LastStep Consortium

Two research units of the CEA joined their forces in the LastStep project. CEA-LETI (Laboratory for Electronics and Information Technology) belongs to CEA Tech. CEA-LETI benefits from 8000 m2 clean rooms. It is currently employing 1900 people, among whom 250 Ph.D. students and post-Ph.Ds. The laboratory is structured into six departments, with a specific department operating 24/7 the technological facilities of the silicon technology platform, and five program-oriented departments covering the fields of Microelectronics, Microsystems, Optics and photonics, System design, and Technologies for bio and health. The CEA-IRIG (Institute for Nanosciences and Cryogenics, former DRFMC) is also located at Grenoble and belongs to the CEA Fundamental Research Division (DRF). The SINAPS laboratory @ IRIG/DEPHY/PHELIQS, investigates the new physical phenomena appearing when group IV semiconductors are down-sized to the nanometer scale.

Juelich is a world leading research group in the field of Si-based electronic and optoelectronic materials and devices and pioneer in material growth and optical characterization of GeSn and SiGeSn alloys. Together with partners PSI, UnivLeeds and LETI, JUELICH has proven the fundamental direct bandgap of GeSn alloys and demonstrated the optically pumped GeSn laser. JUELICH combines a broad knowledge base in fundamental and device physics, semiconductor technology and material science.

UPSaclay host the largest French academic technological platform with about 2800 m2 of clean room. This clean room is fully equipped to provide technological support to LastStep, that include nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, material growth, microsystems and bio applications. The laboratory is as well fully equipped to perform electro-optical spectroscopy of bulk and integrated photonic systems. UPSaclay has advanced material characterization tools like FEI-STEM. The laboratory has as well the full resources to perform electro-optical characterizations of the devices fabricated within LastStep.

School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering of the University of Leeds, UK, has over 20 years long tradition in theoretical and computational modelling of semiconductor nanostructures and devices based upon them, including SiGe and (Si)GeSn materials and devices, and more recently has also been successful in MBE growth and processing of III-V based nanostructures and devices, primarily quantum cascade lasers in the THz range, and their sensing/imaging applications. In the last decade the School has been very strongly involved in UK silicon photonics projects, with a significant experience in modelling accumulated in this area.

eLichens is a French innovative startup in the field of Air Quality monitoring, being one of the major challenges of the next decade. Created in December 2014, eLichens’ mission is to help individuals digitize their environment. The company relies on a portfolio of patents (30 patents in total either owned or co-owned by eLichens), know-how and skills, which enable it to develop and market.