SEA4KET, Semiconductor Equipment Assessment for Key Enabling Technologies, FP7

SEA4KET (Semiconductor Equipment Assessment for Key Enabling Technologies) is an IP proposal taking the consequent step from equipment R&D to equipment assessment experiments. The strategic objective is to effectively combine resources and expertise in a joint assessment of novel equipment for key enabling technologies to foster and accelerate the successful transfer of novel European equipment into the world-wide market. SEA4KET builds on the proven principle established in previous European SEA programs and projects: to take novel, innovative and promising equipment that has left the R&D phase into a joint assessment activity – this bridges the well-known gap between the phase of having an engineered tool available and finding the "first user" and finally success in the market for it. While proven principles from previous SEA activities are kept, SEA4KET takes them to the new field of assessing equipment for Key Enabling Technologies: SEA4KET concentrates on process and metrology systems for important enablers of future technologies: 450 mm wafer equipment, SiC material and 3D processing. The proposal comprises 15 sub-projects each dedicated to a specific equipment. The assessment activities were to a lesser extent chosen by "high S&T" excellence, but by their expected chance on the market. While leading R&D institutes are active in each assessment experiment to support individual final developments, several cross-cut R&D activities were identified (and combined in a dedicated sub-project) that are relevant to multiple assessments. Training material will be provided and workshops will be organized, to support and strengthen the individual dissemination activities. SEA4KET will significantly strengthen the European equipment and material industry for the emerging market for Key Enabling Technologies in a sustainable way by combining advanced R&D with equipment assessment involving users, institutes and equipment suppliers – with specific benefit for SME suppliers.