The FAMES pilot line is designed to accelerate early-stage research and development in the field of advanced semiconductor technologies, with a focus on energy efficiency, sustainability, and Europe’s technological resilience. Industry participation plays a crucial role in ensuring that research activities are aligned with practical application requirements.
CEA-Leti and GF have been collaborating on PD-SOI and FD-SOI technologies for more than two decades across multiple technology generations. Their long-standing collaboration has contributed to the further development of FD-SOI as a differentiated technology option for applications that require an optimal balance between performance, power, and cost.
Utilizing GF’s FDX™ Platform
One result of this partnership is GF’s FDX platform, which was introduced in 2018 and developed at GF’s Dresden facility. Based on FD-SOI technology, GF’s 22FDX delivers performance comparable to 14/16-nm FinFET nodes for many workloads, while also featuring lower power consumption and inherent radiation resistance. These characteristics make it ideal for a wide range of applications, including mobile and consumer devices, automotive microcontrollers, satellite communications, edge AI, and new computing architectures.
FD-SOI technologies have also proven themselves in demanding environments, including aerospace and other applications where the highest reliability is required and where power efficiency, variability control, and robustness are of critical importance.
GF’s participation in the FAMES pilot line as an end user of the basic research conducted there focuses on the further development of FD-SOI technologies. This includes exploratory work to improve devices as well as collaboration on innovations for next-generation substrates, including concepts for strained silicon developed within the framework of FAMES and related programs involving Soitec. These efforts aim to increase the performance and energy efficiency of FD-SOI for future application requirements.
FAMES is crucial for strengthening the European semiconductor industry
“The FAMES pilot line is a cornerstone of the European strategy to strengthen research and innovation in the semiconductor sector,” said Sébastien Dauvé, Managing Director of CEA-Leti. “Through joint innovation with GlobalFoundries, we are advancing early-stage FD-SOI research while maintaining a clear focus on long-term innovation, sustainability, and Europe’s technological sovereignty.”
Beyond next-generation FDX devices, GF and CEA-Leti are using the FAMES pilot line to advance a broader range of FDX-based programs, including RF design for power applications, embedded non-volatile memory for “compute-in-memory” applications in edge AI, power wearables, and cyber-secure components. Both GF and CEA-Leti also view FAMES as a natural path toward heterogeneous 3D integration in future FDX generations, thereby strengthening FD-SOI as Europe’s most versatile platform for sovereign, energy-efficient silicon.
“GlobalFoundries has a long history of collaboration with CEA-Leti in the field of FD-SOI technologies,” said Manfred Horstmann, General Manager and Senior Vice President at GlobalFoundries. “Our role as an end user of the FAMES pilot line reflects our strong interest in early-stage FD-SOI research and in supporting the European semiconductor research ecosystem.”
FD-SOI is widely regarded as a European-driven technology that has emerged from ongoing collaboration between research institutes and industry. Through initiatives such as the FAMES pilot line, CEA-Leti and its partners continue to advance fundamental technologies that promote Europe’s long-term competitiveness, energy-efficient computing, and technological sovereignty.
About CEA-Leti (France)
CEA-Leti, a technology research institute of the CEA, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies that enable smart, energy-efficient, and secure solutions for industry. Founded in 1967, CEA-Leti is a pioneer in the field of micro- and nanotechnologies and develops customized, differentiated application solutions for global companies, SMEs, and startups. CEA-Leti is dedicated to addressing critical challenges in the fields of healthcare, energy, and digital transformation. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, CEA-Leti’s multidisciplinary teams offer in-depth expertise while leveraging world-class pre-industrialization facilities. With more than 2,000 employees, a portfolio of 3,200 patents, 14,000 square meters of cleanroom space, and a clear IP policy, the institute is headquartered in Grenoble (France) and maintains offices in San Francisco (USA), Brussels (Belgium), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (South Korea), and Taipei (Taiwan). CEA-Leti has founded 80 startups and is a member of the Carnot Institutes network. Follow us at www.leti-cea.com and @CEA_Leti.
Technical Expertise
The CEA plays a key role in transferring scientific knowledge and innovations from research to industry. This cutting-edge technological research focuses in particular on electronic and integrated systems, ranging from the micro- to the nanoscale. It finds diverse industrial applications in the fields of transportation, healthcare, security, and telecommunications, and contributes to the development of high-quality and competitive products. For more information: www.cea.fr/english.
About GF
GlobalFoundries (GF) is a leading manufacturer of essential semiconductors that enable the widespread use of AI from the cloud to the physical world. Through close partnerships with customers, GF delivers differentiated, power-efficient, and high-performance solutions for the automotive, aerospace, and defense industries, data centers, smart mobile devices, the Internet of Things, and other high-growth markets. With global manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, GF is a trusted, end-to-end technology partner for customers around the world. GF’s talented, global team focuses every day on safety, longevity, and sustainability. For more information, visit gf.com.
About the FAMES Pilot Plant
The FAMES project (“FD-SOI Pilot Line for Non-Volatile Memory Applications, RF and 3D Integration, and PMICs to Ensure European Technological Sovereignty”) is a major European initiative to establish a pilot line for advanced semiconductor technologies. FAMES is funded under the European Chips Act and focuses on FD-SOI, embedded non-volatile memory, 3D integration, RF components, and power integrated circuits to ensure Europe’s technological sovereignty. The project includes an open-access program that enables stakeholders in the semiconductor industry to gain access to the pilot line and FAMES technologies, as well as a comprehensive training program. Visit https://fames-pilot-line.eu/
The Chips JU’s FAMES pilot line is funded by the “Horizon Europe” (grant agreement No. 101182279) and “Digital Europe” (Grant No. 101182297), as well as by the national authorities of the participating partners.
– – – – –
Related Links
👉 https://gf.com
Photo: pixabay
