Grenoble, France, 25 June 2024 — CEA-Leti has announced the launch of the FAMES pilot line, a major project aiming to advance semiconductor technologies in Europe.
The €830 million (approximately US$888.9 million) commitment is in line with the EU Chip Act’s goals of strengthening the EU’s semiconductor capabilities and ensuring technological sovereignty.
The pilot line will see the development of five new technology sets:
- FD-SOI with two new generation nodes: 10nm and 7nm
- Embedded non-volatile memory such as OxRAM, FeRAM, MRAM, and FeFET
- Radio frequency components such as switches, filters, and capacitors
- Two 3D integration options: Heterogeneous integration and Sequential integration
- Small Inductors for DC-DC Converter Development for Power Management Integrated Circuits (PMIC)
Invented by CEA-Leti, FD-SOI is a planar CMOS technology that offers superior performance, power, area, cost and environmental impact for mixed circuits including digital, analog and radio frequency blocks. Its tight electrostatic control at the transistor level and compatibility with innovative power management technologies have led to its adoption by the world’s leading semiconductor companies.
The FD-SOI market is expected to see next generation nodes of 10nm and 7nm.
43 companies across the electronic systems value chain, including material providers, equipment manufacturers, fabless companies, EDA, IDM, system houses, ITCs and end users in the automotive, medical device, space and security markets, have declared their support for the FAMES initiative, signaling the emergence of a vibrant ecosystem of start-ups, SMEs and global industry leaders.
“By integrating and combining a range of cutting-edge technologies, the FAMES pilot line opens the door to disruptive system-on-chip architectures, providing smarter, greener and more efficient solutions for the chips of the future. The FAMES project will pay particular attention to the sustainability challenges of semiconductors,” said Jean-René Lèquepeys, CTO at CEA-Leti.
“Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) is proud to contribute to this strategic initiative and strengthen EU sovereignty in a critical area,” said Jari Kinaret, Executive Director of Chips JU. “This pilot line will foster collaboration between multiple European actors, with a focus on sustainability, while advancing critical semiconductor technologies. Chips JU aims to further promote and be a model for public-private collaboration in this critical area.”
The FAMES consortium includes:
- CEA-Leti (France)
- imec (Belgium)
- Fraunhofer Microelectronics (Germany)
- Tyndall (Ireland)
- VTT (Finland)
- CEZAMAT WUT (Poland)
- University of Leuven (Belgium)
- Silicon Austria Labs (Austria)
- SiNANO Laboratory (France)
- Grenoble INP-UGA (France)
- University of Granada (Spain)
New technologies will create market opportunities for low-power microcontrollers (MCUs), multi-processor units (MPUs), AI and machine learning devices, smart data fusion processors, RF devices, 5G/6G chips, automotive market chips, smart sensors and imagers, trustworthy chips, and new space components.
The pilot line will be open to all EU actors, including universities, RTOs, SMEs, industrial companies and like-minded countries, through an annual open call and request, following a fair and non-discriminatory selection process.
The project will be funded with a total of €830 million, provided equally by the participating Member States and Chips JU.
The kick-off meeting will take place today at the CEA-Leti headquarters in Grenoble, ahead of the start of the Leti Innovation Days, which take place from 25th to 27th June.
Learn more about FAMES Partners here.
About CEA-Leti
Leti, CEA’s technology research institute, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies enabling smart, energy-efficient and safe industrial solutions. Founded in 1967, CEA-Leti is a pioneer in micro- and nanotechnologies, customizing differentiated application solutions for global corporations, SMEs and start-ups. CEA-Leti tackles key challenges in healthcare, energy and digital transition. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, CEA-Leti’s multidisciplinary team leverages world-class pre-industrial facilities and offers solid expertise. With more than 1,900 staff, a portfolio of 3,200 patents, 11,000 square meters of cleanroom space and a clear IP policy, the institute is based in Grenoble, France, with offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo. CEA-Leti has launched 76 start-ups and is a member of the Carnot Institute network.
Source: CEA-Leti
