Lam research and CEA Leti have entered into a new multi-year R&D agreement aimed at advancing next-generation specialty technology devices.

Lam Research and CEA-Leti have entered into a new multi-year research agreement aimed at advancing next-generation specialty technology devices.

The collaboration will focus on technologies including micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), 3D imaging and sensors, power management, radio frequency (RF) solutions, photonics such as MicroLED displays, and optical interconnects. The partners will also explore novel multi-elemental materials and future fabrication processes for higher-efficiency compound semiconductors.

Lam Research said the partnership is intended to help address materials and engineering challenges and accelerate the development of fabrication solutions for specialty technology devices used in artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing applications.

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Vahid Vahedi, chief technology and sustainability officer at Lam Research, said the agreement combines Lam’s expertise in etch and deposition with CEA-Leti’s strengths in device characterization to speed development of more energy-efficient and higher-performance devices.

CEA-Leti CEO Sébastian Dauvé said rapid characterization of new materials in complex device structures will allow the research institute to identify integration challenges and provide actionable feedback to Lam, helping transition process innovations toward industrialization.

The new agreement builds on previous joint work, including research on pulsed plasma technologies. Upcoming efforts will examine new materials and films for lower-power, high-performance specialty applications, with potential use in next-generation RF filters, electro-optic modulation, and quantum optics.

Lam’s etch and deposition platforms, including its pulsed laser deposition system, Lam Prestis, will be used in the research. Through access to CEA-Leti’s materials analysis and measurement capabilities, Lam aims to better understand how process developments affect material properties and device performance.

David Haynes, Vice President of Specialty Technologies at Lam Research, highlighted optical devices and quantum optics as key areas of focus in the collaboration.