Sub-2nm System-on-Chip Technology NanoIC Pilot Line Officially Opened on the Imec Campus in Belgium

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The Belgian research institute Imec has officially opened Europe's NanoIC pilot line with a 21,500 sq ft clean room extension on its campus in Leuven. The semiconductor production facility will be used to drive innovation in the field of sub-2 nm system-on-chip technology.

With a 21,500 sq ft clean room extension at its headquarters in Leuven, the Belgian research institute Imec has officially launched the construction of the European NanoIC pilot line. This step was made possible by a total investment of 2.7 billion US dollars from the European Union, the Flemish government and contributions from industrial partners, in particular the Dutch manufacturer of semiconductor production machinery, ASML. The NanoIC pilot line is thus designed as a joint European development platform to accelerate the transfer of research into industrial applications.

With over 129,000 sq ft of space, Imec's cleanroom plays a crucial role in the European Chips Act's ambition to put Europe at the forefront of innovation and manufacturing of next-generation semiconductors. This strategy will be instrumental in strengthening the continent's industrial fabric in the age of AI, while ensuring a climate of sustainable economic growth, security and prosperity for decades to come.

The pilot line is not only an R&D environment, but also an accelerator for innovation and a training and qualification hub for the next generation of semiconductor specialists. It is designed to facilitate access to cutting-edge technology specifically for European companies—including start-ups—and create the conditions for developing prototypes more quickly and bringing new solutions to production.

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"Since the announcement in May 2024 that Imec would host the NanoIC pilot line, we have been working flat out to accelerate the acquisition of tooling and launch a comprehensive recruitment program. Today, this effort culminates in the inauguration of a 21,500 sq ft cleanroom extension on the Imec site. It will house world-class tooling, including ASML's next-generation High-NA EUV scanner, which is scheduled to arrive in mid-March," said Luc Van den hove, CEO of Imec. "Imec researchers are working side by side with IDMs, foundries, equipment and material suppliers, system companies, start-ups, universities and other European research and technology organizations. Together, we have embarked on an ambitious journey to advance semiconductor technology beyond the 2nm node. By providing access to cutting-edge semiconductor technologies, the NanoIC pilot line will play a crucial role in strengthening European industry in the age of AI and ensure a climate of economic growth, security and prosperity for decades to come," he added.

Strategic Importance And Future Prospects

In the speeches from industry and politics, the wider context became clear: Europe's digital transformation is being shaped by two main forces—artificial intelligence and the continuous progress curve of chip technology. To stay ahead in this dynamic, Europe needs access to the world's most advanced semiconductor capabilities—from process development and design excellence to the ability to build early prototypes and transfer them to industry.

Imec explicitly describes the pilot line as a bridge "from lab to fab": the aim is to bring together the entire value chain—material and equipment companies, manufacturers, fabless and system companies—and to prepare several technology nodes for innovations prior to production. Imec also points to its growing role as a global magnet: 6,500 employees from more than 100 nations and partnerships with over 200 universities.

With strong support from the European, Belgian and Flemish governments—and a robust network of industrial partners—Imec will soon begin construction of a brand new 43,000 sq ft clean room on its campus in Leuven, another important building block to kick the European NanoIC initiative into high gear. Over the next five years, the NanoIC pilot line will integrate more than a hundred new tools spread across the sites of Imec and its partners CEA-Leti (France), Fraunhofer (Germany), VTT (Finland), CSSNT-UPB (Romania) and Tyndall National Institute (Ireland).

According to Imec, implementation will take place in two phases: Firstly, the expansion of the existing pilot line with around 100 state-of-the-art tools, followed by the automated connection to a next module ("Fab 4"), which should be ready by 2028. This scaling is intended to significantly increase capacity and capabilities for the coming, particularly complex technology generations. A high-NA EUV system supplied by ASML is expected to arrive at the Imec campus in six weeks and will be integrated into the pilot line that has been launched.

"We don't have the luxury of being the biggest or the strongest, but we have the choice to be the best," explains Matthias Diependaele, Flemish Minister President. "Imec combines talent, knowledge and international cooperation. With the NanoIC pilot line, Europe is turning this choice into reality: for technological excellence and strategic independence. The fact that Imec is hosting this pilot line underlines the exceptional strengths that Flanders has developed in research and innovation. Here we show how a world-class region can shape the chip technology of tomorrow."

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A Step Forward for European Leadership in the Semiconductor Sector

"Today, we are taking a step forward in strengthening the chip technology ecosystem in Europe to serve our customers, the global chipmakers," said Christophe Fouquet, President and CEO of ASML, at the opening ceremony." Through our 40-year partnership with Imec, together we have driven faster innovation, fostered greater collaboration and supported the development of regional talent— all of which are necessary for the advancement of the global chip industry and AI. Today we are inaugurating the NanoIC pilot line, which includes ASML's High-NA-EUV system and is the best example of what we can achieve when world-leading technology companies work together to pool their latest technologies and talents. Thanks to the strong support of EU President Von der Leyen and the European Chips Act, we are all very proud and grateful that this is happening in the heart of Europe and that Europe can play an even more important role in the global semiconductor ecosystem."

Fouquet also placed the significance in historical terms: Progress along the known scaling paths (often linked to Moore's Law) had enabled significant innovations in recent decades—because higher transistor density and falling costs made technology accessible for broad applications. In this logic, the NanoIC pilot line is a place where new key technologies are very likely to emerge "first" before they are rolled out globally.

Looking ahead, Fouquet put forward the theory that AI will further accelerate the pace of innovation: If "AI becomes everywhere", Europe must secure access to leading chip technology as the basis for prosperity and sovereignty. This is precisely what the close partnership between ASML and Imec stands for: testing new generations of lithography early on, working out performance and bringing the next level of technology to industry faster.(sg)

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