Mahoney & Lyle

SAN FRANCISCO – Feb. 19, 2025 – Researchers at University of California San Diego (UC San Diego) and CEA-Leti today unveiled a groundbreaking microactuator driving system, combining innovative solid-state battery technology with novel integrated circuit designs for 2-in-1 storage and voltage boost conversion techniques.

Presented in a paper at ISSCC 2025, “An Autonomous and Lightweight Microactuator Driving System Using Flying Solid-State Batteries”, the breakthrough addresses a critical challenge in powering micro-actuators: delivering high voltages (tens to hundreds of volts) efficiently in a lightweight, compact form.

By dividing a solid-state battery – which is already needed in the system – into smaller units and dynamically arranging them, the system achieves high-voltage outputs without traditional bulky components like capacitors or inductors. This results in a highly compact and lightweight design ideal for micro flying robots and embedded medical devices.

“The design uniquely integrates energy storage and voltage conversion, setting a new standard in efficiency and autonomy for small electromechanical actuators. In addition, by leveraging a novel battery matrix, this is the first demonstration of such a system for ultra-low-power, high-voltage applications,” said Gaël Pillonnet, scientific director of CEA-Leti’s Silicon Component Division, and a lead author of the paper.

“Microdrones and microrobotic systems already require a battery, and so it costs us next to nothing to use a solid-state battery, split it up into smaller pieces, and dynamically rearrange the small pieces to generate the voltages we need. This is the smallest and lightest way we could think of to generate the high voltages needed to run these sorts of systems,” said Patrick Mercier, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, co-Director of the Center for Wearable Sensors, and Site Director of the Power Management Integration Center at UC San Diego.

Breakthrough Solid-State Battery Technology

Unlike conventional batteries, which lose energy density when scaled down, the solid-state batteries in this system maintain high energy density even when miniaturized and split into small parts to form a matrix. This enables ultra-lightweight systems with scalable performance. The paper presents a first proof of concept showing up to 56.1V voltage generation capability at up to a few Hz of operating frequency needed by microactuation systems.

The concept has been validated with early commercial solid-state batteries and shows promise for even greater performance using advanced versions developed at CEA-Leti. Extrapolated data indicates that the system can scale down to weights as low as 14mg without sacrificing efficiency, making it a key technology for weight-constrained autonomous robots and small embedded devices for medical applications.

SAN FRANCISCO – Feb. 18, 2025 – CEA-Leti, in its collaboration with Quobly, CEA-List and CEA-Irig, reported today it has developed a unique solution using FD-SOI CMOS technology that provides simultaneous microsecond readouts of tens of quantum devices, while reducing the readout power consumption by 10x and footprint by 2x. Combined with Quobly’s strategy to build qubits out of FD-SOI technology, this readout architecture provides a path to low power and scalable quantum integrated circuits.

In a paper presented at ISSCC 2025, “An 18.5μW/qubit Cryo-CMOS Charge-Readout IC Demonstrating QAM Multiplexing for Spin Qubits”, the innovation is to propose a readout circuit based on a capacitive-feedback transimpedance amplifier (CTIA) that achieves an 18.5μW/qubit power consumption, which is a significant tenfold reduction compared to existing, similar circuits at half the footprint per qubit.

With this circuit, CEA-Leti demonstrated a 4- and 16-point quadrature-amplitude modulation (QAM), that increases the possible number of multiplexed devices by directly using the quantum devices as a modulator.

A capacitive-feedback transimpedance amplifier converts the current coming from the quantum devices into an output voltage. Its gain can be set by adjusting the ratio of the values of the two capacitances of its feedback loop.

The novel system presented minimizes power consumption with a multiplexing strategy that permits measurement of several qubits with one amplifier. This paves the way toward developing the readout of thousands of silicon qubits with a limited number of wires and without the need of bulky inductors, circumventing both the wiring bottleneck and the readout scaling-up limitation of actual cryogenic electronics.

“The silicon qubit is a promising candidate for large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computing due to its small footprint, higher operating temperature and possible compatibility with industrial CMOS processes,” said Quentin Schmidt, lead author of the paper. “But the need for a simultaneous microsecond readout of thousands of devices is especially challenging in terms of both power consumption and size.”

“This is the first time that as-complex-a-modulation scheme as QAM has been used to address the simultaneous readout of several qubits,” explained Franck Badets, research director of the institute’s Silicon Components Department. “The associated improvements in power efficiency and footprint per qubit for a single amplifier, compared to frequency division multiplexing access state-of-the-art, demonstrated with OOK modulations, open bright perspectives for larger-scale qubit arrays.”

“Quobly’s goal is to fabricate large-scale quantum computers based on silicon. This paper demonstrates key progress toward a scalable readout of the qubits and is a major advance in its roadmap,” explained Tristan Meunier, chief scientist at Quobly, a pioneer in the development of a fault-tolerant quantum computer based on silicon qubits. “Our process, which leverages established FD-SOI technology to benefit from the expertise of the semiconductor industry, is already paying off: This work demonstrates the co-integration of classical electronic functions at low temperature to simultaneously read and control multiple qubits on chip with record low consumption and compact design. Quobly’s partnership with STMicroelectronics, to produce commercial quantum processor units (QPUs) at scale, builds on the ground-breaking work done with CEA-Leti.”

This highly collaborative effort reported at ISSCC was made possible by the unique expertise based in Grenoble. CEA-List offers invaluable guidance to ensure compatibility with future quantum software stacks, while CEA-IRIG provides a one-of-a-kind cryogenic experimental platform. Through their  special partnership with Quobly, all divisions of CEA are positioned to pioneer significant breakthroughs in silicon qubit systems.

