The Electronic Materials Applied Research Center (EMARC), a state/industry/university sponsored research program, was established in 1996 at the Missouri University of Science and Technology through a joint effort of the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) , the State of Missouri, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology (Missouri S&T).

The motivation to start EMARC stemmed from a targeted industry cluster study sponsored by the DED which identified electronics and electronic materials products as having a strong potential for economic development in Missouri. Through this study DED recognized that the materials science and engineering research of electronic materials at Missouri S&T provided an excellent base for the commercialization and manufacturing improvement opportunities needed to implement the conclusion of this study.

The primary mission of EMARC is twofold: (1) to accelerate the commercialization of technologies existing at Missouri S&T by member companies by providing advanced technical support in research and development, (2) to provide a fertile learning environment for graduate and undergraduate research assistants, and visiting industrial researchers. To accomplish this mission, the EMARC aggressively pursues three primary thrust areas: Basic and Applied Research, Service and Technology Transfer, and Education. In achieving its mission EMARC will play a pivotal role in increasing the productivity of the state's targeted industries.

EMARC combines the talents of research in Missouri S&T's departments of ceramic engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical and aerospace engineering and engineering mechanics, and metallurgical engineering to create jobs within the state of Missouri, create new businesses within the state of Missouri, and give Missouri S&T students the opportunity to co-op work for some of those industries and experience the industrial work environment.

The Center is located at 303 Materials Research Center on the Rolla Campus with laboratories located in several Missouri S&T departments. Dr. Harlan U. Anderson is the Director.
 
 

Structure & Administration

The administrative structure is as follows: The Director and Associate Director are responsible for recruiting new members, seeking external funding, supervising staff and students, and managing the center. The Director, Dr. Harlan U. Anderson, is a Ceramic Engineer, and his primary focus is material science issues and projects.  The breadth of this base facilitates the involvement of faculty of all of our schools allowing the multi-disciplinary solution to problems and research required by our modern technology. An administrative assistant is responsible for accounting, office management, payroll, report editing, web page development, and aiding in the creation of publications and presentations. A campus policy committee oversees the operation of the center, and insures compliance with the university mission. An industrial advisory committee advises the Director on Center mission and focus, and votes on the selection of Center supported fundamental projects. EMARC reports to the Dean of the College of Mines and Metallurgy, and is currently housed in Missouri S&T's Materials Research Center.

Faculty may join the center by: (1) bringing a corporate member with a project in the EMARC focus areas, or (2) proposing an unsupported pilot project which may lead to additional Center members. The Center will provide matching funds for all industrially sponsored projects, and total funding for small pilot projects initiated by Missouri S&T faculty and chosen by the industrial advisory committee. The Center also accepts "in-kind" contributions from corporate members, especially in the case of small companies.

Ideally for the purposes of matching fund allocation, EMARC funds are divided into two categories according to their relative maturity: (1) long-term research, and (2) short-term research, development and commercialization. Category (1) projects usually represent more fundamental research, and are anywhere form two to ten or more years from commercialization. Category (2) projects are eligible for State matching funds. For these projects, the EMARC commercialization team begins to work on such issues as: marketing, manufacturing plant start up, and finance in the case where a new company will be created, or an existing company will be significantly expanded.
 
 

Areas of Excellence

The unifying theme for EMARC activities is the development of new ceramic coatings and processing technologies which enable the manufacture of wafer-scale, board-scale, and large-area electronic devices with improved performance, yield, and reliability. These activities build on the Center's core capabilities in molecular-level design of new materials, thin film processing, solid state materials analysis and testing, and device integration. The research efforts at EMARC compliment the advanced material needs of the electronic and energy industries in these six related areas which collectively define the lone-range research focus of the Center.