Austin, TX, and Albany, NY – Plans for a joint five-year $320 million program to accelerate the development of next generation lithography were announced by International SEMATECH (ISMT), a global consortium of semiconductor manufacturers, and the U. at Albany-SUNY (UAlbany).

ISMT and UAlbany have signed a letter of intent to begin negotiations on the formation of a strategic alliance, to be known as International SEMATECH North (ISMTN), to conduct R&D in the area of advanced lithography infrastructure for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography. As currently envisioned, the alliance will initiate a program in EUV infrastructure, to be managed by International SEMATECH and housed in UAlbany’s state-of-the-art 300mm wafer cleanroom complex.

“The ISMTN collaboration provides an opportunity to maximize the leverage of industry and state government investments,” stated Bob Helms, ISMT president and CEO.

Helms noted that the technical challenges faced by the semiconductor industry are too great for any single organization, nation, or region to solve alone, and that the consortium has engaged in a series of collaborative partnerships around the world to share the risks and rewards of technology R&D.

“Together, International SEMATECH and UAlbany can help the global semiconductor industry by tackling a key technical challenge – the development of a new infrastructure to support next generation lithography – and funding that effort for success,” said Helms. “We’ll be able to do critical work on EUV infrastructure faster and better as a result of this alliance.”

Contract negotiations will begin immediately, and both parties hope to have a final agreement on the strategic alliance by the end of 3Q02.

Under the agreement, ISMT will provide technical program definition, execution, management, and staffing, UAlbany will provide facilities and funding leverage, and both entities will share in the executive management of the program and the procurement of equipment and materials as defined by the ISMT management team.