa's 2500 unit was developed on the basis of a foreign license, purchased from ITT (Germany), with staff coming from the institute (Phys. Ion Negrescu, Dr. Dănuţ Olteanu, Dr. Mihai Mihăilă, Eng. Florian Bradău, Eng. Dumitru Sdrulla, Eng. Ştefan Gozner, Eng. Marcu Buşe, Eng. Aurel Beldiman, Dr. Marian Bădilă, Dr. Valerică Cimpoca, etc.); - In 1978: The Passive Components Group, led by Eng. Svetlana Rău, assured the development of tantalum capacitor manufacturing at Tehnoton Iaşi, by coupling the technology developed in the institute with machinery imported from China; - in 1979: The Monocrystalline Growth Laboratory, led by Phys. Mihai Şerbănescu, ensured the foundation of the Factory for Growth and Processing of Silicon Monocrystals (in Romanian, Întreprinderea de Creștere și Prelucrare a Monocristalelor de Siliciu - ICPMS), founded in 1979 on the Dudeşti Platform in Bucharest, today disbanded; - In 1981: The Integrated Digital Circuits Laboratory, led by Eng. Dorel Prisecaru, represented the core of the specialists with which the factory Microelectronica was founded. First of all, these specialists adapted on the new equipment the wafer processing technology set up by ICCE and the assembly and testing technology purchased under SGS-ATES (Italy) licence. The technical leaders of these efforts were Eng. Dorel Prisecaru (technical coordinator), Eng. Radu Bârsan (manufacturing technology), Eng. Gelu Voicu (assembly / testing) and Eng. Horia Profeta (computing systems)2. The decision to set up the factory Microelectronica was preceded by a four-year period in which ICCE Director, Dr. Constantin Bulucea, prepared and supported the documents and presentations necessary for the approval of the Microelectronics investment by the decision-makers. It is also worth mentioning that some ICCE specialists left the country when they were traveling on business or, more rarely, in tourist trips, the phenomenon being called ”remaining abroad”. Before 1980, such events were rather exceptional. Among the best known examples of such specialists were: Dr. Andrei Vladimirescu3, Eng. Florin Năcuţă and Eng. Aurelian Olariu. Since 1980, a new phenomenon occurred: the worsening of living conditions, as well as those in which the research activity has been carried out, have led many ICCE researchers to make definitive applications to leave the country. Their number was relatively large, a special laboratory was created in the ICCE, where all those who made such requests were moved, as

1 Nona Millea (coordinator), Electronica românească. O istorie trăită, Vol. V, chapter III (ICCE), to be issued. 2 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued. 3 A biographical note is included in Chapter 9.


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were, among others: Eng. Radu Vancu (afterwards, he had an exceptional career in the USA as executive director of several companies), Eng. Adrian Cernea (also established in the USA, where he worked successfully at SEEQ Technology, SanDisk Technology LLC), Eng. Andrei Mihnea (an outstanding electronist who worked in the USA at Catalyst Semiconductor, Micron Technology Inc., SanDisk), Eng. Cristian Tihărău, Eng. Ion Constantinescu, etc. Also, the phenomenon of ”remaining abroad” continued, the most important name being, in November 1986, the current scientific director of the institute, Dr. Constantin Bulucea. The research situation was becoming more and more difficult. The country's leadership had imposed drastic cuts (even total ban) for imports of raw materials, which were absolutely necessary for semiconductor research. Living conditions have become unbearable: shortages of basic food and other products, endless queues from shops, terrible cold in the houses and in public transport, scheduled or unplanned power cuts, and so on. However, in 1989, ICCE has reached the highest level of development and achievement for the period to date. Researchers could achieve by the so-called "reverse engineering" almost any semiconductor device from the foreign catalogues (except microprocessors), by using world-class technologies, the level of microproduction had reached a maximum, and the product range had been greatly enlarged. 4.2.3 The post-revolution stage (1990-1996) At the beginning, in 1990-1991, the institute resumed its name ICCE and the head of the institution remained Dr. Ioan Bătrâna, helped by the end of January 1990 by a newly created body, the Board of Directors, consisting of Heads of laboratories. At the beginning of May 1990, a Scientific Council was elected by the specialist of the institute, led by Eng. Mircea Dușa4, who automatically became the Scientific Director. As in July 1990, Eng. Duşa announced from the USA that he did not return to the country, the Director Ioan Bătrâna appointed from the members of the Scientific Council a new Scientific Director, which as Eng. Constantin Gheorghiu, researcher at the Integrated Circuits Laboratory. In accordance with what was happening throughout the Romanian research, there were discussions in the institute about the future form of organization: a research institute or a trade company? In the context of these discussions, the Director, Dr. Ioan Bătrâna, has resigned in 1991, and the ICCE was divided into four institutions. The biggest one (as number of people) continued to bear the ICCE name and remained under the Ministry of Research and Technology, being headed by the Director Eng. Constantin Gheorghiu, seconded by the Scientific Director Dr. Sergiu Iordănescu. The headquarters included the six-story main building and the old technology building. Unfortunately, ICCE lost the microproduction building (which had much newer equipment, purchased after 1979), becoming a company under the name of ROMES S.A., led by Phys. Ion Burlăcel and Eng. Aurel Beldiman, and then by

4 A biographical note in included in Chapter 9.


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Eng. Vladimir Enescu and Phys. Florin Crăciunoiu. This company was able to withstand only a few years (and then largely on the basis of the sale of components in stock and made in the previous period), being bought by George Becali (a rich entrepreneur who had been on the payroll of the microproduction department). The new owner wanted to make a television station in that building, renovated it, but the idea did not materialize. Unfortunately, the manufacturing machines were recycled as old metal. It remained an empty building, where Eng. Vladimir Enescu was for years the only employee. The other two companies emerged by ICCE, EMCO S.A. (formerly the Application Department), respectively TEHNOFINA S.A. (the former Department for Electronic Components Manufacturing Equipment), had the same fate, and they are now also dismantled. ICCE funding was almost exclusively out of the National budget, the total amount being diminished each year, as budget money was stifled because of the economic downturn, including the semiconductor companies in the Baneasa platform. Several Western companies had come in 1990-1991 with proposals to invest in IPRS Baneasa, but had been rejected. The money distributed by the ministry to the ICCE was barely enough for wages that were each day diminished as a result of inflation. No new investments. Moreover, there was no money for heating the buildings during the winter. There were 4-5 years when all people of the institute lived in the winter around electric heaters (with long-term effects on staff health!). Of course, the staff of the institute was diminished. If in 1991, at the moment of four institutions separation, in the old ICCE there were about 500 employees, in the new research institute, in November 1996, their number was about 200. As early as April 1990, the entire microproduction quality control department was abolished and the staff left the ICCE. This phenomenon occurred in all Romanian research institutes, with direct effects on product quality and degradation of activity in the microproduction department. On the other hand, the Hybrid Circuit Laboratory, led by Eng. Mihai Georgescu, formed the company Imperial Electric, founded by the head of the laboratory. Departures abroad of ICCE specialists were usually towards Silicon Valley, California, USA. A change took place after the establishment of some Romanian subsidiaries of American or European companies, meaning that departures started to go to these destinations (ON Semiconductors or Honeywell Romania), but with the stay of the respective specialists in the country5. Under these difficult circumstances, in the last days of the Văcăroiu government, on 25 November 1996, the Research Minister Doru Palade initiated the governmental decision establishing the National Research and Development Institute for Microtechnology "by reorganizing the Microtechnology Institute and merging with the Research Institute for

5 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued.


