Bengaluru, India, April, 27, 2023: Applied Materials India Private Limited, an Indian subsidiary of materials engineering leader Applied Materials, Inc., today announced a partnership with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna for establishing a center of excellence on wear and corrosion-resistant coatings. With support from the Advanced Manufacturing Technologies program of the Department of Science and Technology, the company has signed a three-year agreement with IIT Patna to engage in research and development of special coatings for corrosion avoidance in the semiconductor industry.

The research engagement will provide a platform for IIT Patna faculty and students to work on materials of importance to the semiconductor industry and provide solutions to high-value industrial problems.

Besides working on industry-relevant challenges, the program will provide students with the opportunity to work closely with scientists from Applied Materials in India and the United States. Industry-academia collaboration of this nature will help bring together the best minds of IIT Patna and Applied Materials and better prepare students for their careers with exposure to materials engineering solutions for disruptive technology inflections.

“The synergy between industry and academia is crucial for driving innovation and creating real-world impact,” said Srinivas Satya, Country President, Applied Materials India. “Our collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, Patna will pave the way for cutting-edge research and development, leading to solutions that address the challenges of today and tomorrow."

Professor T. N. Singh, Director, IIT Patna, expressed his confidence in the engagement with industry as “It is the way for IIT be part of future road map in niche technology segment such as Semiconductors. DST's AMT program to establish center of excellence at IIT Patna will propel advancement in coatings application in wear and corrosion resistance.”

 “Our collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Patna is unique in its focus on advancing research and development of special coatings for corrosion avoidance in hot and harsh environments, with solutions extendable to other technology domains beyond semiconductors,” said Suraj Rengarajan, CTO, Applied Materials India. “We believe that this initiative will inspire and empower students to push the boundaries of what is possible and drive positive change in the semiconductor domain for years to come."

Professor Anup Kumar Keshri, Founder of Centre of Excellence in Wear and Corrosion resistance Coating technology and Associate Dean, R&D of IIT Patna commented, “This engagement with Applied Materials, world leaders in semiconductor industry; would help IIT Patna leverage DST grant to scale new heights in development of advanced materials and coatings.”