News Article
SEAL of approval for EU RandD
A successful first year for the SEAL European semiconductor project
The EU financed project "Semiconductor Equipment Assessment Leveraging Innovation" (SEAL) has achieved a positive outcome for the first year. In the 12-month report conducted by the EU and the review team, Fries Research & Technology (FRT), Siltronic AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Systems and Device Technology (IISB) scored high.
The constellation of these business associates shows the intention of the project: joint promotion of the marketability of systems which are innovative and ready for production as well as their development in conjunction with users and manufacturers. With the 38 project partners from all over Europe, it is possible to assemble the "critical mass" for successful research and development. Above all, it is intended to support small and medium-sized companies which can benefit from the extensive network of leading European semiconductor manufacturers, material producers and various different research institutions.
SEAL wishes to take advantage of the strong European infrastructure in the 300 millimetre wafer sector. The project has a three year term and has a total budget of more than 14 million Euro at its disposal. FRT is contributing its know how in optical multisensor surface measurement and wafer metrology. Dr. Thomas Fries from FRT is convinced that "the first year has shown that we can jointly provide impetus".
Semiconductor systems are required for the production of the widest variety of components, such as microprocessors, memory, MEMS and sensors. These have now become indispensable for the majority of electrical and electronic devices and machines. The necessary investments for a leading semiconductor producer are technically demanding and represent a major financial hurdle. The overall costs can rapidly add up to approximately 3 billion Euro.
