Poland enters the European semiconductor race. Important agreement with France

Jędrzej Graf, Defence24.pl: CEZAMAT is signing an agreement with a French partner in the field of microelectronics. Which institution exactly will it cooperate with, and what will the cooperation cover?

Prof. Romuald Beck, Deputy Director of CEZAMAT: Our partner is CEA-Leti, that is, the Laboratoire d’Électronique et de Technologie de l’Information. It is a unit operating within the French organisation CEA – Commissariat à l’Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives. Historically, it was linked to France’s nuclear energy programme, but over time its activities also expanded into alternative technologies and advanced electronics. 

In practice, CEA-Leti is one of the pillars of European research into microelectronics and photonics. The institute is located in Grenoble, employs around 2,000 people and runs a very broad research and development programme supporting the semiconductor industry. It is a non-profit institution whose mission is to develop technologies and transfer knowledge to industry. 

So we are talking about an institution directly linked to the French state?

Yes, it is a state institution. CEA is one of the key elements of France’s strategic research system. It is also worth adding that Grenoble, where CEA-Leti is based, is one of the most important microelectronics centres in Europe. It is also home to one of the main centres of STMicroelectronics, one of Europe’s largest semiconductor manufacturers. Many of the technologies now being developed in Europe emerged from this environment.   

Does this cooperation fit into a broader European semiconductor programme?

This factor is crucial. In recent years, Europe has launched a major support programme for semiconductor technologies under the European Chips Act. One of its elements is the creation of several pilot lines designed to develop new generations of semiconductor technologies. 

Of the five such initiatives, three are coordinated by Europe’s largest research institutions: the Belgian IMEC, the French CEA-Leti and Germany’s Fraunhofer. Each of these organisations develops semiconductor technologies under a slightly different model and with different priorities, but all share a common goal – the rebuilding of Europe’s competences in microelectronics.

How did CEZAMAT become involved in this project?

We were invited to cooperate on one of the pilot line projects, called FAMES. Its aim is to develop very advanced semiconductor technology in Europe. The technology we are working on is FD-SOI – Fully Depleted Silicon-on-Insulator. In simple terms, this is a specific way of building integrated circuits that offers several significant advantages.  

First, it enables very efficient integration with other technologies, for example photonics or micromechanics.

Second, it is particularly well suited to applications that require low power consumption, and therefore to all portable devices or Internet of Things (IoT) systems. Third, it enables the construction of circuits with high radiation resistance, which is of enormous importance for space, nuclear and military applications.

That sounds particularly important from the perspective of security and defence.

One of the unique features of this technology is the ability to design integrated circuits resistant to radiation. This is of key significance in several areas – in space systems, nuclear energy, critical infrastructure systems and military systems.

It must be remembered that, alongside natural factors such as cosmic radiation, there are also techniques for deliberately affecting electronics with radiation, which can lead to damage and may be used in military operations. For this reason, radiation resistance is an extremely valuable feature of semiconductor technology.

Does this technology also have a Polish dimension?

Yes, and a very interesting one. One of the pioneers of this technology was Professor Tomasz Skotnicki, a Pole educated in Poland, who worked for many years in France on its development. After ending his academic career in France, he joined the CEZAMAT team as an associate. In a sense, therefore, this technology also has a Polish intellectual contribution.  

What exactly does the agreement signed with CEA-Leti cover?

It is a research and development cooperation agreement, but it also has a very practical dimension. First, it provides for joint research into the development of FD-SOI technology. Second, it envisages support from French experts in implementing this technology in Poland. This is very important, because CEA-Leti has enormous experience in implementing this technology in industry. Its specialists supported the launch of production of this technology at companies such as Samsung and GlobalFoundries. In short, we are dealing with some of the best-prepared experts in Europe in this field.    

Does the agreement have a financial dimension?

Not directly. The agreement does not specify any concrete financial transfers. However, technological cooperation naturally involves costs, for example for expert services or support during implementation. We deliberately did not opt for a simple model of buying a technology licence. In semiconductors, this is very difficult and often means having to copy an entire production line precisely, which is not always rational.   

That is why we adopted a different model – the gradual building of technological competences in Poland, based on the support of world-class specialists, which allows for continuous improvement and technology development tailored to market needs.

Will a semiconductor production line actually be built in Poland?

This is the plan. For several years now we have been analysing which technology would be the most sensible to launch in Poland. As early as 2018, a team of experts appointed by the government indicated that FD-SOI technology in the approximately 130-nanometre variant would be the optimal choice for Poland.

Why? Because it offers a very wide range of applications – from industrial electronics, through space systems, to critical infrastructure systems and defence solutions. It is not the newest technology in lithographic terms, but it is very stable, secure and versatile.

What significance does this agreement have for CEZAMAT?

Above all, the agreement confirms CEZAMAT’s high competence in advanced microelectronic technologies. The very fact that we have been invited to cooperate by such a renowned institution as CEA-Leti, one of Europe’s key semiconductor research centres, shows that our centre is seen as a credible partner for the implementation of highly demanding technological projects.

At the same time, this cooperation gives us access to unique know-how and the experience of teams that have been involved in implementing semiconductor technologies at the world’s largest manufacturers. This allows us to significantly accelerate the development of our own competences and build microelectronics capabilities in Poland.

In a broader sense, it also means strengthening Poland’s position in the European semiconductor ecosystem. Such projects show that Polish research centres can take part in Europe’s most advanced technological programmes, which matter both for the economy and for national security.