Edge AI applications process data where it is generated. This offers advantages in terms of the security and speed of AI systems, and it is increasingly being used in areas such as robotics, autonomous driving, and medical technology. Edge AI enables real-time decision-making with very low latency. Access to these advanced semiconductor technologies can be challenging for innovative European companies because they often rely on suppliers from Asia and the US due to a lack of in-house manufacturing capacity.

To enable research institutions, universities, start-ups, and SMEs to develop next- generation edge AI systems in the future, the PREVAIL consortium has spent the past two years establishing a pilot line for producing this technology in Europe. The four participating research institutions aim to facilitate access to these future technologies and ensure Europe's technological sovereignty.

European cooperation

The research and technology organizations (RTOs) involved in the PREVAIL project – CEA- Leti (France), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft (Germany), imec (Belgium), and VTT (Finland) – complement each other in their areas of focus. As a result, the project strengthens scientific cooperation at the European level and can cover the entire spectrum of technologies relevant to edge AI.

These include the areas of “embedded non-volatile memories,” “3D integration,” and “silicon photonics and connectivity.” As part of the PREVAIL project, an early-stage technology demonstrator is being developed for each topic. The project partners are collaborating to contribute their expertise. Each demonstrator is being developed jointly by at least two RTOs.

As an example of the topic area “3D integration,” the aim is to show how various mix- pitch connection technologies can be implemented on an advanced silicon interposer substrate. In addition to CEA-Leti and imec, Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID and Fraunhofer EMFT are contributing on this demonstrator.

Four Fraunhofer institutes from the Fraunhofer Microelectronics Group and the Research Factory Microelectronics Germany (FMD) are involved in the PREVAIL project:

• Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID – Center All Silicon System Integration Dresden, a leader in 300 mm technologies in the field of advanced packaging and 3D wafer- level system integration, contributes to the field of 3D integration.
• The Center Nanoelectronic Technologies (CNT) at Fraunhofer IPMS is contributing its 300 mm CMOS-compatible nanoelectronic technologies based on ferroelectric materials for embedded non-volatile memory, among other things.
• Fraunhofer EMFT will contribute chip-to-film integration and physical analysis for Trust.
• Fraunhofer IIS will contribute to the design, measurement, and testing of integrated CMOS circuits, drawing on its many years of experience with advanced semiconductor technologies down to structure sizes of 22 nm.

State of the art for small and medium-sized enterprises

To implement these cutting-edge technologies, Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID procured six new systems, which are now being integrated into the existing 200/300 mm process line for 2.5D/3D system integration. Participating countries and the European Commission provided a total of €155.99 million in funding to establish the “Multi-hub Test and Experimentation Facility (TEF) for edge AI hardware.” More than 80 percent of this was invested in new equipment.

This infrastructure is therefore particularly available to external partners and companies interested in edge AI technologies. The broad-based PREVAIL consortium is capable of handling a wide range of potential development projects. The pilot line covers everything from design development, prototyping, and small-batch hardware production to validation and analysis.

Interested parties can obtain more information directly from the participating RTOs at SEMICON Europa in Munich from November 18 to 21, or visit the website https://prevail-project.eu/. Fraunhofer IZM-ASSID will be represented at the Silicon Saxony booth in Hall B1, Booth B1221-2.

(Text: Steffen Schindler)