The Belgian research institute imec opened the NanoIC pilot on Monday. This line, an investment of 2.5 billion euros, is intended to develop ultra-advanced semiconductors. The facility is part of the European Chips Act and should help Europe get closer to the AI-driven chip race.
Europe produces and designs a small proportion of the most advanced chips. This position largely keeps Europe on the sidelines. The NanoIC pilot line aims to close the gap between America and Asia. Instead of building a full-scale commercial factory, Europe has opted for a shared research model. Companies and labs can test process steps and chip integration at scales beyond 2 nanometers before investing billions in mass production.
European Chips Act
The European Chips Act was launched in 2022 to double the EU’s share of global chip production to 20 percent by 2030. NanoIC will receive ASML’s most advanced machine, the High NA EUV machine, along with a full suite of supporting tools.
The total budget of €2.5 billion consists of €1.4 billion in public funding from the EU’s Chips Joint Undertaking and the Flemish government. In addition, €1.1 billion will come from private partners, with ASML as the largest contributor.
“We are all very proud and thankful that this is happening at the heart of Europe and will allow Europe to play an even more critical role in the global semiconductor ecosystem,” says ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet. Imec CEO Luc Van den hove adds: “The NanoIC pilot line will play a crucial role in strengthening Europe’s industrial fabric in the AI era.”
ASML’s High NA EUV technology is intended for mass production from 2025-2026. This generation of machines enables chips with three times more transistors than previous EUV systems.