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Advanced Technologies for High value imagiNg Applications

Project description

Novel solutions hold promise for high-value imaging applications

Emerging markets in connectivity, mobility, automotive, health and earth monitoring are dictating the need for advanced imaging solutions offering enhanced functionalities and cost efficiency. Currently, the market for visible imagers is dominated by non-European countries. In particular, long-wave infrared imager cost and performance challenges have hindered microbolometers (µbolometers) from penetrating high-volume markets. The EU-funded ATHENA project will seek to strengthen Europe’s high-tech imaging economy. It will do so by leveraging 3D stacking technologies, improving sensor-processing integration and preparing the path for scaling µbolometer manufacturing from 200 to 300 mm CMOS wafers. Project activities include developing cost-effective long-wave infrared optics and new methods for very long-wave infrared imager production. ATHENA is aligned with the EU’s Chips Act and the ECS SRIA to strengthen Europe’s leadership, industrial competitiveness and sovereignty in imaging technologies.

Objective

New strategic and growing markets related to connectivity, mobility, automotive, health and earth monitoring call for improved imaging solutions in visible, LWIR and VLWIR offering advanced functionalities and cost effectiveness. Visible imagers market is currently largely dominated by non-European countries. LWIR µbolometers imagers, fabricated above-IC, have not yet been democratized for high volume markets due to the difficulty to solve performance versus cost equation. However, Asian providers are making important progress to tackle this challenge.
ATHENA aims at strengthening European economy in high-tech imaging technologies:
- by taking advantage of 3D stacking technologies, improved sensor-processing integration, multimodal 2D/3D functionalities
- by preparing the manufacturing of µbolometers from 200mm to 300mm CMOS wafers for productivity gain and access to more advanced CMOS nodes for improved functionalities, developing cost effective LWIR wafer level optic solutions
- by using new methods of growing and doping materials for future VLWIR imager manufacturability.
This will foster new applications related to automated systems (in industry, border and security management), health and consumer markets, and earth & climate monitoring.
ATHENA gathers a strong European consortium composed of highly renowned Research Technological Organizations, big industrial players in imaging technologies and end-users to specify, design, develop, test these technologies in use cases and set common specifications for the imagers to support their industrialization and widespread adoption.
In line with both the European Union’s Chips Act and the Electronics, Components and Systems Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda, ATHENA will not only address the development of new sensors and chips, but also their integration in larger systems to pave the way to promising applications. ATHENA will strongly contribute to Europe leadership, industrial competitiveness and sovereignty.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-KDT-JU-2023-2-RIA

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Coordinator

COMMISSARIAT A L ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 4 259 000,81
Address
RUE LEBLANC 25
75015 PARIS 15
France

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Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 12 168 573,75

Participants (23)

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