CEA-LETI EXTENDS 300MM WAFER LINE & ADDS AVENUES FOR DEVELOPING DISRUPTIVE MEMORY, PHOTONICS, 3D AND QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES

Execution Relies on CEA-Leti’s Fully Implemented Technology With Module-Level Innovations & Devices and Their Architectures

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Dec. 3, 2018 – Leti, a research institute at CEA Tech, today announced during IEDM an extension of its 300mm silicon-based wafer line to open new R&D avenues for its industrial partners. This extension will allow new innovative technological modules to be inserted in, or made compatible with, industrial flows up to completely pioneered technology routes that enable edge AI, HPC, in memory computing, photonics, power electronics and other high-end applications.

CEA-Leti’s 300mm wafer-line extension will accelerate innovation projects with fab partners using 300mm wafers.

Targeted technological routes and related targeted applications for the 300mm line extension include:

? memory: phase-change RAM (PCRAM), oxide-based resistive memory (OxRAM), conductive-bridging RAM (CBRAM)

? vertical image sensors

? photonics: III-V on silicon, integrated photonics…

? power electronics: insulated-gate bipolar transistors (IGBT)

? HPC and edge AI: FD-SOI and derivatives, such as sequential stacking and Si qbits for quantum computing

? 3D wafer-to-wafer or die-to-wafer bonding, hybrid bonding: substrates and layer transfer for advanced substrates in collaboration with Soitec.

CEA-Leti's advanced CMOS strategy targets FD-SOI research through the development of modules to the economic and technological limits of scaling, and complements the extension of the 300mm platform for edge-AI applications, analog applications, RF and power electronics.

This strategy is based on a mix of priorities of CEA-Leti’s partners and its researchers’ ideas that pioneer enabling technologies to address societal challenges. These include cloud and edge computation, high-volume communication, multi-modality interaction and energy conservation. Leti executes the strategy with its fully implemented technology, from beginning to end with module-level innovations, such as insulation or back-end copper, as well as devices and their architectures.

“Our 300mm line will help Leti continue this strategy by accessing dimensions that make it possible to address the pressing challenges associated with emerging technologies, such as quantum, nanowires and sequential 3D integration,” said Emmanuel Sabonnadière, CEA-Leti CEO. “CEA-Leti’s industrial partners are now able to develop or test their disruptive technologies and their designs on state-of-the-art equipment, while benefiting from the institute’s R&D expertise, to achieve improved component performance, direct comparison with the ecosystem and easier technology transfers from lab to fab.”

The implementation of this 300mm line is possible thanks to the financing of Auvergne Rhone Alpes region for the acquisition of a 193nm immersion lithography tool, which is the cornerstone of this investment plan (2017-2018). CEA-Leti also benefited from financial support of the French government for the second phase of this plan (2018-2019).

About CEA-Leti (France)

Leti, a technology research institute at CEA Tech, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies enabling smart, energy-efficient and secure solutions for industry. Founded in 1967, Leti pioneers micro-& nanotechnologies, tailoring differentiating applicative solutions for global companies, SMEs and startups. Leti tackles critical challenges in healthcare, energy and digital migration. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, Leti’s multidisciplinary teams deliver solid expertise, leveraging world-class pre-industrialization facilities. With a staff of more than 1,900, a portfolio of 2,700 patents, 91,500 sq. ft. of cleanroom space and a clear IP policy, the institute is based in Grenoble, France, and has offices in Silicon Valley and Tokyo. Leti has launched 60 startups and is a member of the Carnot Institutes network. This year, the institute celebrates its 50th anniversary. Follow us on www.leti-cea.com and @CEA_Leti.

Follow us on www.leti.fr/en and @CEA_Leti.

CEA Tech is the technology research branch of the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), a key player in innovative R&D, defence & security, nuclear energy, technological research for industry and fundamental science, identified by Thomson Reuters as the second most innovative research organization in the world. CEA Tech leverages a unique innovation-driven culture and unrivalled expertise to develop and disseminate new technologies for industry, helping to create high-end products and provide a competitive edge.

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