OREANDA-NEWS. July 8 2011. The NIIME and Mikron Board of Directors adopted a decision to establish a research institute, NIIME (the Russian abbreviation for the Institute for Scientific Research in Molecular Electronics), and introduced some changes to the company management. Director General of NIIME and Mikron, Gennady Krasnikov, was appointed Director General of the NIIME research institute and head of the Board of Directors of NIIME and Mikron, and was also elected Chief Designer of NIIME and Mikron. Mikhail Biryukov, who had previously held the position of Deputy Director General for Development, was appointed Director General of NIIME and Mikron.

The NIIME research institute will be a part of the SITRONICS Microelectronics business line, which has achieved a break-through in the microelectronics industry in Russia during the past 5 years, contributing to covering the gap of five generations in terms of technology between Russia and global leaders. During the first stage of the industry upgrade, from 2007 to 2011, the SITRONICS Microelectronics business line has launched a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility to produce 180nm chips. The 90nm chip manufacturing line is in the try-out stage. The second stage includes the development of proprietary domestic technology and unique products due to the enhancement of R&D activities. In this connection, a decision was adopted to create an autonomous company based on the NIIME and Mikron research and development centre, which have accumulated the best practices of the Soviet and Russian schools of scientific thought. Gennady Krasnikov, who retains the position of head of the SITRONICS Microelectronics business unit, was appointed Director General. Another decision concerned the introduction of the Chief Designer position at NIIME and Mikron, with the main function of commercialisation of NIIME's cutting-edge developments at the Mikron plant. Gennady Krasnikov was also appointed to this position.

Gennady Krasnikov commented on the decisions made by the Board of Directors: "Microelectronics is the most science intensive industry in the world, with R&D expenses exceeding costs in any other area. The average annual expenses for R&D among manufacturers in this industry reach 18% of sales. Following the global practice, we established the Institute for Scientific Research in Molecular Electronics (NIIME), with the priority on the development of 180-90nm technologies at the Mikron plant, generation of new technologies, including those to manufacture integrated circuits with a feature size of 65–45nm and less, and coordination of developments, carried out by the Russian Academy of Science, other institutes, universities and laboratories, with the view of their commercialisation within the mass production of microelectronic components.

Gennady Krasnikov – Vice President of SITRONICS, head of the SITRONICS Microelectronics business line, Director General of NIIME. Gennady Krasnikov was born on 30th April 1958. He graduated from the Moscow Institute of Electronic Technology (MIET) in 1981. Gennady Krasnikov is Doctor of Engineering Science, Professor. In 1991, having made his way up from engineer to the chief designer, he assumed the position of Director General of NIIME and Mikron. From 1999 to 2003 he held the position of Director General of the Scientific Centre Group of Companies (now SITRONICS). Since 1997, he has been a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and since 2008 – a full member of the Academy. Gennady Krasnikov is an author of 279 research papers, has patented 36 inventions and wrote 3 monographs. He is a holder of the Order of Honour, Order of Merit for the Motherland (Fourth Class), winner of the Science and Technology Prize from the RF Government. Gennady Krasnikov is a member of the Council for Science, Technology and Education under the President of the Russian Federation, the Board of Chief Designers under the President of the Russian Federation, the Council for Nanotechnology under the State Duma Committee for science and science intensive technologies, Council for scientific and engineering policy under the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation. He is also a member of the advisory scientific council of the Skolkovo innovation centre and of the EMEA Leadership Council of GSA (Global Semiconductor Alliance).

Mikhail Biryukov holds the position of Director General of NIIME and Mikron. Mikhail Biryukov was born on 28th Janury 1962. He graduated from the Moscow Machine Tool Institute in 1984. In 1987, he completed a postgraduate course in Technische Universitat Chemnitz, Germany. Mikhail Biryukov holds a degree of Candidate of Engineering Science. From 1987 to 1997 he served as Senior Researcher at the Engineering and Design IT Institute of the Russian Academy of Science. From 1998 to 1999, he was the head of the Office-Club company. From 1999 to 2008, Mikhail Biryukov was the head of Propleks, the largest domestic manufacturer of structural shapes. From 2008 to 2010, he managed companies in the petrochemical sector. In December 2010 he was appointed Deputy Director General for Development at NIIME and Mikron. In July 2011 he assumed the position of Director General of NIIME and Mikron.

SITRONICS Microelectronics – is the largest manufacturer and exporter of microelectronic components in Russia and the CIS. SITRONICS Microelectronics includes the following companies in Russia: NIIME and Mikron, VZPP-Mikron, SITRONICS Smart Technologies, NIITM, SITRONICS-Nano, SITRONICS NT, SITRONICS Microdesign; in China: "Cosmos Wealth" (Hong Kong), integrated-circuit packaging plant (Shenzhen) and other facilities.

NIIME and Mikron, an enterprise with a 47-year history, is the largest, in terms of sales, manufacturer and exporter of microelectronic components in Russia and the CIS. NIIME and Mikron is a part of SITRONICS, being the headquarters enterprise of the SITRONICS Microelectronics business line. The segment revenue in 2010 amounted to USD  255.4 million, and thus increased by 23% year-on-year. The enterprise serves more than 400 customers in Russia and 100 customers abroad. Mikron has a strong school of scientific and engineering thought and is developing own R&D centre employing more than 400 people. The enterprise has established long-term relationships with more than 60 scientific institutions. The R&D accounts for about 15% of its revenue. The enterprise employs over 1635 people. In the clean rooms of the Mikron plant, integrated circuits with a feature size of 180nm are manufactured on 200mm wafers based on the EEPROM technology, using state-of-the-art techniques. A joined project with the ROSNANO State Corporation is now being implemented at the Mikron plant, to launch the manufacture of 90nm integrated circuits on 200mm wafers, based on the nanoelectronic technology.