In FAMES, we appreciate that an early adoption of forefront technologies requires a parallel training effort to make sure engineers learn how to use these technologies optimally in their designs. After the success of the first FAMES Winter School and the very positive feedback we got from the FAMES European FD-SOI Design School (EFDS) participants in January 2026, the FAMES Academy continues the promotion and training of the Pilot Line technologies at the LID World Summit in June and with the FD-SOI short course coming up in September. We hope these events will help maintain the good momentum we have had with our first FAMES Winter School. It is still time to register!

At the same time, the R&D activities continue and have produced significant successes. Two major results confirmed FAMES’ FD-SOI vision. First, we showed that we could reach the pitch required for the 7 nm node without the need of EUV lithography, thanks to a self-aligned dual patterning approach. This aligns perfectly with the FAMES FD-SOI roadmap. Second, we demonstrated how the strain induced by the contact etch stop layer can be modulated thanks to local implantations, strain being a key mobility booster for advanced nodes. A detailed analysis of the self-heating effect in FD-SOI also resulted in advanced design guidelines. Regarding memories, we improved our HfO2/ZrO2 process to reach outstanding wafer scale uniformity. Finally, we completed the design of a Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) based on Tyndall inductors and CEA-Leti’s high density capacitor. This PMIC is ready for tape-out and will leverage on the 3D heterogeneous integration process developed in FAMES.

Impacting the industry is one of the key FAMES motivations and our Open Access programme continues to be successful, with new technologies becoming accessible via our second open call and an increased number of spontaneous requests received. We are particularly excited to announce GlobalFoundries as a user of the FAMES Pilot Line.

The installation and procurement activities carry on, and the move-in of state-of-the-art tools into the recently inaugurated cleanroom, which was inaugurated in January, has ramped up over the past quarter.

This edition shows again the excellent forward momentum of the FAMES Pilot Line, with significant progress obtained in all of its core activities.

Dominique Noguet, FAMES Project Coordinator.