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Electronic Components, which is being abolished"6. It must be said that the Institute of Microtechnology was a structure established in 1993 by the development of a Microtechnology Centre (arisen in 1991), both under the leadership of Dr. Dan Dascălu, a professor at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest and a member of the Romanian Academy. The government decision was based on an assessment of the potential of the research institutes made by the Ministry of Research in 1996. 4.3 Relevant figures for the various ICCE development stages 4.3.1 The stage CCPCE (1969-1974) Staff. At the beginning of 1969, the CCPCE benefited from the assignment of graduates from that year of the Faculty of Electronics, the section Physicist-Engineers, who added to those who came from IPRS-Baneasa. Then, each year that followed, there were graduates of the same section (for example, 13 graduates in 1971). But physicists or chemists were also assigned. At the end of this stage, the team counted about 150 people. The management of the institute is constantly concerned with raising the professional level of researchers. Vocational training courses were organized (including languages, because the institute had several translators employed), access to technical libraries in Bucharest was encouraged, and a functional system was created to send requests for reprints of articles that were distributed on arrival automatically to applicants. Besides, professional promotions were made exclusively on the basis of rigorous examinations, organized by Eng. Mihai Şerban Datculescu-Vais7. In these exams, the basic bibliographic material was "Grove's book," an excellent monograph on semiconductor technology, published in 1967 by John Wiley & Sons. The book could be consulted at the institute's library, but it was circulated among scholars in copies. Turnover. For this time it is difficult to estimate a turnover. Initially, the budget was covered by 100% of the contracts with the tutelage ministry, to which the technical beneficiary was IPRS-Baneasa. Then, with the emergence of first-sale products, the proportion of microproduction began to increase. The first known figure for the CCPCE micro-product since 1972 is the ROL 1,325 million, mentioned below. The investments made during this period were quite important, generally speaking about the procurement of equipment, which will be presented in section 4.5.1. As a rule, the person who

6 Hotărârea Nr. 1318 din 25 noiembrie 1996, privind înfiinţarea Institutului Naţional de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Microtehnologie - IMT Bucureşti, http://legislatie.just.ro/Public/DetaliiDocument/10383. 7 Known in the institute as Andrei Vais (becoming by marriage Datculescu-Vais).


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was going to work on the equipment went to the country where the equipment came for a short training (a few days), and / or foreign specialists participated in the installation and commissioning of the equipment. Also during this period a major investment was initiated: building the new headquarters of the institute. Research work. The research carried out at the institute was mostly oriented towards the production of devices. Table 4.1 lists device certifying made up to 1974 (inclusive). On the other hand, since the establishment of the institute, the leading researchers of the institute have published papers in prestigious foreign journals. At the level of 1974, Dr. Constantin Bulucea had articles published in IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, Electronic Letters, Int. J. Electronics and Alta Frequenza, and Dr. Alexandru Popa, in IEEE Trans. Electron Devices. There are also some papers in the few Romanian magazines (IPB Bulletin, Romanian Academy Magazines). Unfortunately, the access to foreign conferences was difficult, and national conferences in the field did not exist.

Table 4.1 Certified devices of ICCE in the period 1970-1974

No. Fabrication technology

Certified devices Year of certifying

1. Bipolar discrete components

Planar transistor BC101 Thyristor of 0,1 A Ultra-fast Schottky diode ROD01 Power thyristor T50 Zener diode 1N3016B Silicon planar epitaxial low power transistor BFY90

1970 1970 1971 1972 1972 1974

2. Unipolar transistors MOS transistor ROS01 1973 3. Linear integrated

circuits Preamplifiers ROB151 and ROB740 MOS multifunctional gate ROM01

1973 1974

Marketable products were delivered by the institute even after the first 2-3 years of running. In a report by the Ministry of Construction of Machine Tools and Electrotechnics (in Romanian, Ministerul Industriei Construcțiilor de Mașini-Unelte și Electrotehnicii - MICMUE)8, it is said that CCPCE delivered in 1972 to the domestic beneficiaries five types of products, their total value being 1,325 thousand lei. These products are: the transistor BC101, the thyristors TP01 and T50, the Schottky diode ROD01, and the Zener diode 1N3016B. 8 Nona Millea (coordinator), Electronica românească. O istorie trăită, Vol. II, p. 58, AGIR publishing house, 2013. ISBN: 978-973-720-466-0.


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4.3.2 The stage of accelerated development (1974-1989) The staff of the institute grew considerably in this period, from about 150 employees in 1974 to about 1500 at the end of 1989. Those who came were especially graduates of the Electronics faculty at the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest and of the Physics faculty at the Bucharest University, but also of other faculties.

Fig. 4.4 The first collective image with young ICCE researchers (1977) at the VLSI Technology Lecture Series, taught at the IPB by the American Professor William G. Oldham of the University of Berkeley, California (from the archive of Dr. Constantin Bulucea).

The professional training of the staff continued to be a fundamental element of the policy of the Institute's management, even by inviting some foreign specialists to sustain courses for the Institute (Figure 4.4). It is difficult to approximate the turnover of the institute over the years, with no evidence of this indicator (most of which were destroyed in December 1989 or during the successive moves of the library). However, at the level of 1989, some figures are known, for example, those for: the research activity (100 million lei / year), the department for microproduction of electronic components (120 million lei / year), respectively the department for microproduction of technological equipment (75 million lei / year)9. Scientific papers. It is the period in which the number of publications made by the specialists of the institute increases at an exponential rate. Some significant examples of titles of magazines in which papers are published are given below: Papers, especially in Romanian journals (Rev. Roum. Phys., Rev. Roum. Sci. Tech.,

Buletinul IPB, Electrotehnica, Automatica şi Electronica, Revista de Chimie, revista Calitate, Fiabilitate, Metrologie), but also some papers published abroad, in Physics Letters, IEEE Tr. on Electron Devices, Electronic Letters, Solid State Electronics, Int. J. Electronics, Journal of Applied Physics, etc.;

Contributions to East and West conferences: Conf. on Microelectronics MIEL (Yugoslavia), Symp. on Reliab. in Electronics RELECTRONIC (Hungary),



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Electrochemical Society – ECS (USA), Symp. on Gettering and Defect Eng. GADEST (East Germany), etc.

Patents: No less than 38 national patents were made during this period. With regard to scientific contributions to conferences, it should be noted that, since 1978, the ICCE has been organizing a conference with papers about semiconductors, called the Semiconductor Annual Conference (CAS), where the specialists from the institute publish their achievements. CAS was established by ICCE Director Dr. Constantin Bulucea and is probably a unique case in Romania, being organized at present day, in a form not much different from the original, but with an international character. Details are given in section 4.6.2. Products. The first ICCE catalogue, achieved in 1980 under the coordination of Prof. Reinhard Piringer (transferred from Polytechnic Institute Bucharest - IPB to ICCE as it had requested definitive departure from the country), comprised the following five families of electronic components: Silicon Diodes, Silicon Transistors, Devices optoelectronics, Digital integrated circuits, Linear integrated circuits. In 1986, a second catalogue of ICCE products appeared, developed by a team coordinated by Prof. Adrian Rusu, from IPB. Below are the 7 families of electronic components are presented, specifying the subfamilies, but without specifying the types of components that are many in each subfamily. Silicon diodes: Switching diodes, Microwave diodes (Point contact detector diodes, Tuning

varactor diodes, PIN diodes, Frequency multiplying diodes, Schottky diodes). Silicon transistors: General purpose NPN/PNP transistors, Switching NPN/PNP transistors,

High frequency NPN transistors, Low noise NPN/PNP transistors, NPN transistors for video amplification, N-channel field-effect transistors, Field-effect MOS transistors, Unijunction transistors, Microminiature transistors.

Optoelectronic devices: Light emitting diodes, Photodiodes, Phototransistors, Photothyristors, Voltaic cells and voltaic cell batteries, Solar cells and solar cell batteries, Quadrant photodetectors, Optocouplers, Optoelectronic switches, Seven segments LED displays, Blue-sensitive photodetectors, Textile fibre controls optoelectronic devices.

Passive components for microwaves: Microstrip hybrid dividers 3 dB – 90o, Microstrip hybrid dividers 3 dB – 180o, Microstrip power dividers 3 dB – 0o, Microstrip directional couplers, Microstrip resonator filters, Microstrip circulators.

Microwaves components: Microwave amplifiers (Intermediate frequency amplifiers, Small signal wide band amplifiers, Small signal narrow band amplifiers, Power amplifiers), Microwave oscillators (Electronically tuneable transistor oscillators, IMPATT diode oscillators), Microwave detectors, Microwave mixers, Frequency multipliers, PIN diode microwave phase shifters, Amplitude modulators.

Linear integrated circuits: Operational amplifiers, Voltage regulators, Voltage comparators, Modulators/Demodulators, Function generators, Miscellaneous amplifiers, Semi-custom integrated circuits - MONOCIP technology.


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Hybrid integrated circuits: Operational amplifiers, Multipliers and dividers, Traductors, Sampling and hold circuits, etc.

The institute also manufactured several types of capsules. The time evolution of semiconductor microproduction is synthesized by the figures presented in Table 4.2.

Table 4.2 Evolution of the microproduction structure of ICCE between 1978 and 1989

(Data retrieved from10) Year

1978 Year 1982

Year 1985

Year 1987

Year 1989

Number of product families 11 36 58 60 62 Number of technologies 15 20 24 29 31 Number of discrete component types 94 130 275 290 298 Number of integrated circuit types 33 40 53 56 62

It is worth noting the significant increase since the mid-1980s, followed by a level up to 1989, due to the substantial reduction in imports.

