Demand for semiconductors explodes during global pandemic and Memorial engineering professor answers the call to help thanks to equipment provided by NSERC, CFI and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Facility Spotlight
Memorial’s New MicroPrecision Mechatronics Lab ( PML)
DR. MOHAMMAD AL JANAIDEH
Ever since the introduction of the first mobile phone in the
post-doctoral fellow Yazan Rwashdeh, are developing new
1980s, the world’s top electronics companies have been
motion control systems that can enhance the performance of
competing to make smaller, faster and more powerful devices.
wafer scanners. They are able to do this thanks to three
The race to advance cell phone design lies within the
Research Tools and Instruments (RTI) awards and from the
modification and production of microprocessors, with tiny
Canada Foundation of Innovation’s (CFI) infrastructure and
integrated circuits (ICs) that allow the phone to function.
equipment competition.
The demand for these microprocessors, which are also known
The RTI awards, which are part of NSERC’s annual
as semiconductor chips, is so great that industry cannot keep
competition for purchasing, provide funding for instruments
up. The global pandemic which has seen many people working
and equipment to be used towards new research capabilities.
from home has created a global chip shortage. In order to produce enough chips to supply millions of customers, the industry has called on engineers to help solve the problem by streamlining the creation process. Dr. Mohammad Al Janaideh, assistant professor in mechanical engineering at Memorial, has been answering the industry’s call by helping develop more efficient machines. To be more precise, he and his team, comprised of undergrad student, Kaitlyn Kuchinka; master’s student, Michael Joeseph Pumphrey, Ph.D. student, Mohammad Saaideh, and
“I am honoured to have been successful in these competitions for three consecutive years,” said Dr. Al Janaideh. “With this money, we have been able to purchase almost $450,000 worth of new equipment to establish Memorial’s New MicroPrecision Mechatronics Lab ( PML). Not only that, but Dr. Al Janaideh was also successful in
Facility Spotlight Research Report
securing a 2021 CFI JELF award worth almost $300,000 and more than $300,000 from the Newfoundland and Labrador Provincial Department of Industry, Energy and Technology (IET) for research tools in advanced measurement and PA G E /43