CEA-Leti Press Contact                                                                                                          

Agency

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

+33 6 74 93 23 47

GRENOBLE, FRANCE – Feb. 7, 2025 – The FAMES Pilot Line offers a complete set of technologies to develop innovative chip architectures. FAMES will open new research avenues for enhancing performance and lowering power consumption for mixed-signal circuits – and strengthening European sovereignty in microelectronics, CEA-Leti reported in a recent article in Nature Reviews Electrical Engineering.

The FAMES Pilot Line focuses on five sets of technologies that will enable new chip architectures:

• FD-SOI, with two new-generation nodes at 10nm and 7nm,
• Embedded non-volatile memories (eNVM) – Enhancing storage capabilities in advanced integrated circuits,
• Radio frequency (RF) components – Optimizing high-performance connectivity for next-generation wireless applications,
• Two 3D integration technologies – Enabling advanced 3D stacking and heterogeneous integration for enhanced chip functionality, and
• Small inductors to develop DC-DC converters for power-management integrated circuits (PMIC).

The new technologies will create market opportunities for low-power microcontrollers (MCU), multi-processor units (MPU), cutting-edge AI and machine-learning devices, smart data-fusion processors, RF devices, chips for 5G/6G, chips for automotive markets, smart sensors and imagers, trusted chips and new space components.

FAMES will provide open access to stakeholders across Europe and partner countries. Researchers, SMEs, and industrial companies can leverage the pilot line for circuit testing, design evaluation, and new technology development. The annual open calls, the first one to be launched in March, will enable interested stakeholders to engage with the pilot line, and contribute to Europe’s expanding the semiconductor ecosystem.

“All technologies developed in the FAMES Pilot Line will enable new chip architectures delivering robust performance enhancements and substantial efficiency gains, fulfilling users’ requirements and sustainably supporting the massive digitalization of our society,” said Jean-René Lèquepeys, deputy director and CTO of CEA-Leti and lead author of the article.

“It also will drive eco-friendly practices by prioritizing resource optimization, advocating for a circular economy, and minimizing waste across the entire technological process, from chip design to manufacturing,” he explained.

The FAMES consortium that will support the initiative includes: the pilot line coordinator, CEA-Leti (France), imec (Belgium), Fraunhofer (Germany), Tyndall (Ireland), VTT (Finland), CEZAMAT WUT (Poland), UCLouvain (Belgium), Silicon Austria Labs (Austria), SiNANO Institute (France), Grenoble INP (France) and the University of Granada (Spain).

The project’s €830 million, five-year budget is jointly funded by the EU and participating member states.

About FAMES

For more about the FAMES partners, click here.

Press Contact                                                                                     

Agency

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

+33 6 74 93 23 47

Canada-based Center Brings Wise-integration Closer to U.S. With ‘Perfect Vehicle to Accelerate GaN Adoption Across Power Conversion Markets’

Hyeres, France – Nov. 14, 2024 – Wise-integration, a French pioneer in digital control of gallium nitride (GaN) and GaN ICs for power conversion, today announced the opening of its North American Design & Development Center in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Led by Christian Cojocaru and staffed by experts in analog and digital technology design, the center will drive the development of the company’s design portfolio for the next generations of WiseGan®, positioning Wise-integration at the forefront of digital GaN innovation.

“The Canadian team will be instrumental in advancing our cutting-edge digital WiseGan® series, which is specifically designed to facilitate seamless integration of GaN technology for our customers, and to be fully compatible with and optimized to facilitate MCU control,” said Thierry Bouchet, Wise-integration’s CEO. “By maximizing the high-frequency capabilities of GaN without added power losses, the next generations of the two product lines will enable significant reductions in system size and cost, while boosting overall conversion efficiency.

“These innovations will directly address the challenges faced by designers of server power supplies, motor control, and other power-converter systems, who are under increasing pressure to optimize power consumption and energy efficiency,” he said.

Since its launch in 2020, the fabless company has established itself as an award-winning innovator in the power electronics industry with a portfolio of more than 20 patent families for its two core product lines. WiseGan® includes GaN power integrated circuits designed for high-frequency operation in the MHz range, integrating features that streamline implementation with digital control. WiseWare® is a 32-bit, MCU-based AC-DC digital controller optimized for GaN-based power-supply architectures. It offers simplified system design, a reduced bill of materials, and improved power density and efficiency.

“I am proud and excited to have a powerhouse team of senior designers developing our next-gen digital WiseGan®, leveraging Wise-integration’s deep expertise, at this promising time for GaN devices in North America,” Bouchet said.

“Our next generation-products will be a perfect vehicle to accelerate GaN adoption across power conversion markets in industrial, datacenter, AI, and automotive applications, where digital control is essential for managing complex systems.”

In an earlier step of global expansion, the company announced in August the launch of a subsidiary, Wise-integration Ltd., based in Hong Kong to support its growing business in China. That was followed by the September announcement that the investment fund, Applied Ventures-ITIC Innovation Fund (AVITIC), joined the company’s €15 million Series B funding round, which was announced in February.

About Wise-integration

Wise-integration is a French fabless company founded in 2020, specializing in the advancement of power electronics through innovative GaN technology and digital control solutions. Leveraging its expertise, Wise-integration introduces a compelling synergy between its GaN device (WiseGan®) and a 32-bit, MCU-based, AC-DC digital controller (WiseWare®). This powerful combination enables the development of technologies facilitating chargers that are up to 3x smaller, 3x more efficient and 3x lighter, catering to power requirements from 30W to 7kW. Targeting a broad spectrum of markets,

including consumer electronics, e-mobility, industrial applications, data centers and automotive sectors, Wise-integration is at the forefront of transforming power delivery with its cutting-edge components and digital control technologies.

For more information, visit www.wise-integration.com.