4.3.3 The post-revolution stage Staff. In the first year after 1989, the research institute separated from the three production sections, retaining the name ICCE. As a result, from about 1500 employees in 1989, ICCE had at the end of 1991 a number of 523 employees, namely: 128 - scientific researchers (CS, CPIII, CPII, CPI), 55 - other staff with higher education, 33 - technicians, 232 - workers, 75 - CAF. As work conditions worsened (both in funding for research topics and in the work environment), ICCE staff dropped dramatically. Thus, at the end of 1996, ICCE had only 200 employees. Turnover. In 1990. The research activity reached the value of 48,654,313 lei and in 1991 it was 61,616,793 lei, of which 50 million lei from contracts with DIEE and 11.6 million lei from contracts with third parties (electronics industry)11. The higher value for 1991 is explained by the increase in the prices of raw materials and materials by 2-2.5 times and the labour of the same order of magnitude, as a result of the introduction of income tax and labour compensation12. On the other hand, due to the separation of the three commercial companies grafted on the former production compartments, ICCE's microproduction was 12,225,000 lei in

10 Marcu Bușe, Ion Burlăcel, Secția de fabricaţie componente semiconductoare – zece ani de aplicare rodnică a cercetării în producţie, Componente Electronice, June 1989, pp.16-19. 11 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued. 12 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued.


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1990, and 8,620,000 lei in 1991, respectively. The decline continued, being accelerated in the years to come13. 4.4 The main ICEE research teams and their evolution over time There will be presented, in their evolution, those directions of research that have brought something important at national or international level, including through cooperation with industry. For each of them, the activity profile, the coordinator, the composition of the team (with the list of names, specifying that for each specialist the title of the final career will be mentioned, so many of them are appointed as Ph.D. although they later took their PhD, even when they no longer belonged to the ICCE), the scientific and technological results A clarification is needed to understand the involvement of specialists from different sectors in product research. The research teams CCPCE and then ICCE for the different products included: a designer (who was running the project and active in sectors 4.4.2 .... 4.4.4), a technologist (operating in sector 4.4.1), and, many times, testing / characterization / application / reliability specialists (sectors 4.4.5-4.4.6). 4.4.1 Technology The technology sector has been one of the most important for the entire existence of the institute. Here, all the technologies projected in the other laboratories were experimented and developed. So all the scientific and technological results of the institute, that is, most of the times, the components delivered to the industry, were obtained with the direct support of the technological sector. In CCPCE, the Laboratory of Technology (L1) was headed by Dr. Constantin Postolache, having 4 groups: Manufacturing Structures (led by Dr. Postolache, Chemists Erica and Constantin Bebeşel, Eng. Dimitrie Cădere, Phys. Aretina Bădoiu, Phys. Silvia Setnic, Chem. Constantin Morosanu, Phys. Anton Corâci, Dr. Florin Găiseanu, Phys. Stefan Vasile, Phys. Ion Burlăcel, Phys. Marin Bobe, Eng. Andrei Câmpeanu, Phys. Florin Crăciunoiu and others), Mounting (led by Eng. Constantin Spiridon; members: Eng. Horaţiu Fanea, along with a few workers and technicians), Epitaxy (led by Phys. Constantin Niculescu, helped by 1-2 workers) and Masks (led by Eng. Mircea Dusa). In ICCE, L1 was run until 1979 by Dr. C. Postolache, who then became the head of the new microproduction section and the head of L1 was named Eng. Ioan Pavelescu. In the mid-1980s, L1 became the Technology Research Section, led by Dr. Constantin Postolache. New names appeared. At the Manufacturing Structures: Eng. Adriana Delibaltov, Eng. Daniel Serghi, Eng.



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Andrei Alamariu, Eng. Viorel Avramescu, Chem. Cecilia Podaru, Phys. Silvia Setnic, Dr. Nicolae Cosma-Blaga, and by the Mask team: Eng. Gabriela Dragan, Eng. Raluca Leancu-Divan, Eng. Petrică Ţăranu, Eng. Florin Fulga, Dr. Dan Nicolau, Dr. Mihu Iorgulescu, Dr. Mihaela Ilie, and Dr. Nicolae Moldovan. This team produced high-resolution masks, precision microminiation precision grilles, glass incremental discs, and so on. The Microproduction Department (S1) manufactured those certified parts that had been researched in the institute. About the production of electronic components mention was made in section 4.3.2, so we will continue to present the achievements of two other collectives within the Department. The Testing Team, led by Eng. Ovidiu Popescu, had manufactures automated sorting machines. It began with 4 types of automatic sorting machines, specialized on component families, reaching 12 types in June 198914. The Technological Engineering team, led by Dr. Dănuţ Sachelarie, developed an intrinsic gettering process, which allowed to obtain a fault-free area in the active area of the semiconductor device15. The team also performed topographic analyses using the DRON 3 X-ray diffractometer and the TRX-2B topography system16. It should be noted that after the separation of the microproduction department (under the name of ROMES SA) by the ICCE, the technological engineering team of the microproduction section, led by Dr. Dănuţ Sachelarie, remained in the institute, located in the room containing the X-ray diffraction apparatus; members: Eng. Mariana Sachelarie, Phys. Mihaela Grigoreta Stoica, Eng. Angelia Stanciu. 4.4.2. Discrete Devices In the CCPCE, the Discrete Device Laboratory (in Romanian, Laboratorul de Dispozitive Discrete - LDD), headed by Phys. Ion Negrescu, deals with transistors and diodes with silicon. Several electronics graduates were distributed here in 1969-1970 (Dr. Vasile Obreja, Eng. Aurel Beldiman, Eng. Marta Gheorghe, Eng. Anca Moisescu-Angelescu, Eng. Mariana Raţiu-Sachelarie, Rng. Adrian Cogan, Eng. Silvia Nicolae-Gozner, Dr. Lucian Gălăţeanu, Eng. Melania Rădulescu, and others), 1971 (Dr. Dănuț Sachelarie, Eng. Dumitru Sdrulla, Dr. Mihai Mihăilă – Fig. 4.5, Eng. Dan Lungu, Dr. Marius Bâzu - Fig. 4.6), 1972 (Eng. Mariana Spiridon-Drăgan, Eng. Adrian Cernea, Eng. Andrei Mihnea, Dr. Marian Bădilă, Eng. Doina Vancu, Eng. Ion Pavelescu, Eng. Aurelia Răscol, Eng. Cecilia Corciovei-Codreanu, Eng. Cristina Vasilescu-Buiculescu, Eng. Florian Brădău, Dr. Valerică Cimpoca, Dr. Valentin Buiculescu, Dr. Gheorghe Sajin, Eng. Petre Tabarcea, Dr. Alexandru Vasile, etc.). Graduates of Physics were also numerous; for instance, in 1972: Dr. Alexandru Müller, Phys. Alexandru Dorobanţu, Phys. Ştefan Niculescu, Phys. Ioana Burloiu-Petrini and others.

14 Viorel Popescu, Sisteme și metode de testare – trecut, prezent, perspective, Componente Electronice, June 1989, pp.25-26. 15 Dănuț Sachelarie, Gheterarea intrinsecă, Componente Electronice, March 1988, pp. 18-19. 16 Mihaela Stoica, Topografie prin difracție cu raze X, Componente Electronice, March 1988, p. 10.


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LDD had two research groups, which will become laboratories since 1974: Transistors 1 (future L5) and Transistor 2 (future L2). The L2 laboratory, led by Dr. Dănuţ Olteanu, studied the silicon transistors and had as members many of those named above. Here was assigned Dr. Raluca Müller, who was to become in 2011 General Director of the institute IMT-Bucharest. On the other hand, some of the members of the ITT team (who had been part of the LDD), made up of those who set up the 2500 Silicon Transistors section of IPRS-Baneasa, had just finished in 1974 their internships in Germany and returned to ICCE, even in L2: Eng. Florian Bradău, Eng. Aurel Beldiman, Dr. Marian Bădilă, etc. The L5 laboratory, led by Dr. Gheorghe Grădinaru, initially dealt with silicon transistors, somewhat competing with L2. But in this laboratory there was a specialized microwave-based team, which became a majority since November 1976, with moving to L2 of the other L5 design team, led by Dr. Dănuţ Sachelarie, team specialized in silicon switching transistors (Eng. Mariana Dragan, Eng. Mariana Sachelarie, Dr. Marius Bâzu, Eng. Doina Vancu and Eng. Dan Lungu). So L5 has become a microwave lab. The main team was led by Dr. Alexandru Müller (becoming a laboratory head after 1990, when Eng. Grădinaru left for USA), having as members: Phys. Alexandru Dorobanţu, Phys. Ştefan Niculescu, Dr. Cornel Anton, Eng. Cristina Vasilescu-Buiculescu, Eng. Andrei Mihnea, Dr. Vasile Obreja, Eng. Gheorghe Dinoiu, Dr. Mircea Dragoman, Eng. Carmen Rotaru (Stănoiu).

