ST, Philips, Motorola open R&D and process center

Feb. 27, 2003 – Crolles, France – Jacques Chirac, president of the French Republic, inaugurated the Crolles2 Alliance facility in Crolles near Grenoble, France. The R&D center, owned by STMicroelectronics (ST), Motorola, and Philips, will pioneer CMOS technology from 90nm processes to 32nm over the next five years and also includes a 300mm wafer semiconductor manufacturing pilot line, which is now beginning operation.

The Crolles2 Alliance was created in April 2002 when Motorola joined the existing alliance between Philips and ST. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (TSMC), the world’s largest semiconductor foundry, also participates for process development and alignment.

The main building and infrastructure of the Crolles2 Alliance facility is now in place and equipment is being installed. The three partners will have invested US$ 1.4 billion in the facility by 2005.

By the end of 2005, the Alliance plans to create more than 1,200 direct jobs on the site and 4,500 indirect jobs in the region.

Under a five-year agreement extending through to December 2007, the Crolles2 Alliance brings together ST, Philips and Motorola in an alliance in the microelectronics sector. Their joint Crolles2 center will focus on specific technologies at the forefront of semiconductor R&D: baseline CMOS processing, embedded memories (static, dynamic and magnetic RAM), Silicon-On-Insulator, analog CMOS, advanced process modules, advanced copper interconnect, low-power designs, and RF capabilities. Starting at 90nm, the alliance will continue on and develop CMOS processes at 65-, 45- and, ultimately, the 32nm node.

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