Keithley Instruments and CEA Leti have entered into a Joint Development Partnership (JDP) centered on semiconductor device material testing technology. The JDP calls for Keithley and CEA Leti, one of the world's most sophisticated semiconductor development laboratories, to research methods for characterizing advanced semiconductor materials and devices that support DC, high frequency, and RF-level signals on both micro and nano-level structures.
CEA Leti is a CEA laboratory located in France and is one of the main European applied research centers in electronics, with more than 85 percent of its activity devoted to research with outside partners. Under the partnership agreement the laboratory will use Keithley RF-enabled semiconductor test equipment as part of its broad portfolio of research projects in order to expand and enhance understanding of the performance of semiconductor devices that perform at the highest levels.
"As semiconductor technology pushes the upper limits to achieving RF-level signals and device miniaturization to nano levels, measurement technology must not only keep pace but even lead researchers' ability to build and test these devices," explained Mark Hoersten, Keithley vice president, business management. "Our partnership with CEA Leti is a unique opportunity to create new measurement technology at the point where many of our customers' technologies converge – semiconductor, RF/wireless and nanotechnology."
Olivier Demolliens, head of the Nanotech Division at CEA Leti, explained, "The ability to make high quality electrical measurements is crucial to advance the 'More Moore' and 'More Than Moore' initiatives forward. Our electrical experts need the finest data to understand, model and improve our devices. The partnership with Keithley makes it possible to help develop and boost the measurement technology to coincide with the needs of research and industry experts."