Fig. 4.5 Dr. Mihai Mihăilă, correspondent member of the Romanian Academy

Fig. 4.6 Dr. Marius Bâzu. Fig. 4.7 Dr. Andrei Vladimirescu.

Fig. 4.8 Eng. Radu Vancu.

Finally, L5 had a team of electronics: Eng. Gheorghe Sucitu, Eng. Mihai Tănăsuică, Dr. Valentin Buiculescu, Dr. Sergiu Iordănescu, Dr. Sorin Voinigescu, Eng. Andrei Stoenescu, Eng. Miron Cățoiu, Dr. Ioan Rusu, Subeng. Gheorghe Oprișan and Eng. Bogdan Hossu, well-


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known after 1990, when he immediately left the ICCE, where he was head of the trade union, and became the head of a trade union headquarters (Cartel Alfa), a position in which he is now! It has to be said that discrete devices have always been, throughout the evolution of the ICCE, one of the main research directions, with remarkable results. In the field of microwave devices, the first devices were made in 1977: the tuning varactor diode ROV01 and the PIN diode ROV201. Then, Schottky diodes were made, and since 1986, microwave supercomponents have been built17. Also, L5 has developed an original technology to make ceramic microcases for microwave components18. 4.4.3 Integrated Circuits In CCPCE, the Integrated Circuits Laboratory was led by Mircea Dusa (who was also the leader of the Masks team) and had three collectives:

Integrated Digital Circuits, led by Eng. Dorel Prisecaru (members: Dr. Constantin Smărăndoiu, Dr. Alexandru Popa, Dr. Ing. Andrei Vladimirescu - Fig. 4.7), becoming a Laboratory in 1974, receiving several electronics graduates and becoming in 1981 the nucleus of the new enterprise Microelectronica, where the staff moved in corpore;

Integrated Analog Circuits, led by Eng. Mihai Şerban Datculescu-Vais, having as members graduates of the faculty of Electronics since 1970 (Eng. Adrian Gurău, Phys. Ioana Aldulescu-Gurău, Phys. Mona Bădescu-Prisecaru), 1971 (Eng. Iuia Badescu-Profeta, Eng. Adrian Andon, Eng. Virgil Ilian), 1972 (Eng. Radu Mutică-Vancu - Fig.4.8, Eng. Florin Năcuţă, Eng. Ion Constantinescu, Eng. Gelu Voicu), 1973 (Eng. Constantin Popescu, Eng. Constantin Gheorghiu, Eng. Calin Chiriac, etc.). In 1974, the research group became Laboratory, led by Mircea Dusa, and several electronics graduates joined him: Eng. Dan Şerbănescu, Eng. Otilia Neagoe, Eng. Radu Clondescu, Eng. Paul Popescu, Eng. Victor Radulescu, Eng. Andreea Cosmin, Eng. Bernel Leibovici, Eng. George Ioniţă, Eng. Mihai Statovici, Eng. Cornel Stănescu, Eng. Sorin Coţofană and others;

Simulation / Modeling Group, composed of mathematicians Eugen Dascălu, Iulia Beldiman and Ovidiu Poloțca.

The Integrated Circuits Laboratory has developed a series of circuits equivalent to foreign ones, such as: ROB 450-454, equivalent to the Texas Instruments family SN 7545X, ROB 361, equivalent to DS 75361 of the National Company or ROB 8161, equivalent to Siemens TAA

17 Gheorghe Grădinaru, Componente și supercomponente pentru microunde, Componente Electronice, March 1988, pp. 13-14. 18 Cornel Anton, Microcapsule ceramice LID pentru diode de microunde, Componente Electronice, June 1989, pp. 27-28.


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861 and SFC 2861 of Sescosem. Several circuits were made in the MONOCIP technique, set up by the group led by Eng. C. A. Popescu. 4.4.4 Optoelectronics Within the CCPCE, a team of Optoelectronics, led by Dr. Stelian Nan, arisen in 1971-1973, having as members: Dr. Mircea Negreanu, Dr. Herman Ciobotaru, Dr. Paula Obreja, Phys. Elena Budianu, Dr. Eugen Vasile, Chem. Ana Necula, Dr. Purica Munizer. In the ICCE, the team became Laboratory (L6) in 1976. During 1976-1989, the team grew with new graduates, mainly in physics and electronics, as well as chemists, such as: Dr. Florin Căldăraru, Phys. Anca Demetriad, Phys. Mihai Brătulescu, Eng. Elena Tudosie, Eng. Mira Arie-Căldăraru, Dr. Phys. Dan Nicolaescu, Dr. Dana Cristea-Hagimă, Phys. Iulian Tenea, Phys. Trandafir Radu, Phys. Alexandru Hanganu, Phys. Raluca Gavrila. In 1983, when the factory Microelectronica was set up, the group of electroluminescent diodes from the Optoelectronics Laboratory went to the newly established Enterprise LEDs and Displays section. After 1990, when many departures from the institute were registered, a graduate from the Faculty of Physics, Dr. Adrian Dinescu, came into this Laboratory. In 2017 he will become general manager of IMT-Bucharest. The Optoelectronics Laboratory has developed several families of optoelectronic components: photodiodes with silicon, phototransistors, fast photodetectors for optical communications and laser telemetry, photovoltaic cells, photothyristors, solar cells, photoreceptors, integrated optoelectronic circuits, quadratic photodetectors and linear photodiode matrices, differential monolithic photodiodes, photometric-radiometric detectors, optoelectronic couplers and switches, electroluminescent diodes19. The Laboratory has had numerous research and microproduction contracts with industrial partners. 4.4.5 Testing, Characterization and Reliability The Testing Team, led by Dr. Stefan Gozner, appeared in 1974, specializing in the manufacture of testers for all kinds of electronic components. Members of the team were: Eng. Aurelian Olariu, Eng. Niţă Codreanu, Dr. Cornel Trişcă-Rusu, Eng. Cristian Rotaru, Eng. Petronela Cernea-Florescu and Eng. Florin Roiu. The Chemistry Analysis team arisen even from the establishment of CCPCE, being led by Eng. Sorin Davidescu, and had its headquarters also in the hall on the ground floor of the body B. It comprised graduates of industrial chemistry series 1970 (Eng. Sorin Davidescu and Eng. Reghina Davidescu), 1969 (Eng. Sonia Larion and Eng. Paula Ene-Obreja), or even older (Eng. Liviu Teleoaca). In 1972, three other chemists came to this group: Chem. Sofia Calin, Chemists

