The FABrIC Innovation Platform supports the entire design cycle from concept to prototype to commercialization. Made for researchers in industry and academia, it provides access to computer aided design tools, platform technologies, Intellectual Property (IP), chip manufacturing in Canada and elsewhere, and support for test, characterization, and development of process design kits. The Innovation Platform is developed and delivered by CMC Microsystems and backed by a trusted global supply chain and extensive technical expertise. Benefits include:

• A “one-stop shop” that lowers barriers to conducting R&D in advanced technologies. CMC coordinates cost-shared access to products and services for designing and manufacturing R&D prototypes from a global supply chain of more than 100 suppliers.


• Economies of scale that fully utilize the minimum fabrication area required by manufacturers. This lowers the costs to the users and opens access to otherwise prohibitively expensive technology nodes. CMC’s personnel aggregate user designs into one manufacturing run and ensure that IP is protected.


• Experts that can handle the complexity of the most advanced design software and manufacturing processes. This reduces the burden on SMEs to have all the required expertise in-house. Skills range from software installation and licensing to guidance on technology choices for fabrication, packaging, and testing—enable first-time-right designs.


• Virtual research support services for even greater accessibility, e.g., cloud-based process design kits, design tools. This builds upon the CMC’s remote access model for design and fabrication services which are accessible any time of day from any location in Canada.


• Supply chain access is possible through CMC’s negotiated arrangements with tool and technology providers. Access to the leading-edge options is difficult if not impossible for small sized companies to arrange as vendors focus on established companies. As a trusted organization, CMC acts on behalf of companies and gets in doors that would otherwise be closed.

The Innovation Platform also enables FABrIC participants to give back to the ecosystem by contributing reusable IP and documented know-how for use by others to jumpstart their R&D projects.