Multi-tech semiconductor pilot line launched in France

The EU Chips Act Initiative has brought forth another semiconductor pilot line. Yesterday, CEA-Leti announced the launch of the Fames Pilot Line, an 830-million-euro initiative to explore 10nm and 7nm FD-SOI along with four other sets of technologies. The pilot line will be accessible to all universities, research and technology organizations, SMEs and industrial companies from the EU and “like-minded” countries.

In FD-SOI, FETs are manufactured on top of a buried oxide layer, resulting in better electrostatic characteristics and reduced leakage currents compared to bulk CMOS. This makes FD-SOI an interesting alternative for low-power, RF and millimeter-wave applications, among others. Both Globalfoundries, which runs a fab in Dresden, and STMicroelectronics are major FD-SOI players and have teamed up to keep scaling the technology.

The Fames Pilot Line will also focus on several types of embedded non-volatile memories (OxRAM, FeRAM, MRAM and FeFETs), RF components (switches, filters and capacitors), two 3D integration options (heterogeneous and sequential) and small inductors to develop DC-DC converters for power management integrated circuits (PMICs). According to the press release, the five new technologies will create market opportunities for low-power microcontrollers (MCUs), multi-processor units (MPUs), cutting-edge AI and machine learning devices, smart data-fusion processors, RF devices, chips for 5G/6G, chips for automotive markets, smart sensors and imagers, trusted chips and new space components.

Fames is coordinated by CEA-Leti, but research institutes all over Europe are involved as well. The project is funded in equal parts by participating member states and the EU’s Chips Joint Undertaking.