Clustering is the route to semiconductor success, according to Alain Astier, vp of front-end technologies at STMicroelectronics, speaking at the SEMICON Europa Fab Managers Forum in Dresden this morning.
“Nanoelectronics can only survive within a highly competitive cluster,” Astier told the forum.
A cluster includes educational facilities, research facilities and industry in the same geographical area supported by the national and local authorities. It can include mask shops, equipment and materials suppliers and SMEs.
“Most prosperous semiconductor industries have developed around clusters with strong public support,” said Astier, instancing Singapore, Taiwan, China and Korea and the re-emergence of the US industry based on the cluster at the College of nanotechnology at Albany.
ST partakes in clusters in Crolles, Agrate and Grenoble. Grenoble, for instance, has a strong lab – LETI; an SOI supplier – SOITEC; a microelectronics consortium – MINATEC; scientific universities and high schools turning out 3000 graduates a year and the 200 company MINALOGIC pole of which 81% of the companies are SMEs.
“Each cluster develops its local Excellence Centre,” said Astier, “via co-operation and synergies, shared know-how and local resources management supported by the local and national public authorities.”
David Manners, Dresden