Press Contact

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux                                                                             

+33 6 74 93 23 47

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com                                                           

Contact Wise-integration

Rym Hamoumou

Rym.hamoumou@wise-integration.com

Engaging Multiple EU Partners, the Projects Will Apply Intelligent Sensing and AI-Enabled Learning Technologies

GRENOBLE, France – April 25, 2024 – As part of the European Union’s drive to support a multifaceted approach to addressing 6G challenges and promises, CEA-Leti has been chosen to coordinate two projects to help build first-class 6G technology capabilities and boost standardization efforts across Europe.

The two projects were among 27 chosen in a competitive proposal process by an EU partnership that divided €130 million between the projects. “These projects present a significant stride towards advancing smart networks and services, offering breakthrough innovations, experimental platforms and large-scale trials, driving world-class research and shaping the world’s digital connected future,” said the group, called the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU).

6G-DISAC (Distributed Intelligent Sensing and Communication) and 6G-GOALS (Goal-Oriented AI-enabled Learning and Semantic Communication Networks) launched their three-year projects in January with multiple EU collaborators.

The two projects mark the first time a single RTO or company has been chosen to coordinate two competitive EU proposals in the same initiative. CEA-Leti has coordinated several EU projects, including the recently completed RISE-6G project. That SNS JU effort developed a disruptive new concept as a service for wireless environments by dynamically controlling wireless communication for brief, energy-efficient and high-capacity communications on a variety of surfaces, such as such as walls, ceilings, mirrors and appliances.

6G-DISAC

This project will develop and innovate on a widely distributed intelligent infrastructure compatible with both real-world integration constraints, new semantic and goal-oriented communication and sensing approaches, and the flexibility requirements of future 6G networks. It will apply theoretical approaches and operational and standards-compatible, distributed joint communication and sensing, by leveraging the expertise of world-leading network vendors, verticals, SMEs, research laboratories and academic institutions spanning the value chain.

Current approaches to integrated communication and sensing use centralized architectures and pass sensed information through a centralized controller.

“This project will bring the integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) vision into reality, going well beyond the usual restrictive standalone or localised scenarios, by adopting a holistic perspective, with large numbers of connected users and/or passive objects to be tracked,” said Emilio Calvanese Strinati, coordinator of the project and CEA-Leti’s smart devices & telecommunications strategy program director.

“With demonstrations that validate the vital 6G-DISAC concepts, the project will revolutionise various applications, from extended reality and robot-human interaction to vehicular-safety functions and improving communication key performance indicators (KPI) with sensing-aided communications,” he explained.

In addition to defining use cases and designing an innovative network architecture, the 11 6G-DISAC partners will develop novel physical-layer waveforms, distributed sensing and communications methods, optimised resource-allocation methods and protocols.

Specific targets include:

• tracking connected user equipment (UE) and passive objects,
• performing ISAC with many distributed base stations, efficient distributed signal processing and machine learning for semantic ISAC, and
• incorporating extremely large multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) technologies and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces, and intelligent sensing activation.

“While addressing these fundamental and practical challenges, the team will focus on distributed implementation of ISAC, unlocking real sensing applications and providing a multi-perspective view of networks in space and time for tangible communication gains,” Calvanese Strinati said.

6G-GOALS

This project is designed to reduce data traffic by conveying only the most relevant information and produce data-efficient, robust and resilient protocols that can adapt to network conditions and communication objectives using modern AI/ML techniques.

“As wireless mobile communication requires ever-higher data rates and 5G’s scope expands to include massive and ultra-reliable low-latency links, wireless evolution has been pressed to solve the technical problem of reliable data exchange between two end-points,” said project coordinator Calvanese Strinati.

“The 6G-GOALS project will take the wireless system design to its next stage by considering the significance, relevance and value of the transmitted data and transforming the potential of the emerging AI/ML-based architectures into a semantic and goal-oriented communication paradigm, offering a solid step toward cooperative generative AI technologies,” he said.

Semantic communication is instrumental to induce reasoning and shared understanding among intelligent agents by exchanging pragmatically selected information in which its meaning to the receiver is designed to efficiently accomplish a goal or a task. With current approaches, data is sensed and transferred from sensors to the destinations without prior semantic extraction functions.

A recent paper written by 6G-GOALS participants noted that advances in AI technologies have expanded device intelligence, fostering federation and cooperation among distributed AI agents. These advancements impose new requirements on future 6G mobile network architectures.

“To meet these demands, it is essential to transcend classical boundaries and integrate communication, computation, control, and intelligence,” the paper, “Goal-Oriented and Semantic Communication in 6G AI-Native Networks: The 6G-GOALS Approach”, reports.

“These projects are fundamental to explore the capabilities of AI/ML solutions on the networks of the future, especially dealing with joint communication and sensing and semantic communications,” said Mauro Boldi Renato, EU project program coordinator at TIM (Telcom Italia). “Working with CEA-Leti represents a solid basis for their success and for bringing European industry towards implementation of 6G around 2030.”

“The exploitation of 6G-DISAC and 6G-GOALS project results will represent a transformative step for manufacturers and 6G industrial players, like NEC Corporation, by fostering the development of distributed intelligent networks and semantic/AI-driven communication strategies,” said Vincenzo Sciancalepore,principal researcher at NEC Laboratories Europe GMBH/ Germany and a member of the 6G-DISAC team. “Such an unprecedented approach will enable more efficient, flexible, and responsive network infrastructures that can support advanced applications, such as extended reality and automated mobility, meeting the increasing demand for high-capacity, low-latency and sustainable communication.”

