Nov. 7, 2006 — IMEC, Europe’s leading independent nanoelectronics and nanotechnology research institute, announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with SemIndia and the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore as part of an effort to expand its R&D collaborations with Indian semiconductor companies and institutes.

SemIndia is planning to build a semiconductor fab in Hyderabad, India, and wants to take up research with IMEC on the next generations of semiconductor process technologies, according to a press release. IMEC and the Indian Institute of Science will perform joint research on various nanoelectronics process steps.

IMEC’s initiative to strengthen its position on the Indian semiconductor market comes in the wake of India’s plans to give a major boost to the semiconductor industry by expanding nanotechnology R&D at the international science and technology centers and by setting up modern semiconductor fabrication facilities.

SemIndia intends to set up a semiconductor foundry in 2007 with production ramp up beginning of 2009 and with IMEC as a strategic fab technology research partner. Initial collaboration would focus on developing foundry-compatible 130nm and 90nm CMOS processes for logic and mixed-signal products. SemIndia intends to build on IMEC’s long-term expertise in developing and transferring advanced CMOS processes. In a second phase, SemIndia intends to collaborate with IMEC on the 65nm and 45nm semiconductor processes.

The Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore has recently set up an international nano-science centre for R&D projects in nanotechnology applications. IMEC and the Institute intend to perform joint research on new materials for (sub-)45nm CMOS technologies as well as nanotechnology for the post-CMOS era. In addition, RF-CMOS and MEMS have been identified as potential joint research topics. PhD students and researchers will be exchanged and the use of facilities will be shared between the two institutes.