Multi-project wafer service

MPW arrangement support education, research of new circuit architectures and structures, prototyping and even small volume production.

Originally both MPC and MPW arrangements were introduced for integrated circuit (IC) education and research; some MPC/MPW services/gateways are aimed for non-commercial use only.

Turn around times and cost of MPC and MPW services depend on the manufacturing technology and designs/prototypes are typically available as bare dies or as packaged devices.

MPC approach was one of the first hardware service platforms in semiconductor industry, and the more flexible MPW arrangement is continuing to be part of well established microelectronics manufacturing and foundry model not limited to silicon IC manufacturing but spreading into other semiconductor production areas for cost effective prototyping, development and research.

Founded in 1984, CMC lowers barriers to designing, manufacturing, and testing prototypes in microelectronics, photonics, quantum, MEMS, and packaging.

Annually, more than 700 research teams from companies and 100 academic institutions around the world access CMC's services and turn more than 400 designs into prototypes through its global network of manufacturers.

MOSIS began in 1981 after Lynn Conway organized the first VLSI System Design Course at MIT in 1978 and the course produced 'multi-university, multi-project chip-design demonstration'[17] delivering devices to the course participants in 1979.

The technical background additionally to education was to develop and research in a cost effective way new computer architectures without limitations of standard components.

The first international silicon IC MPC service NORCHIP was established among four nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) 1981 delivering first chips 1982.

Targets were training and to enhance cooperation between research and industry specifically in areas of analog and digital signal processing and power management Integration.

[30] Within stabilised finansing and operations Efabless platform is targeted globally additionally to universities also for research institutes, small possibly start up phase companies and specifically as a first step to convert and test transition from FPGA to an integrated circuit.