6G-DISAC Partners

• Coordinator: CEA-Leti/France
• Technical Manager: Chalmers Tekniska Hogskola AB/Sweden
• Innovation Manager: Nokia Networks/ France
• Telecom Italia Spa/Italy
• Orange S.A./France
• Ethniko Kai Kapodistriako Panepistimio Athinon/Greece
• Institut Polytechnique De Bordeaux/France
• NEC Laboratories Europe GmbH/Germany
• NEC Italia S.P.A/Italy
• Robert Bosch GmbH/Germany
• RadChat AB/Sweden

6G-GOALS Partners

• Coordinator: CEA-Leti/France
• Technical Manager: Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecomunicazioni/Italy
• Innovation Manager: NEC Laboratories Europe GMBH/ Germany
• NEC Italia S.p.A/Italy
• Telecom Italia S.p.A/Italy
• Eurecom GIE/France
• Aalborg Universitet/Denmark
• Hewlett-Packard/France
• Hewlett-Packard Italiana S.R.L/Italy
• Toshiba Europe Limited UK
• Imperial College of Science Technology and Medicine UK
• Singapore University of Technology and Design

About CEA-Leti (France)

CEA-Leti, a technology research institute at CEA, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies enabling smart, energy-efficient and secure solutions for industry. Founded in 1967, CEA-Leti pioneers micro-& nanotechnologies, tailoring differentiating applicative solutions for global companies, SMEs and startups. CEA-Leti tackles critical challenges in healthcare, energy and digital migration. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, CEA-Leti’s multidisciplinary teams deliver solid expertise, leveraging world-class pre-industrialization facilities. With a staff of more than 2,000 talents, a portfolio of 3,200 patents, 11,000 sq. meters of cleanroom space and a clear IP policy, the institute is based in Grenoble, France, and has offices in Silicon Valley, Brussels and Tokyo. CEA-Leti has launched 75 startups and is a member of the Carnot Institutes network. Follow us on www.leti-cea.com and @CEA_Leti.

Technological expertise

CEA has a key role in transferring scientific knowledge and innovation from research to industry. This high-level technological research is carried out in particular in electronic and integrated systems, from microscale to nanoscale. It has a wide range of industrial applications in the fields of transport, health, safety and telecommunications, contributing to the creation of high-quality and competitive products.

For more information: www.cea.fr/english 

Press Contact                                 

Agency

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

+33 6 74 93 23 47

The Round Includes Leading Deep Tech Funds and Will Enable Mass Production and Commercial Deployment of WiseGan® and WiseWare®

Hyeres, France – Feb. 29, 2024 – Wise-integration, a French pioneer in digital control of gallium nitride (GaN) and GaN ICs for power supplies, today announced financing of €15 million. The Series B round was led by imec.xpand, with participation from Supernova Invest, BNP Paribas Developpement, Région Sud Investissement (RSI), Creazur, CASRA Capital and Angels for Greentech. 

The round will fuel mass production and commercial deployment of the company’s flagship products, WiseGan® and WiseWare®, its disruptive digital-control technology, and its support for clients globally as they adopt these solutions. It included the five investors from the previous funding and three new investors.

CEO Thierry Bouchet said, “The €15 million of new funding will accelerate  the company’s international expansion, ongoing R&D programs and the introduction of new products and solutions.

“This funding will enable Wise-integration to accelerate our commercial development and product development and the launch of a new generation of high-performance GaN technology, which is designed to seamlessly integrate with digital controls and boost the efficiency and performance of power systems across various sectors,” Bouchet continued. “A third roadmap focus will be to broaden our WiseWare® product development, targeting high-value markets, such as industrial, telecom and automotive sectors.”

Since its launch in 2020, the fabless company has established itself as an award-winning innovator in the power electronics industry, building a portfolio of more than 10 patent families. WiseGan® encompasses GaN power integrated circuits designed to maximize the benefits of GaN technology, including higher power density, efficiency and reduced heat generation. WiseWare® is a 32-bit, MCU- based, AC-DC digital controller optimized for GaN-based power supply architectures, offering simplified system design, a lower bill of materials and improved power density and efficiency.

The company’s target markets include consumer electronics, from laptops to e-bikes, scooters and motorcycles, to industrial applications like robotics, as well as data centers and electric vehicles. All its solutions address the increasing demands for miniaturization, electrification and efficient power management. 

Wise-integration has established a first-class semiconductor GaN supply chain to support its mass production and commercialization strategy, while ensuring the most competitive costs in the market. 

“Wise-integration’s GaN technology can play a significant role in the global shift to electrification by enhancing the efficiency and performance of power systems across various sectors,” said Cyril Vančura, imec.xpand partner. “In the four years since its founding, this start-up has demonstrated the vision, drive, execution and technological knowhow to deliver game-changing power-electronics solutions, and we look forward to witnessing the next phase of its growth journey.”

“With this new funding, Supernova Invest reaffirms its support for Wise-integration, a CEA-Leti spin-off that we have trusted since its creation,” said Damien Bretegnier, investment director, Supernova Invest. “We strongly believe in the huge potential of its WiseWare® digital control technology and associated WiseGan® components, anticipating a profound revolution in the power conversion market that propels GaN technology to replace legacy solutions even more rapidly.”

“Wise-integration is one of the finest up-and-coming companies in the hardware sector, a key sector in our beautiful region,” said Pierre Joubert, general director of RSI. “A high-potential company with a top management team, it fits in perfectly with the investment thesis of our Transition fund and its 100 percent Paris Agreement strategy. It has all the assets to become one of the strong links in the regional economic development strategy.” 

About Wise-integration

Wise-integration is a French fabless company founded in 2020, specializing in the advancement of power electronics through innovative GaN technology and digital control solutions. Leveraging its expertise, Wise-integration introduces a compelling synergy between its GaN device (WiseGan®) and a 32-bit, MCU-based, AC-DC digital controller (WiseWare®). This powerful combination enables the development of technologies facilitating chargers that are up to 3x smaller, 3x more efficient, and 3x lighter, catering to power requirements from 30W to 7kW. Targeting a broad spectrum of markets including consumer electronics, e-mobility, industrial applications, data centers, and automotive sectors, Wise-integration is at the forefront of transforming power delivery with its cutting-edge components and digital control technologies.

