The proposed new facility will complement imec’s existing 300mm advanced CMOS process line in Leuven, Belgium, with new 300mm processes developments and the introduction of new materials that are difficult to combine today with standard CMOS processes.
According to a Memorandum of Understanding the facility will look to address the industry’s need for R&D, prototyping and pave the road to the manufacturing of promising, new technologies.
The facility will leverage leading-edge 300mm semiconductor process technology to drive new applications in health care, life sciences, photonics, augmented and virtual reality and precision sensing. It will complement the existing expertise and infrastructure in Leuven with non-standard processes that are currently incompatible with semiconductor manufacturing processes. The two sites will be closely linked.
Negotiations will now begin to find a public - private cooperation model, between imec, the Spanish government and the government of Andalusia.
Both the national and regional governments have agreed to support the construction of the new facility, including the installation of advanced equipment, and will financially support the pilot line’s operations in a sustainable, long-term manner.
Imec intends to manage the operations and to guarantee access to its global academic and industrial partner network.
This MoU emphasises the partners’ ambition to collaborate on a pan-European scale to contribute to the Spanish semiconductor ecosystem building on local strengths, leveraging cross-border expertise and capabilities as well as supporting regional economic ambitions.
By establishing this new facility, which is closely connected to imec's Leuven-based 300mm pilot line, the goal is to fully harness the innovation potential in Spain and Andalusia.
Further details of the operations of the facility, such as hiring prospects, cannot be confirmed yet as they will be concluded in ensuing discussion.