19 Stelian Nan, Optoelectronica - în continuă afirmare, Componente Electronice, March 1988, pp. 15-17.


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Valentina and Mihai Lazarescu. The group disbanded in 1974, after the departure of the Davidescu spouses in the USA. A few months later, the Chemical Analysis Team reappeared, being chaired by the Chem. Ion Loghin, together with his wife, Chem. Cristina Loghin and Subeng. Ioana Ghinea. The team had an important role to play in the ICCI production plan, because it made the potassium aurocyanide solutions used in IPRS to metallize capsules, grids, etc. (until then they were procured from West Import). The Reliability Laboratory appeared in 1977 in L5 in the form of a team led by Dr. Lucian Gălăţeanu (Electronics graduate, section Physics Engineers, in 1970). The team became a Laboratory in 1979 and occupied the third floor of the new building of the Microproduction Department. Initially the Laboratory had three collectives: Quality Technical Control (in Romanian, Controlul Tehnic de Calitate – CTC) led by Eng. Aurel Peţu, Testing (led by Eng. Eremia Iancu) and Microphysical Analysis (led by Dr. Eugenia Cărbunaru). The Laboratory contained a large number of sub-engineers, technicians and workers. There were also some engineers and physicists, all in the Microphysical Analysis team: Eng. Tiberiu Grigorescu, Chem. Marina Pascu, Eng. Viorica Primejdie, Phys. Doina Gâtlan and Eng. Lucia Dijmărescu. In November 1979, in the Reliability Laboratory, a group of four researchers from L2 came together, becoming the Reliability Analysis team, led by Dr. Marius Bâzu and having members: Dr. Dănuț Sachelarie, Eng. Mariana Sachelarie and Eng. Mariana Dragan. A few months later, Phys. Mihaela Grigoreta Stoica attached herself to this group. The Reliability Lab has attracted yearly a number of ICCE employees who have strengthened the existing collectives and led to the formation of new ones, such as the Mecano-Climatic Testing team headed by Eng. Mariana Dragan. They came: Eng. Virgil Ilian, Dr. Florin Găiseanu, Eng. Aurelia Stanciu, Ec. Florica Sadacliev, Subeng. Anca Datculescu-Vais, Eng. Gabriela Popescu, Dr. Eliade Ştefănescu, Phys. Trandafir Radu, Eng. Rareş Florescu, Subeng. Nicu Lăzărescu, Dr. Rodica Plugaru, Phys. Andrei Vierosanu, Dr. Eugenia Hălmăgean, Chem. Olga Popescu. In 1984, through the efforts of Dr. Lucian Gălăţeanu, the head of the laboratory, four graduates from Electronics and Telecommunication faculty were brought from the Urziceni Ferret Factory, where they were assigned. These were: Dr. Mihai Tăzlăuanu, Eng. Anca Marinescu-Stoica, Eng. Alexandru Daniliuc and Eng. Nicolae Iancu. The Reliability Laboratory was conducted between 1977 and 1989 by Dr. Lucian Gălăţeanu, and since January 1990 by Dr. Marius Bâzu. Accelerated aging programs have been developed to achieve a rapid estimate of batch reliability. The laboratory has also been able to deliver high-reliability components for military and aviation programs, nuclear power plants, heavy water plants, and so on, based on the construction and implementation of specific selection testing programs. The whole action was a success. There were no complaints about deliveries, on the contrary, the institute even received congratulations and words of thanks. A thank-you


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letter to ICCE by the Army Research Institute confirms the high reliability of the delivered components20. 4.4.6 Applications The Laboratory of Applications existed from the very beginning in the CCPCE, as a laboratory, led by Eng. Ion Ristea, which included two large team groups, focused on Electronics (led by Eng. Petrică Ţăranu) and Mechanics (led by Eng. Constantin Barbulescu, then by Eng. Stefan Codiță), respectively. Members were: Dr. Ștefan Gozner, Eng. Adrian Cogan, Eng. Victor Şeinberg, Eng. Ovidiu Popescu, Dr. Eliade Ştefănescu, Eng. Alexandru Sucitu, Eng. Florin Dimitriu and others. In 1971, a number of electronics graduates became members of the laboratory: Eng. Nicolae Ţetcu, Eng. Liana Ionescu-Boeru-Macri, Eng. Dorin Dudu, Eng. Marcu Buşe, Eng. Niţă Codreanu, etc. Later, other specialists came, such as: Eng. Ovidiu Popescu, Eng. Viorel Popescu, Eng. Calistrat Tuduciuc, etc. After 1974, this team will become L3 Laboratory (led by Eng. Ion Ristea), and later the Department S2 (led first by Eng. Ion Ristea, then by Eng. Stefan Codita). The Apps section had many achievements, one of them being the memory programmer developed by Eng. Radu Enciu around the 8080 microprocessor21. 4.4.7 Manufacturing technological equipment The Department for Technological Equipment Section (S2), led by Dr. Nicoleta Blaga, appeared in the second part of the 1980s. Until 1991, when he separated from the ICCE, clean rooms and ultrasonic cleaning facilities were certified and produced. 4.4.8 Growing silicon monocrystals The Monocrystalline Growth Laboratory (in Romanian, Laboratorul de Creștere Monocristalină – LCM) appeared in the CCPCE, being led by Phys. Mihai Şerbănescu, and having as members: Eng. Luminiţa Crăciun, Phys. Ana Botea and the Botuşan husbands (chemical engineers). The silicon monocrystals team was run by the Chem. Dimitrie Cădere. There were also a few very good workers and technicians of this lab: mechanic technician Tomșa, glass worker Mălin, mechanic technician Ion Naltu, plumber worker Paul Mihăilescu. In 1979, the LCM left entirely from the ICCE to become the core of the Factory for Growth and Processing of Silicon Monocrystals (in Romanian, Întreprinderea de Creştere şi Prelucrare Monocristale de Siliciu - ICPMS), established on the Dudesti Platform. 20 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued. 21 Radu Enciu, Programator de memorii, Componente Electronice, March 1988, p. 9.


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4.4.9 Passive components The Passive Components Group, led by Eng. Svetlana Rău, was formed in 1970, members of which are two chemistry engineers: Eng. Gloria Gavonea and Eng. Maria Manafu. In 1971, two electronics engineers came, Dr. Gheorghe Stanciu and Dr. Marius Bâzu, both left after two or three years at other research groups in the institute, and two other chemist engineers, Dr. Bogdan Trifănescu and Eng. Gizela Farkas. In 1973, Chem. Ecaterina Avram and Dr. Irina Kleps, graduated from Chemistry faculty at the University, were included in this group. In 1978, the Passive Components Group assured the development of Tehnoton Iaşi tantalum capacitor manufacturing by putting in place the technology developed in the institute. Noteworthy, before moving to Iaşi, a few specialists from the institute were part of a delegation that moved to China, in 1974, because there had been a purchase of the Tehnoton section's utilities, while the "know-how" was provided by ICCE. The delegation also included specialists from Tehnoton Iasi, who were to work on the manufacturing line. 4.4.9 Hybrid circuits The Hybrid Circuit Group was led by Mihai Georgescu, including names such as: Prof. Mircea Negoiță (currently at the Wellington Institute of Technology, New Zealand), Subeng. Nicu Lăzărescu, Eng. Cristian Malide, Eng. Benedict Popescu, etc. Among other things, they have worked out a laser alignment process of hybrid technology components on existing laboratory equipment, and developed the semiconductor flip-chip technology for hybrid technology. In 1991, Eng. Mihai Georgescu, the head of the group, established, together with the entire group of specialists, the Romanian firm Imperial Electric S.A., which operates today. 4.5. ICCE experimental infrastructure relevant to research, services and microproduction 4.5.1 The stage CCPCE The Institute had a complete technological line in operation, located in a clean room area, on which a semiconductor device could be made, starting with epitaxial growth on the silicon wafer and going to encapsulation in metallic cases. There were also mask making equipment, vacuum deposition equipment (oxide, metal), diffusion ovens, wafer testing equipment, tracing and separation of structures, equipment required for final characterization, etc.22 The Monocrystalline Growth Group had equipment for the growth of monocrystalline silicon ingots and then cutting the ingot for the production of wafers. The purity obtained was not good enough, so, as a rule, import wafers were used for current processing. But these studies on the



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growth of monocrystalline silicon were the basis of knowledge for the development of the future factory ICPMS. The Passive Components Group had two Vacuum Evaporation Balzers equipment (1971), a sintering machine and a blast furnace, an RLC deck, i.e. all the equipment required to produce small amounts of tantalum capacitors and metal film resistors. 4.5.2 Stage of accelerated development The existing technological line had been completed with modern equipment for polysilicon deposition, ionic implantation, sputtering metal deposition, etc., located in a new clean room area. Mechanical and electronic workshops featured a large hall with fine mechanical machining, most of them imported (Shanklin, Austria), as well as equipment for electronic measuring and control. Also, the Integrated Circuit Laboratory acquired in 1976 a performant plotter for masking, produced by Calcomp (Figure 4.9).

Fig. 4.9 The team of the Integrated Circuit Lab, next to the Calcomp Plotter, recently acquired (1976). From left to right: Eng. Radu Bârsan, Dr. Constantin Bulucea, Prof. W. Oldham (University of Berkeley, USA), Dr. Andrei Vladimirescu, Eng. Radu Vancu and Eng. Dorel Prisecaru (Archive of Dr. Constantin Bulucea).

