A new strategic partnership agreement will advance and support the NanoIC pilot line at imec with state-of-the-art semiconductor technology and manufacturing expertise for sub-2nm research and development.

The agreement extends the existing strategic partnership between imec and ZEISS, which has been in place since 2019, until 2029.

"We are very pleased to intensify our collaboration with imec to jointly advance the semiconductor technologies of tomorrow with its strong partner network," explained Thomas Stammler, Chief Technology Officer and member of the Management Team of ZEISS SMT.

Since 1997, imec and the ZEISS segment Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology have been working on various joint projects.

"For the research and development of cutting-edge semiconductor technologies, the expertise and technological experience of industry partners like ZEISS is essential," said Luc Van den hove, President and Chief Executive Officer of imec.

With the signed agreement, the two partners have reaffirmed their joint efforts to advance key semiconductor manufacturing technologies such as High-NA-EUV lithography. This technology will enable the production of even more powerful and energy-efficient microchips, which are the foundation for key technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, Industry 4.0, and groundbreaking solutions for medical technology and the energy transition.

As part of the agreement, ZEISS supports imec not only by participating in research projects to advance manufacturing, process, and measurement technologies for semiconductor manufacturing but also by providing lithography optics, integrated into the lithography scanner systems of its strategic partner ASML.

Imec's pilot line, now being expanded with the NanoIC pilot line, operated in Leuven, Belgium, encompasses various technology strands for semiconductor manufacturing and aims to provide end customers, suppliers, and research institutions with access to pioneering and advanced semiconductor technologies and platforms, enabling them to explore, develop, and test innovations.

The optimisation of existing equipment, processes, and measurement methods is also being advanced to enable ever smaller, more powerful, and energy-efficient microchips.

The collaboration is deepened through ZEISS's involvement in various industry partner programs, such as Advanced Patterning, 3D System Integration, and Optical Interconnect, under the leadership of imec. In these programs, work is being done together on the latest process and inspection methods for process optimisations of next-generation semiconductors.

The close collaboration between imec and ZEISS aligns with the goals and ambitions of the European Union and the European Chips Act, which aims to strengthen Europe's technological sovereignty, competitiveness, and resilience.

"With the investments in imec's pilot line, now being expanded with the NanoIC pilot line, ZEISS is significantly contributing to maintaining Europe's lead in the latest generation of semiconductor equipment and further expanding it through the development of technology roadmaps," said Stammler.

The strengthened cooperation between the two partners is also seen as sending a signal regarding the relevance of cross-industry networking for the global semiconductor market.

“This strategic partnership underscores how strong cohesion among European partners, which is crucial in setting up the NanoIC pilot line, the most advanced infrastructure for sub-2nm research and development in the world, accelerates innovation and strengthens Europe’s leadership position in the semiconductor ecosystem," added Van den hove.

The acquisition and operation of the NanoIC pilot line are jointly funded by the Chips Joint Undertaking, through the European Union’s Digital Europe and Horizon Europe programs, as well as by the participating states Belgium (Flanders), France, Germany, Finland, Ireland and Romania.

By: DocMemory
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