For more information, visit www.wise-integration.com 

About imec.xpand

imec.xpand is one of the world’s largest independent venture capital funds dedicated to early stage semiconductor innovation. The imec.xpand funds target ambitious deep tech start-ups where the knowledge, expertise and infrastructure of imec, the world renowned semiconductor and nanotechnology R&D center, can play a determining role in their growth. imec.xpand has an outspoken international mindset towards building disruptive global companies and strongly believes that  sufficient funding from the start is key to future success. The team’s unique ability to assess technology risk in the earliest stages of development enables imec.xpand’s game-changing approach towards hardware driven semiconductor innovation. Visit https://imecxpand.com/

About Supernova Invest

Supernova Invest is the leading deep tech Venture Capital firm in France and Europe, managing €700+ million. The current portfolio includes 80+ impact startup companies that develop products and services leveraging breakthrough technologies in 4 transition-centric sectors: Health, Energy & Environment, Industry 4.0 and Digital Technology. For 20 years, Supernova Invest has been providing long-term capital, operating experience, and strategic support to back sustainable growth of tomorrow’s deep tech and industrial champions throughout the Venture Capital life cycle: seed, early, late and growth stages. Supernova Invest also gathers the entire deep tech value chain to support portfolio companies: industrials, corporate, research centers and co-investors.

Supernova Invest is backed both by Amundi, the largest asset manager in Europe, and CEA, the most innovative public research organization in Europe.  

www.supernovainvest.com

About RSI

Chaired by Alain Lacroix and managed by Pierre Joubert, RSI has become a key player in seed, venture and development capital. With 370 equity and equity-loan companies, this financial company, created by the Southern Region and partly financed by Europe through ERDF funds, has substantial resources at its disposal, enabling it to cover all areas of equity financing in its strategy, and to be an attractive economic development tool for the region. It is advised by Smalt Capital for its equity and equity-loan operations.

About Créazur

Créazur, a subsidiary of the Venture Capital division of Crédit Agricole Provence Côte d’Azur, specializes in equity investment in young, innovative companies with high growth potential and job creation prospects. Créazur aligns itself with company leaders based on shared values: proximity, responsibility, and loyalty. The invested capital comes from Créazur’s own equity, and as such, it is not subject to any time constraints, thereby favoring the company’s economic pace. As a long-term financial investor and minority shareholder, Créazur adapts to each company’s project, participating in strategic discussions and their implementation without interference in day-to-day management.

Press Contact

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

+33 6 74 93 23 47

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com 

Contact Wise-integration

Rym Hamoumou

Rym.hamoumou@wise-integration.com

CEA-Leti, Fraunhofer, imec and VTT Anchoring Multi-Hub Platform to Realize Designs By EU Companies, Researchers and Chip Developers

GRENOBLE, France – Feb. 27, 2024 – A new European Union consortium created to accelerate the development of next-generation, edge-AI technologies is installing clean room tools and gearing up to design, evaluate, test and fabricate new circuits from across Europe.

Coordinated by the EU’s four leading research and technology organizations (RTOs), France’s CEA-Leti, Germany’s Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Belgium-headquartered imec and Finland’s VTT, the PREVAIL project is a networked, multi-hub platform providing prototype chip fabrication capability in advanced artificial technology to EU stakeholders. In most cases, the technology offer will be based on commercial foundry processes, and advanced technology modules will be enhanced in the cleanrooms of the project partners.

“The PREVAIL project’s ultimate goal is to position Europe with an easy-access, advanced manufacturing infrastructure enabling users to make early research samples of innovative and trustworthy products and accelerate their commercialization,” said Sergio Nicoletti, CEA-Leti business development manager and PREVAIL project manager. “And while bringing their cutting-edge technologies to a higher maturity level and giving users the possibility to fabricate and test AI prototypes based on these technologies, the RTOs are reaping the benefits of technological cross-fertilization.”

“In addition to providing high-performance, low-power edge components and technologies to support the massive data-processing requirements of AI, the project will help energize the EU’s digital transformation, a precursor to the goals of the European Chips Act,” he said.

Launched at the end of 2022, the project is leveraging the RTOs’ advanced 300 mm fabrication, design and test facilities and related expertise to create the Testing and Experimentation Facility for Edge-AI Hardware (TEF Edge AI HW). This network will validate new high-performance, low-power, edge-AI components and support an infrastructure capable of fabricating early research prototype samples for testing in innovative edge-AI applications.

Nicoletti said the consortium is working with selected SMEs, the RTOs’ industrial partners and academic labs to prepare early designs that will be used to test fabrication equipment in the RTOs’ facilities. The project plans to open access widely for EU designers by May 2026.

While 80 percent of the project’s budget targets equipment suited for design, testing and fabrication of edge-AI devices, the project also will reinforce the readiness of the RTOs to equip their new pilot lines for developing 3D integration technologies, which also are envisioned in the chips act.

Key Project Components

In addition to fabricating advanced edge-AI applications and creating the platform’s TEF Edge AI HW, the consortium will provide process design kits (PDKs) compatible with standard commercial CAD tools and all the elements necessary for full chip design. A user-interface team will manage relationships among the developers of next-generation, edge-AI solutions and the consortium.

PREVAIL is the EU’s first step to link the RTOs’ different infrastructures and synchronize and coordinate their investments to minimize duplication, and to jointly increase the technology readiness levels (TRLs) of tools in development. The nearly €156 million ($169.3 million) cost of the 42-month project will be shared by the RTOs’ countries and the European Commission. Approximately 80 percent of this funding is CAPEX invested in new tools suited for edge-AI devices.

PREVAIL’s Founding Members

CEA: The French research organization in energy, defense & security, information technologies and health technologies is coordinator of the project.

CEA-Leti: The consortium is managed by CEA-Leti, which has about 11,000 m² of cleanroom space and 300 mm fabrication capabilities equipped with more than 150 tools to prototype advanced hardware. This specialty is supported by a nano-characterization platform specializing in physical-chemical characterization techniques.

