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Silicon technology access to research

Final Report Summary - STAR (Silicon technology access to research)

The STAR project aimed to provide Europe with a unique platform for advanced silicon Research and development (R&D). The plan was to extend the facilities of three silicon research organisations in a coordinated manner so that, together, they could offer a wide range of technologies and a full complement of silicon research equipment to European scientists. The three STAR project partners have silicon processing facilities that can produce wafers conforming to the latest 300 mm forces and moreover, offer a distributed processing facility. This European research platform would be accessible to the academic research community allowing them to make use of state-of-the-art equipment, boost their own research programmes and enter joint development programmes. This access will safeguard and further strengthen the leading European role in important research fields related to advanced silicon processing, emerging devices and nanotechnology.

The STAR project succeeded in installing more than 50 new operational processing tools, extending the 300 mm processing infrastructure at the three silicon research organisations. Furthermore, a system of wafer exchange was established, allowing laboratories at the different sites to work on the same components.