The entry into operation in 1979 of the Microproduction Department meant the acquisition and installing of new equipment, superior as performances to those left in the Laboratory of Technology and accessible to all specialists in the institute. In general, semiconductor processing machines were imported from the West under the 1971-1975, 1976-1980 and 1981-1985 investment programs at an average investment level of around USD 10 million per five-


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year period23. For the microphysical characterization there were two electronic microscopes (one Jeol - Japan, the other, Tesla - Czechoslovakia), an X-ray diffraction apparatus, different spectroscopes and many other performant equipment. The Reliability Lab has a sufficient number of equipment, specialized in component types, to cover the mechanical and climatic tests, but also the operating tests for entire range of products of the institute, including accelerated testing of components. 4.5.3 Stage post-revolution In 1991, the three production departments left ICCE with their equipment, so the institute's equipment fell sharply. In addition, during this period after 1989 no new equipment or apparatus was purchased, and the existing ones were in an increasingly advanced state of physical degradation, to which was added the moral wear determined by the diameter of the silicon wafers for which were built: 2" and 3", compared to 6" and 8", in the world24. 4.6. Collaboration relationships of the ICCE at national / international level In the CCPCE period, the collaborations were primarily with the IPRS-Baneasa plant. But there were also important collaborations with the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest (in Romanian, Institutul Politehnic Bucuresti - IPB), the faculty of electronics and computers, respectively with the professors Mihai Drăgănescu, Adrian Rusu, Mircea Bodea, Marcel Profirescu, Anton Manolescu, Anca Manolescu, etc., which were then developed after 1974, with the younger professors Gheorghe Brezeanu, Paul Şchiopu, George Stanciu, Gheorghe Ştefan etc.25 and continued until 1996. Moving in 1974 to the new premises (outside the IPRS factory premises) and especially the commissioning of the microproduction department of the institute determined the widening of the area of beneficiaries and collaborators in the country, especially the electronic enterprises in Bucharest (Electronic Computer Factory, IEMI, Electronica, etc.) and from the country (Tehnoton Iasi, IAEM Timisoara, etc.). In 1981, the Microelectronica plant appeared in the immediate vicinity of the institute, many of the factory's specialists being trained in the institute, which facilitated the emergence of joint research projects, visible, for example, in the contributions to the Annual Conference for Semiconductors (in Romanian, Conferinta Anuală de Semiconductoare – CAS), with authors from several institutions. Years after 1996, the meaning of the move will be the opposite, many of the Microelectronics specialists will become researchers in the institute.

23 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued. 24 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued. 25 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued.


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Collaborations with the Romanian Academy have been a constant activity of the ICCE, not just because the founder of the institute, Prof. Mihai Drăgănescu, was a member of the Romanian Academy. For example, between 1985 and 1989, ICCE, even though it was not an institute under the aegis of the Romanian Academy, entered an inter-academic collaboration program that funded exchanges of visits between institutes of academies in the socialist countries. Practically, the program was useful for the institute because a large number of researchers visited institutes in Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary and German Democratic Republic. There was no reciprocity - that is, researchers from the partner countries to visit the ICCE - despite the invitations sent on each occasion. Of course, internationally, in the period before 1989, the collaborations were primarily those of the COMECON (Council for Mutual Economic Assistance), the inter-state organization of the socialist countries, set up in 1949 at the initiative of the USSR in response to the Plan Marshall, offered by the US to the countries of Western Europe. The COMECON included: USSR, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Poland, GDR, Romania and Hungary. Other non-European communist countries (Mongolia, Cuba, and Vietnam) also took part in some Council sessions in recent years. The ICCE and Baneasa Platform companies were involved in meetings of the Commission (Ministerial), Section (Central) or Working Group (Institute, Factory, etc.)26. Although there was no organizational framework, even before 1989 visits to the ICCE of some scientific personalities from the capitalist countries took place. For example, the 1977 visit by Professor W. Oldham (University of Berkeley, USA), occasioned by the course he had taught at the Polytechnic School of Bucharest for the Institute's researchers or the 1984 visit by Prof. Jun-ichi Nishizawa (Tohoku University, Japan). As a rule, the relations of the researchers at the institute with the foreign specialists were established at the occasion of the purchase of machinery from abroad. The Romanian researcher who was about to work with the machine had a 1-2 week shift for machine training, then the machine was brought to the institute, usually with 1-2 foreign specialists to put it into operation. Immediately after December 1989, ICCE researchers understood that, under the new conditions, the greatest chance for research is the abolition of barriers to collaboration with other countries. They got in touch with everyone they had met, or whose publications they had read before. Some success has been achieved by contacting Western researchers, some of whom have begun to visit the institute, in particular to attend the ICCE conference, which has become international since 1991. Moreover, a number of Romanians that left the country before 1989 could be contacted by researchers at the institute in some cases with beneficial effects for the ICCE. For example, the important donation of electronic equipment and personal computers, obtained by Prof. Titu Băjenescu (left in Switzerland, in 1969) from IBM's Zurich Institute, a



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donation completed in the summer of 1997, when the ICCE had already merged with IMT, becoming IMT-Bucharest. An important instrument in the establishment and development of internal and international collaborations was represented by the publications and manifestations organized by the institute. Below, we will only mention the most important, with a definite role in promoting the institute. 4.6.1 Publications In 1980 and 1986, the ICCE published two product catalogues, which were already described in section 4.3.2. The Committee of Engineers and Technicians produced between 1987 and 1989 three numbers of the publication "Electronic Components", in which the latest achievements of ICCE specialists were synthesized. The editorial staff was made up of: Dr. Marius Bâzu (editor-in-chief), Dr. Valentin Buiculescu, Eng. Mihai Georgescu, Dr. Florin Găiseanu, Eng. Alexandru Hanganu, Eng. Virgil Ilian, Dr. Mihai Mihăilă, Dr. Dănuț Sachelarie, and Eng. Eugen Vasile. Editorial secretary was Phys. Andrei Vieroşeanu, who had obtained the printing in excellent graphic conditions at the "Scânteia House" Polygraphic House. The elegant cover of the magazine was made by Nicolae Corneliu, the graphic designer of the institute. There were not only promotional articles about the work of collectives, but also papers of scientific nature about new topics in the world, as well as announcements regarding various scientific manifestations, descriptions of doctoral theses or patents of colleagues from the institute, etc.27 In fact, some of these articles are also quoted in this paper. In the period 1990-1992, ICCE's Reliability Lab has edited, with the Romanian Reliability Society, a quality and reliability magazine called "Optimum Q". The initiative was promoted by Valeriu Panghe, who led the Department of Quality and Ecology of the Department of Electrotechnical and Electronic Industry, to which the institute belonged at that time. The editorial board comprised reliability specialists from ICCE (Marius Bâzu - editor-in-chief, Lucian Gălăţeanu, Mihai Tăzlăuanu) and Polytechnic University of Bucharest (Vasile Catuneanu, Angelica and Ioan Bacivarov, Adrian Mihalache, etc.). The magazine, issued in good graphical conditions (cover: Liana Mihail), included the first articles in the field of reliability written by Romanian and foreign specialists during 1990-199228. 4.6.2 The Annual Conference of Semiconductors (CAS)

27 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued. 28 Nona Millea (coordonator), op cit în curs de apariție.


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Established in 1978 at the initiative of the ICCE Director, Dr. Constantin Bulucea, the Semiconductor Annual Conference (in Romanian, Conferința Anuală de Semiconductoare - CAS) was undoubtedly the most important instrument of the ICCE for its promotion internally and then internationally, in particular through the contributions made by the researchers at the institute, who had the opportunity to confront and be validated by the specialists in the field. On the other hand, CAS was a permanent source of information for researchers from the ICCE, who could connect directly to the most valuable knowledge in the country in their field of activity, and after 1991 they also had access to valuable contributions from abroad. It is important to emphasize that even from the beginning, since 1978, CAS has rejected any political nuances, which seemed almost impossible in the conditions of the Romanian society at that time and which was based exclusively on the courage of the founder of the conference, Dr. Constantin Bulucea, who has always refused to refer to the Romanian Communist Party or its general secretary. In the following, the period 1978-1996 of the conference is described, in which the organizing institution was the ICCE. 4.6.2.1 Venue The first edition took place in 1978, at Timișul de Sus, at the Gaiser complex29. The same location was used between 1979 and 1980 and for 1982-1984 editions. In 1981, the Gaiser complex (reserved for a closed circuit) was occupied with other activities, so the conference was held in Predeal. Since 1985, Gaiser's location has become inaccessible, so the conference moved first to Poiana Braşov (1985) and then to the Sinaia Hotel in Sinaia, from 1986 to the present day. 4.6.2.2 The organizing team From the very beginning, the CAS team was headed by a President. Between 1978 and 1986, he was Dr. Constantin Bulucea, the founder of the conference. After his departure from the country, the position was taken over by Dr. Ioan Bătrâna, the director of ICCE, who also created a position of Honorary President for Acad. Mihai Drăgănescu. Also from the first edition, the executive management of CAS was provided by a Manager. In the first two editions this was Eng. Florian Bradau, then the next three, the Manager was changed every year: in 1980 - Eng. Adrian Bejan, in 1981 - Eng. Mihai Statovici, and in 1982 - Dr. Marian Bădilă. From 1983, for three editions, Dr. Marius Bâzu was assisted by Eng. Doina 29 In fact, in the summer of 1976, there was a first attempt at organizing a conference in Bucharest, under the aegis of the ICCE Committee of the Union of Communist Youth, more precisely, by the secretary with professional problems, Eng. Radu Vancu. The venue was the Calea Victoriei headquarters of the General Association of the Engineers in Romania (in Romanian, Asociația Generală a Inginerilor din România – AGIR), but important participants were asked during the conference to travel to other urgent meetings in Bucharest, so it became clear that this conference should be organized outside Bucharest.