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Four Fraunhofer units in the Fraunhofer Group for Microelectronics and in the Research Fab Microelectronics Germany (FMD) are participating in the initial phase of the PREVAIL project: Fraunhofer IPMS’s Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT), and Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID, the Center All Silicon System Integration Dresden, which will contribute with their 300 mm fabrication lines for CMOS compatible nanoelectronic technologies and advanced 3D wafer-level system integration. Fraunhofer EMFT will contribute chip-to-foil integration and physical analysis for trust, and Fraunhofer IIS will contribute by designing, measuring and testing CMOS integrated circuits enabled by its design and test experience in advanced semiconductor technologies down to 22nm.

Imec: With about 12,000 m² of cleanroom space, including a fully equipped 300 mm infrastructure, imec provides world-leading R&D on next-generation technology nodes serving the entire semiconductor ecosystem. The institute is applying its memory, 3D and photonics departments and unit process module department to help define PREVAIL’s technical offering.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd operates in several research fields. Its Microelectronics and Quantum Technology Division and the Safe and Connected Society unit are participating in the consortium’s work. With deep system and connectivity expertise, VTT enables the consortium to renew the connectivity testbed with the latest edge-computing development equipment tools and 5G evolution network technology updates.

Press Contact                                                                                                                         

Agency

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

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Based at CEA-Leti, Collaboration Focuses on Materials Engineering Solutions To Accelerate Semiconductor Device Development for Applied’s ICAPS Customers

 

SANTA CLARA, Calif. and GRENOBLE, France – Dec. 5, 2023 – Applied Materials, Inc. and CEA-Leti today announced an expansion of their longstanding collaboration to focus on developing differentiated materials engineering solutions for several specialty semiconductor applications.

The joint lab, which represents CEA-Leti’s highest level of collaboration, aims to accelerate device innovations for Applied’s customers serving ICAPS markets (IoT, Communications, Automotive, Power and Sensors). Technology applications in those fields include photonics, image sensors, RF communications components, power devices and heterogeneous integration.

Demand for ICAPS applications and devices is being driven by industrial automation, the Internet of Things (IoT), electric vehicles, green energy and smart grid infrastructure, among other major high growth markets. Projects at the joint lab will focus on developing solutions for a variety of materials engineering challenges to enable the next wave of ICAPS device innovation. The joint lab features several of Applied Materials’ 200mm and 300mm wafer processing systems and leverages CEA-Leti’s world-class capabilities for evaluating performance of new materials and device validation. Improvements in power consumption, performance and area/cost, along with faster time to market (PPACt™), will be key objectives of the joint team.

“CEA-Leti and Applied Materials aim to accelerate innovation and advance the roadmaps of a wide range of specialty semiconductor technologies,” said Aninda Moitra, corporate vice president and general manager of Applied Materials’ ICAPS business. “Our work at the joint lab builds upon more than a decade of successful collaboration and further strengthens our combined ability to enable faster time to innovation for ICAPS chipmakers.”

“For the past 10 years, Applied Materials and CEA-Leti have collaborated through multiple, specific joint development programs, which have set the stage for establishing our new joint lab,” said Sébastian Dauvé, the institute’s CEO. “Past projects included work in domains such as advanced metrology, materials for memory applications and optical devices, bonding techniques, materials deposition and film growth (PVD, CVD, ECD, Epitaxy) and chemical-mechanical planarization (CMP). Our results brought high value to both partners and to customers around the world, and we look forward to expanding our engagement with this new lab.”

“The joint lab, which is based at CEA-Leti, will host Applied Materials scientists and involve some of its latest-generation equipment,” Dauvé said. “In addition to developing differentiated technological solutions for Applied’s customers, the work performed at the joint lab will help overcome current technical hurdles in support of CEA-Leti’s internal R&D programs.”

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, our innovations make possible a better future. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

About CEA-Leti (France)

CEA-Leti, a technology research institute at CEA, is a global leader in miniaturization technologies enabling smart, energy-efficient and secure solutions for industry. Founded in 1967, CEA-Leti pioneers micro-& nanotechnologies, tailoring differentiating applicative solutions for global companies, SMEs and startups. CEA-Leti tackles critical challenges in healthcare, energy and digital migration. From sensors to data processing and computing solutions, CEA-Leti’s multidisciplinary teams deliver solid expertise, leveraging world-class pre-industrialization facilities. With a staff of more than 2,000 talents, a portfolio of 3,200 patents, 11,000 sq. meters of cleanroom space and a clear IP policy, the institute is based in Grenoble, France, and has offices in Silicon Valley, Brussels and Tokyo. CEA-Leti has launched 75 startups and is a member of the Carnot Institutes network. Follow us on www.leti-cea.com and @CEA_Leti.

Technological expertise

CEA has a key role in transferring scientific knowledge and innovation from research to industry. This high-level technological research is carried out in particular in electronic and integrated systems, from microscale to nanoscale. It has a wide range of industrial applications in the fields of transport, health, safety and telecommunications, contributing to the creation of high-quality and competitive products.

European Quantum Technologies Conference will gather ecosystem together for a 360-degree update on research breakthroughs, business-opportunity insights and connecting with key stakeholders

HANNOVER, Germany – Oct. 12, 2023 – Energized by the growing momentum in Europe’s quantum technology sector, stakeholders from across the quantum ecosystem will converge in Hannover Oct. 16-20 to hear the latest about research breakthroughs, funding, business launches and opportunities and the pathway to Europe’s leadership in the global quantum industry.

Organized by the EC’s Quantum Flagship and Quantum Valley Lower Saxony (QVLS), the European Quantum Technologies Conference (EQTC) will feature more than two-dozen plenary presentations and panel discussions, and more than 140 speakers on the successes and challenges for the EU’s quantum sector. Sessions will showcase developments in the four scientific pillars of the Quantum Flagship and the European ecosystem founded in basic science: communications, computation, simulation and sensing & metrology.

