During August 2025, a first generation of ASIC chips, designed in TSMC 65 nm CMOS technology, and prototyped through Europractice programme, has arrived. The prototyped chip implements a low-power mixed-signal multichannel electronic sensor readout interface for our custom-designed resonant ultrasonic piezoelectric MEMS sensors. The chip will be functionally tested in laboratory during autumn.

University of Zagreb Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Institute Jean Lamour, Université de Lorrainé, Nancy, France have signed a Contract for usage of IJL's material science cleanroom laboratory infrastructure and equipment for thin-film piezoelectric material deposition and characterization, as part of piezo-MEMS prototyping activities. Researchers Dinko Oletić and Mihael Katalenić visited IJL, Nancy during June, 2025 conducting test ZnO piezoelectric depositions, hosted by Dr. Sami Hage-Ali.

On 05.06.2025 at University of Zagreb, the research team hosted a visit of group of colleagues from University of Tokyo, Japan, led by prof. Yoshio Mita. Prof. Mita leads a prominent research-group in MEMS sensor design, and manages the academic cleanroom infrastructure of University of Tokyo. Prof. Mita gave a public lecture presenting the work of his group, was given a tour of our Faculty's laboratories, and discussed possibilities for research collaboration with our team.

Between 01.-04.06.2026 Mihael Katalenic and Dinko Oletic presented their paper at the 27th edition of the IEEE conference DTIP 2025 held this year in Split. Mihael Katalenic gave the talk titled "Designing cantilever-based resonator arrays in PiezoMUMPs technology for in-sensor ultrasonic frequency decomposition of acoustic emissions". The paper will be published in IEEEXplore.

From 06.-08.05.2025 researchers Dinko Oletic and Mihael Katalenic participated at the SMSI 2025 conference in Nuremberg, Germany. Dinko Oletic presented the paper titled "Experimental comparison of receive sensitivity of circular and ring piezo-electrodes geometries for PMUT resonator membranes designed in PiezoMUMPS process". The paper is available for download here.

In January 2025, an infrared laser Michelson interferometry based vibrometry setup was installed in our laboratory, enabling multi-purpose optical, contact-less, nano-scale characterization of MEMS samples: confocal infrared microscopic (sub)surface inspection, 3D topology and profilometry, dynamic in- and out-of-plane mechanical and electro-mechanical response measurement, vibration-mode 3D visualization. From January 8-9th, researchers received a 2-days on-site training by Marvin Christen, SmarAct Metrology.

From December 1st to 3rd, Mihael Katalenić and asst. prof. Dinko Oletić visited the CEITEC Nano Research Infrastructure in Brno, the largest open-access academic nanofabrication cleanroom site in Czech Republic. In meetings with the cleanroom staff, researchers have discussed the opportunities for collaboration.

On November 5th and 6th 2024, researchers Mihael Katalenić and asst. prof. Dinko Oletić visited the TU Wien, Institute of Sensor and Actuator Systems. They presented the project, held meetings with the colleagues from Austria, visited TU Wien's MEMS cleanroom, and discussed possibilities for research collaboration.

In October 2024, MEMS sensor samples, which were submitted for prototype microfabrication in May 2024 using the commercial technological process PiezoMUMPs, through academic programme EUROPRACTICE, have arrived. The samples are currently being tested. 

During October 2024, a micro-probe test chamber for electrical characterization of MEMS samples, was installed in our laboratory.
 

From 15th to 18th September 2024, asst. prof. Dinko Oletić, researchers Mihael Katalenić, and Edi Emanović participated at the Sensors, Electronics and Emerging Applications Workshop in Cavtat, Croatia. Researchers presented the ongoing research on the project in their talk titled "Designing MEMS and electronic readout interfaces for low-power intelligent ultrasonic emission NDT sensors".

Researcher Mihael Katalenić participated at the 36th edition of the Eurosensors Conference, held in Debrecen, Hungary from 1st to 4th September, 2025.

From 12th August to 14th September 2024, asst. prof. Dinko Oletić stayed at the Centre for Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (C2N), Palaiseau, Paris, France, characterizing the custom-developed SOI-based technological cleanroom process for microfabrication piezoelectric acoustic and ultrasonic MEMS sensors.

From 24th to 26th June 2024, asst. prof. Dinko Oletić and researcher Mihael Katalenić visited the Centre for Nanosciences and  Nanotechnologies (C2N), Palaiseau, Paris, France. Meetings with the French colleagues of C2N, included presentation of the project, planning of research collaborations, and visit of the C2N's cleanroom laboratories.