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Vancu as Assistant Manager, and in 1985 by Dr. Sergiu Iordanescu too. From 1986 until 1996, Eng. Doina Vancu was CAS Manager. The evaluation of the submitted papers and the drawing up of the scientific program were carried out by the scientific leadership of the conference: three secretaries, at the first edition, then a vice-president with the technical program (Eng. Radu Bârsan), finally, since 1980, a Program Assembling Committee, variable every year by size and composition. Subcommittees of selection, coordinated by a President of the scientific program, appear. In this position were first Eng. Radu Bârsan (1985), then Dr. Ştefan Gozner (1986); finally, Professor Adrian Rusu, a correspondent member of the Romanian Academy, who has been constantly in charge of the scientific program since 1980 to its disappearance, unanimously regretted, in 2013. Another professor at IPB, Professor Gheorghe Brezeanu, has always been since 1983 until today with various functions in the program committee. The other members of the Organizing Committee were responsible for various activities, which are significant for the profile of the conference: secretariat, technical assistance, cashier, graphics, photo, accommodation, exhibitions, posters, but also transport (because until 1990 – the transport of the participants from Bucharest and back was made for free, with buses hired by the organizers), film / music, cinema, CAS Gazette (appeared between 1985 and 1990, as a poster, with satirical articles of good taste, highly appreciated by the participants), etc. Always, at CAS, related activities were important! Perhaps they have contributed decisively to the formation of the so-called "CAS spirit", which can be defined by several elements: informal meetings between specialists, but also between heads of institutions, banquet (with prizes for the previous edition), bowling (in the evening), slide shows and cartoons (for children), exhibitions of works of art, excursions (for family members: spouses, children), photo with all participants30. 4.6.2.3 The works of the conference The technical-scientific content of the presented works improved year after year, the selection being extremely rigorous. It is enough to recall the percentage of works accepted for the first years31: in 1980 - 33% (71 out of 216!), in 1981- 54%, in 1982 - 49%. In 1990, the acceptance rate reached 82%. Clearly, the level of sent contributions grew heavily, because no one dared to submit poor papers to CAS.

30 Nona Millea (coordinator), op cit to be issued. 31 M. Bâzu, Evoluţia de-a lungul a 37 de ani a Conferinţei anuale de semiconductoare (CAS), Session of Scientific Communications of the Technical History Division of Romanian Committee of History and Philosophy of Science and Technology (in Romanian, Comitetul Român de Istoria și Filosofia Științei și Tehnicii – CRIFST), April 14, 2016, Bucharest, Boardroom of the Romanian Academy.


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Starting in 1983, each participant was expected to the registration desk with the volume containing the extensive abstracts (4 pages, A4 format), written on special forms (as long as the writing was done on typewriter!), then, when it came to writing on PCs, based on drafting instructions sent by the organizers. The CAS was a true school for young researchers from the ICCE, both as regards the writing of scientific contributions and their oral presentation. Since 1981, the Poster section has been introduced, so young ICCE researchers have also learned how to synthesize their work on such a support that has been widely spread lately in the world. Many of the conference topics have been defined as section titles since the first edition and have remained the same until 1996: Analysis and Modeling, Technology, Microwave Devices, Optoelectronic Devices, Testing, Applications. Since 1983, the Reliability section has been added (combined in later editions with Microphysical Characterization). In 1988, the Semiconductor Transducers section arisen, in 1992 the sction called Sensors was launched, and in 1996 the Microsystems section. Since 1994, a special section has been devoted to student works, being organized by Prof. Gheorghe Brezeanu, from Politehnica University of Bucharest (in Romanian, Institutul Politehnic Bucuresti – IPB). 4.6.2.4 Participants At the first edition, the works belonged to authors from ICCE, IPRS, IPB, Institute for Pyhsics and Material Technology, Institute for Electronic Researches, Timișoara University and Institute of Computer Engineering Cluj. At the second edition, there were also works with authors from other institutions: Institute of Computer Engineering Bucharest, Institute of Computer Engineering Timișoara, Institute for Design of Automation Bucharest, Institute for R&D in Telecommunications, University of Craiova, Institute of Nuclear Research Pitesti, Institute of Metrology Bucharest, Institute of Isotopic and Molecular Technologies. Then, for each edition, the number of participating institutions increased, as evidenced of the growing prestige of CAS. The 1984 edition was a special one because it was attended by several professors from the Bucharest Polytechnic Institute: Prof. Mihai Drăgănescu, Prof. Radu Grigorovici, Prof. Adelaida Mateescu, Prof. George Moisil, Prof. Edmond Nicolau, Prof. Ion Popescu, Prof. Alexandru Timotin. CAS became an international conference in 1991. Since 1992, IEEE-Romania Section has been the organizer of the conference, since 1993 - Electronic Devices Chapter, and since 1996 - Electrochemical Society. We can say that this Annual Semiconductor Conference (CAS) is the most important legacy left by the ICCE and which continues to function, under the name of International Semiconductor Conference (CAS). The equipment was lost, the organization's culture was


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changed, the products could not be manufactured anymore, the researchers retired, but CAS went ahead, with the 42nd edition in 2019!

Fig. 4.10 Group photo with participants at the 1984 edition of the Annual Semiconductor

Conference.

4.7 Conclusions on the role of ICCE in the development of the "micro- and nanoelectronics" field in Romania The Research Institute for Electronic Components (ICCE) has successfully accomplished the purpose for which it was created by:

providing the Băneasa platform (IPRS-Băneasa and Microelectronica) with manufacturing technologies and designs of electronic components based on silicon, according to the achievements in the world;

developing technologies and achieving products in areas that were complementary to those addressed by IPRS-Baneasa (being developed as an institute with this main purpose), respectively devices in MOS technology, optoelectronic devices and microwave devices;

participating with teams of specialists in setting up and developing important objectives of the Romanian electronics industry: the factory Microelectronica, the factory for Silicon Monocrystalline Growing and Processing, IPRS-Baneasa section 2500, etc .;

forming and making available to these factories high-skilled human resources in a new field in the world, such as silicon-based electronic devices;


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providing by microproduction to the Romanian electronics industry those types of performant components solicited in small quantities that could not be achieved in economic efficiency at the factories;

delivering high reliability components for special programs launched in Romania in the 1980s;

organizing, since 1978, the Semiconductor Annual Conference, a high-level presentation forum for the most important achievements in the field, which was held in 1991 under the aegis of the IEEE;

establishing and constantly observing throughout its activity a high standard of quality, which it has imposed in all its collaborations.

4.8 Representative names for ICCE Brief biographies of important researchers from the institute are provided for which the necessary data could be obtained32. Constantin Bulucea. Born in 1940, in Ramnicu Valcea, graduated in 1962 from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, Section of Physicist-Engineers, received the Doctor Engineer in Electronics in 1974 (doctorate leader: Acad. Mihai Draganescu). Between 1962 and 1966 he was a Teaching Assistant al the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest, Department of Vacuum Tubes, Transistors, and Electronic Circuits. From there, he was “transferred in the interest of the business” to IPRS Baneasa, in 1966. He was hired at IPRS as a research engineer in the Semiconductors Laboratory. In 1969 he won a Romanian government scholarship for one-year graduate studies at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, where he obtained a Master of Science (MS) degree in Electrical Engineering. There he got the chance to be in classes taught by first-hand personalities of the field, such as William Oldham (UC Berkeley), Donald Pederson (UC Berkeley), Andrew Grove (Intel), Frederick Dill (IBM), Jacque Pankove (RCA), and William Howard (Motorola), at the time when they were setting the foundations of new electronics technologies such as monolithically integrated analog circuits, their computer simulation, the Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) technology, etc. Upon his return to Romania, in 1970, he created the new local courses of Linear Integrated Circuits and Physics and Technology of MOS Devices, making the latter required for promotion to Principal Researcher.