“Not only is basic research booming in quantum technologies but the first approaches and prototypes for applications are already being tested worldwide,” said Michèle Heurs, co-chair of the EQTC Organizing Committee and head of the Quantum Control research group at Leibniz University Hannover. “This field is already of vast relevance to our everyday life – and this influence may exponentially grow in the future.”

Other presentations will highlight examples of quantum applications already transferred to European industry, updates on some of the EU’s most promising quantum start-ups and the future outlook for the sector.

“Quantum is a game-changer for Europe,” said Dr. Gustav Kalbe, acting director, digital excellence & scientific infrastructures at the EC’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology. “EQTC 2023 is the platform to showcase Europe’s expertise and leadership in the quantum field and the increasing interrelation and coordination among the multiple components of this promising, fast-growing sector.”

Building Momentum

Several areas of success highlight momentum generated in a short period of time since the 2021 EQTC gathering, during which goals in many critical categories were agreed. For example, a Quantum Flagship key-performance indicator review, which measured 2022 progress towards meeting 2030 goals, found noteworthy performance in various categories:

• Quantum ecosystem venture-capital, seed funding and EU public investment increased 18.6 percent to €408 million from €344 million in 2021, to reach 40.8 percent of the 2030 goal of €1 billion.
• The ramp-up of quantum start-ups, spinoffs, incubators and accelerators, as well as public/private joint ventures in Europe, increased 20.25 percent to 95 in 2022 from 79 in 2021, reaching 38 percent of the 2030 goal of 250.
• The number of complementary subsystems that advance the state of the art and are necessary for quantum communications networks or to build a quantum internet increased from two to five – one-fourth of the 2030 goal.
• Connected European metropolitan areas and secure quantum key distribution (QKD) nodes that are integrated with a commercial telecom infrastructure increased from one metro area with eight nodes to 15 areas with 10 nodes each.
• In a measure of growing market readiness, five different (publicly known) product or service classes or use cases based on quantum sensors were developed by European companies and sold to European companies in 2022, up from three the previous year and reaching one-fourth of the 2030 target.

“These results, and more that will be made public in the coming months when our survey’s reach expands, show Europe’s quantum sector is vital, vibrant and focused on realistic goals established by Quantum Flagship,” said Philippe Grangier, coordinator of the Quantum Flagship CSA QUCATS.  “They also confirm progress in structuration throughout the sector that is required for it to grow holistically, as it supplements research with applications and solutions for industry.”

Conference Sessions

The conference will feature policy-making sessions along with almost 40 exhibits by companies, Quantum Flagship initiatives and European research centers. A blend of high-level and research-rich presentations plus multiple panel discussions on top-of-mind quantum topics and challenges will include Quantum Flagship presentations of progress since the previous EQTC in 2021.

For example, sessions on Tuesday, Oct. 17, will include a select panel on “European Leadership in Quantum Technologies” and presentations on successes featuring quantum computing & simulation and quantum communication.

A panel on Wednesday, Oct. 18, “Presentation and Discussion of the Quantum Flagship’s Strategic Research and Industry Agenda (SRIA)”, will preview some of the changes, challenges and thinking behind the upcoming edition of the SRIA. Managed by the Flagship, the report’s goal is the coordination and alignment of strategies and roadmaps of the EU’s main stakeholders in quantum technologies.

“This eagerly awaited report is the result of the hard work by a large number of Europe’s basic research and industry experts,” said panel moderator Salvatore Cinà of CEA (QUCATS partner). “Our panel will include insights into the main challenges that the SRIA report addresses and how it will impact the future strategy of the EU in quantum technologies.”

The updated SRIA report is expected to be released by year-end.

Organizers at EQTC, Europe’s official quantum gathering, are expecting approximately 700 participants at the event.

“This edition of the EQTC is designed to let Europe and the global quantum sector see and hear why Europe is a world leader in quantum,” said Grangier. “The Quantum Flagship is now embedded within many other EU actionsto develop quantum science and technology, create quantum systems units (QSU), industry transfers and quantum infrastructures, while boosting applications and adoption by industry.”

Keynotes, Plenaries and Panel Discussions:

Tuesday, Oct. 17 / Plenary Hall

• 9:30 – 10:30am — High-level Panel: European Leadership in Quantum Technologies
• 11:10am – 12:00pm — Plenary Session: Quantum Flagship Success Stories: Quantum Computing & Simulation
• 12:00 – 12:40pm — Expert Panel: The European Strategy on Quantum Computing and Simulation
• 2:00 – 2:50pm — Plenary Session: Quantum Flagship Success Stories: Quantum Communication
• 2:50 – 3:30pm — Expert Panel: The European Strategy on Quantum Communication
• 4:00 – 5:00pm — Interactive Session on the EU Quantum Strategy and the Role of National Initiatives

Wednesday, Oct. 18 / Plenary Hall

• 9:00 – 10:00am — Interactive Morning Panel: The Future of Quantum Technologies
• 10:00 – 11:00am – Panel Session: Presentation and Discussion of the Quantum Flagship’s Strategic Research and Industry Agenda (SRIA)
• 11:30 am – 1:00pm — Plenary Session: Investing in Quantum Technologies: Private Investment / European Innovation Council

Note: Each of the three parallel sessions on Oct. 18-20 will cover the four pillars and quantum fundamentals, with a fifth track on a different topic.

