Big five join research platform

IMEC, one of Europe's largest independent micro- and nanoelectronics research centres, has announced that five of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers – Infineon, Intel, Philips, Samsung Electronics and STMicroelectronics – have boosted their collaboration with IMEC by joining IMEC's sub-45nm research platform. These core partnerships are a major step in the implementation of IMEC's 300mm centre of excellence. The ability to develop sub-45nm process technologies that stay abreast of the semiconductor technology roadmap requires massive increases in research and resources at a huge cost. To offset this burden, IMEC has created a centralised research platform in close collaboration with IC manufacturers and equipment manufacturers. This research platform allows companies to collaborate during the research phase of a project and reduce individual risk and costs, while deriving results more quickly by working together in a state-of-the-art facility. Other semiconductor companies such as Texas Instruments also strongly support IMEC's core CMOS program by participating in a large number of programs. "We are very pleased that these leading semiconductor manufacturers with excellent in-house R&D expertise have become core partners within our sub-45nm silicon research platform," stated Professor Gilbert Declerck, president and CEO of IMEC. "By bringing together the world's best research experts in a state-of-the-art facility, companies will be able to keep pace with the semiconductor roadmap."

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