32 Unfortunately, no biographical data was available for other important ICCE personalities, such as: Dr. Ioan Bătrâna, Dr. Constantin Postolache, Dr. Gheorghe Grădinaru, Dr. Stelian Nan, Eng. Ion Ristea, Eng. Stefan Codita, etc. Biographical notes about Dr. Andrei Vladimirescu and Eng. Mircea Dusa are presented in Chapter 9.


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Between 1972 and 1986, he was Director of Research (1972-1974) and Director (1974-1984) of the Research Institute for Electronic Components (ICCE) and Associate Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest (IPB). As Director of Research, and later as Director of ICCE, Dr. Bulucea oriented the local semiconductor technology efforts predominantly toward the Western reference models, encouraging the confrontation of researchers at world competitive levels. He so contributed to the formation of a realistic technology school of semiconductor technology aimed at competitive alignment to primary references. This was departing from the traditional models of acclaiming soviet science and “local patriotism”. It is worth mentioning that the ICCE researchers were granted the permission to personally request and retain “reprints” of articles from foreign authors, with request postcard postage paid by the Institute. In 1986, with the support of the Romanian Government, he personally invited Professor W. G. Oldham to teach a 2-week course of MOS/VLSI Technology. Also, other R&D personalities were invited to deliver presentations wherever occasions occurred. Along the same orientation line, he drafted and won a United Nations Development Program (UNDP) project dedicated to building a pilot line of MOS/LSI for microelectronics. In 1978, following the model of the IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), he founded the Annual Conference for Semiconductors (CAS), now an international IEEE event. In November 1986, Dr. Bulucea left Romania and in February next year he was admitted into the United States of America, where he became naturalized in 1992. Between 1987 and 1990 he was a Principal Engineer and Project Leader at Siliconix, Santa Clara, California. Between 1990 and 2011, he worked as a Senior Member of the Technical Staff, then as Chief Technologist of National Semiconductor, Santa Clara, California. In September 2011, he became a Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff of Texas Instruments, Dallas, Texas, as the result of National Semiconductor’s acquisition by Texas Instruments. He retired from that position in August, 2012, on his 72-nd birthday anniversary. Dr. Bulucea has brought important personal contributions to the development of semiconductor technology in Romania. In 1966, he created the first Romanian design methodology for designing double diffused planar silicon transistors, which was followed by a suite of silicon transistors developed by ICCE and IPRS engineers without imported fabrication know-how. He was the creator and technical leader of the national project “Microelectronica”, all the way from the plant design through the successful putting into operation in 1981, with the silicon manufacturing technology developed by ICCE researchers.


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Among his contributions to world’s science and technology of semiconductors are the continuation of Grove’s theory of surface breakdown in planar devices (1972-1974)33, the theory of avalanche injection in gate-controlled silicon devices, with the measurement and plotter recording for the first time of hot-carrier DC currents (~100 pA) through the gate oxide, on virtually perfect MOS gettered devices fabricated in ICCE (1974-1975)34, first power transistors (100 A) of the industry in Trench DMOS technology using the “Bulucea Clamp”, now in world-wide use for low-voltage MOS power switches (1987-1989)35, high-performance integrated MOS asymmetrical transistors in patented “empty channel” design, developed at National Semiconductor (1990-2010)36. His inventions are protected in 70 US and international patents. He published 40 articles and communications in prestigious international journals and communications such as IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, IEEE Electron Device Letters, International Electron Device Meeting (IEDM), Solid-State Electronics, Revue Romaine de Physique, and Electronics Letters, and 3 books in Romanian, among which ”Integrated Linear Circuits”, Editura Tehnica, 1975, co-authored with Mihai Vais and Horia Profeta, has been the first Romanian book in the title domain. Dr. Bulucea has been a member of the editorial board of Automatica si Electronica (1974-1986) and of the honorary editorial board of Solid-State Electronics (1978-2012), an editor of the IEEE Electron Device Letters (1995-2012) and the IEEE Journal of the Electron Device Society (2013 to present). He has also been a member of the Technical Committees of the IEEE Bipolar Circuits and Technology Meeting (BCTM, 2000-2003) and the IEEE VLSI Technology Symposium (2004-2007). Among his distinctions are The Labor Order (Ordinul Muncii) Class III of Romania (1981), the “Star” Award for Technology Achievements, Siliconix (1989), the “Patent of the Year” awards of National Semiconductor (1996 and 2010) and Texas Instruments (2017, at 5 years into retirement). Since 2001, Dr, Bulucea is an Honorary Member of the Romanian Academy. In 2004, he became an IEEE Fellow for “contributions to transistor engineering in the field of power

33 1) C. Bulucea, C. Postolache, and A. Rusu, "Avalanche Injection in Silicon Planar Semiconductor Devices", Second International Conference on Solid Surfaces, Kyoto, March 25-29, 1974; 2) C. Bulucea, A. Rusu, and C. Postolache, "Surface Breakdown in Silicon Planar Junctions", Solid-State Electronics, vol. 17, pp. 881-888, 1974, 3) A. Rusu and C. Bulucea, "Two-Dimensional Calculation of Avalanche Breakdown Voltage in Deeply-Depleted MOS Capacitors”, IEDM, 1976 34 1) C. Bulucea, "Avalanche Injection into the Oxide in Silicon GateControlled Devices - I Theory, Solid-State Electronics, vol. 18, pp. 363-374, 1975; 2) C. Bulucea, "Avalanche Injection into the Oxide in Silicon Gate Controlled Devices - II Experimental Results, Solid-State Electronics, vol. 18, pp. 381-391, 1975. This suite of two articles summarizes author’s doctoral thesis at the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest. 35 C. Bulucea and R. Rossen, "Trench DMOS Transistor Technology for High-Current (100 ARange) Switching", Solid-State Electronics, vol. 34, pp. 493-507, 1991, protected in several US patents. 36 C. Bulucea, S. Bahl, W. French, J-J. Yang, P. Francis, T. Harjono, V. Krishnamurthy, J. Tao, and C. Parker, “Physics, Technology, and Modeling of Complementary Asymmetric MOSFETs”, IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices, vol. 57, pp. 2363-2380, 2010.


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electronics”. In 2002 he was Vice Chairman and in 2003 Chairman of the Science Direction “Advanced Devices and Technologies” of the university-industry consortium Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). Between 1995 and 2012 he was a permanent member of the university-industry consortium Center for Integrated Research (CIS), Stanford, California. In 2013, Dr. Bulucea was invited as a special guest of the international conferences European Solid-State Device Research Conference (ESSDERC) and European Solid-State Circuits Research Conference (ESSCIRC), jointly organized for the first time in Bucharest. There, he delivered the gala dinner keynote address “Eastern Europe’s Solid-State Technology – Recollections and Projections”. In 2015 and 2019 he was invited to the People’s Republic of China for a series of short courses in the field of power semiconductor devices and industrial start-up evaluations in the same field. Radu Vanco. Born in 1949, he graduated in 1972 as Head of Promotion from the Physicist-Engineers section, part of the Electronics and Telecommunications Faculty of the Politehnica University of Bucharest. Between 1972 and 1984, he worked at the Research Institute for Electronic Components (ICCE), where he had the opportunity to grow professionally in a research-oriented environment which offered little resources but great opportunities to manifest his creativity in all aspects of semiconductor industry, including theory, design, layout, CAD, technology, device physics, manufacturing, testing, product definition, customer interface, etc. As Chief of MOS Integrated Circuit Design Group, he developed several products, including the first VLSI integrated circuit in Romania. In the summer of 1976 he was the main organizer of the Institute's first research conference, which subsequently led to the organization of the Semiconductor Annual Conference (CAS) by ICCE, since 1978. In 1985 he emigrated to the US, where he pursued a career of professional, managerial and business success in Silicon Valley. He started in 1985 at Seeq Tehnology as Sr. Design Engineer where he designed from scratch revolutionary products including a very high speed EEPROM (performing at 35ns at a time when mainstream products were struggling at 200ns), the company’s first successful error correction based EEPROM, and won the race for the 1 Mbit density against the company’s then main competitor, Xicor. As a result he was promoted to Director of Design Engineering. He left Seeq in 1991 to take a Product Line Manager position with Cypress Semiconductor where he represented Cypress’ interest in a joint venture with Altera. As part of this he assembled an engineering team from scratch and successfully addressed a significant number of issues ranging from technical to business and political, and succeeded to take over a significant market share from Altera. He left the company in 1993 to take a VP position at Catalyst Semiconductor.

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