Plenary Hall, Halls 13-18

• 2:30 – 4:00pm — Parallel Sessions: European Showcases of Technology Maturity
  • Track V: Enabling Technologies of the Quantum Industry (co-organised with the Quantum Industry Consortium)
• 4:30 – 6:00pm — Plenary Session: Shaping Europe’s Digital Future: Chips Act and Pilot Lines // QT User Take-up: Success Stories and Infrastructure Access

Thursday, Oct. 19 / Plenary Hall

• 09:00 – 10:45am — Morning Plenary: Future Challenges in Fundamental Quantum Science

Plenary Hall, Halls 13-18

• 11:30am – 1:00pm — Parallel Sessions – Scientific Advances Across the Quantum Domains
  • Track V: Deployment of QT: Pilot lines, Test & Measurements and Standardization (co-organised by CEN-CENELEC, EURAMET, EMN-Q)
• 2:00 – 3:30pm — Parallel Sessions – Scientific Advances Across the Quantum Domains
  • Track V: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (co-organised by the European Flagship, EDI work group)
• 4:00 – 5:30pm — Plenary Session – Assuring a Successful European QT Ecosystem

During this event, winners of the Quantum Flagship call for proposals for the central session on Equity Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) EQTC 2023 will be announced.   

Thursday, Oct. 19 / Plenary Hall

• 4:00 – 5:30pm — Formal launch of the European Quantum Readiness Center Accords to acknowledge companies and organizations for their quantum readiness efforts and ecosystem contributions.

Friday, Oct. 20 / Plenary Hall

• 09:00 – 9:30am –Morning Keynote: High-level Presentation on EU efforts in Quantum Computing
• 09:30 – 11:00am — Morning Plenary: Future Challenges in Metrology and Sensing

Plenary Hall, Halls 13-18

• 11:30am – 1:00pm — Parallel Sessions – Scientific Advances Across the Quantum Domains
• Track V: Education, Training & Careers (co-organised by QUCATS)

About Quantum Flagship

The Quantum Flagship is a European Commission 10-year initiative launched in October 2018 to accelerate the development of quantum technologies and their transition to the market. The Flagship projects bring together academic and industrial partnersfrom across Europe to collaborate on the future of quantum technology. The goal is to consolidate and increase European scientific leadership and excellence in quantum technologies and to position Europe as a dynamic and innovative region for breakthrough R&D, and promising business opportunities & investments in this sector. The Quantum Flagship is an affirmation of EU member states’ commitment to collective effort beyond national programs.

Press Contact                                                                                                                               

Agency

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com

+33 6 74 93 23 47

Quantum Flagship Communications Office

Chaymae Senhajichaymae.senhaji@cea.fr

Combined Technology Is Industry’s First Solution Designed to Replace Analog Controls

 In GaN Power Supplies, Could Introduce ‘New Era’ in Industry

MEYLAN, France and SEOUL, South Korea – April 6, 2023 – Wise-integration, a French pioneer in digital control of gallium nitride (GaN) power supplies and GaN ICs, and Powernet, a leading Korean power supply manufacturer, today announced an agreement to build compact and energy-efficient technology for power-supply applications that are currently limited to analog control.

The memorandum of understanding addresses the needs of OEMs that require compact, digitally controlled power-supply systems for faster, smaller and more energy-efficient electronic equipment in products ranging from USB PD fast chargers to monitors, TV sets and electric vehicles.

The breakthrough system will combine Wise-integration’s WiseWare® digital controller and Wisegan®, a 650V enhancement-mode GaN-on-silicon IC for power applications from 30W to 3kW, with Powernet’s switched mode power supply (SMPS) technology that efficiently converts electrical power.

“We expect our collaboration to be the start of a new era in the power-supply industry by combining Powernet’s well-established experience in productizing power supplies and Wise-integration’s GaN IC  and digital-control technologies,” said Lee Don Ju, CEO of Powernet, which is a supplier to Korea’s semiconductor industry. “This combination will deliver a much higher level of energy efficiency to mass-market products, while reducing their environmental impact.”

“This partnership, guided by our long-term business and development roadmap, will bring Wise-integration’s unique GaN IC and digital-control technologies to global markets and enable Powernet to increase the powerdensity and reduce the size of its SMPS products,” said Thierry Bouchet, CEO of Wise-integration. “We will jointly deliver the high-level of compactness and superior performance required for the mass-market applications.”

Gallium nitride (GaN) is a wide-bandgap, next-generation semiconductor technology that has become key for development of advanced power electronics. It operates up to 20x faster than silicon and provides up to 3x the power or 3x the charge in half the size and weight of silicon devices.

Wise-integration is the first company to bring digital control to the power-supply market, where previously only analog controls were available. Original design manufacturers (ODM) such as Powernet are trying to meet growing demands from original equipment manufacturers (OEM), which require increasingly small and ultra-efficient power supplies for their future product lines. GaN is seen as a key material to delivering these features, but it is very difficult for power-suppy manufacturers to go above switching frequencies of 300kHz with analog devices.

Composed of a standard MCU 32-bit-based controller and running the company’s proprietary firmware, WiseWare manages the WiseGan devices and controls the power supply. Because fewer components are required than in analog controllers and thanks to high running frequency, the new power-electronic architecture reduces weight and volume of standard solutions by 30 percent and significantly reduces production costs.

About Wise-integration

Based in France, Wise-integration was founded in 2020. It specializes in the design and development of disruptive power-electronics solutions based on GaN technology. By combining both a GaN component (WiseGan®) and an advanced AC-DC system architecture with software (WiseWare®), Wise-integration opens the possibility of a charger up to 3x smaller, 3x more efficient and 3x lighter from 30W to 3kW. The combination of these two innovations targets the consumer, e-mobility and data-center server markets.

For more information, please visit www.wise-integration.com

About Powernet

Powernet is a Korean power supply manufacturer that develops robust and innovative SMPS (Switched Mode Power Supply) products for the consumer, display, industrial, LEDs and automotive markets.

http://www.gopowernet.com

Press Contact

Sarah-Lyle Dampoux

+33 6 74 93 23 47

sldampoux@mahoneylyle.com