INSTITUT FUER MIKROELEKTRONIK STUTTGART

Their core work

IMS Stuttgart is a German research center specializing in semiconductor process development, with deep expertise in lithography, metrology, and mask technology for advanced chip nodes. They have contributed to the European semiconductor roadmap from 7nm down to 2nm through successive ECSEL pilot line projects. Beyond semiconductors, they apply their microfabrication capabilities to medical devices, specifically smart catheters and implantable electronics. Their work sits at the intersection of nanoelectronics research and industrial-scale pilot production.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

IMS Stuttgart's H2020 trajectory tells a clear story: they have systematically followed the semiconductor node roadmap from 7nm in 2015 down to 2nm by 2021, participating in each major European pilot line initiative along the way. In the earlier period, their focus was squarely on semiconductor process and equipment fundamentals. By the later projects, their keywords expanded to include DTCO, heterogeneous system engineering, and Moore's Law extension — indicating a broadening from pure process work toward system-level integration and design-aware manufacturing.

IMS is moving from pure process characterization toward design-technology co-optimization and heterogeneous integration, positioning them for the post-Moore's Law era of chiplet-based architectures.

How they like to work

IMS consistently operates as a specialist participant in very large, industry-driven consortia — all five projects are Innovation Actions or ECSEL pilot lines, which typically involve 30+ partners each. With 122 unique consortium partners across 18 countries, they function as a trusted technical contributor that major semiconductor players (and the ECSEL JU) repeatedly include. They have never coordinated an H2020 project, suggesting they prefer a focused technical role over administrative leadership.

IMS has collaborated with 122 unique partners across 18 countries, embedded in the core European semiconductor ecosystem. Their network is heavily shaped by the large ECSEL consortia, connecting them to major chipmakers, equipment suppliers, and research institutes across Europe.

What sets them apart

IMS Stuttgart occupies a specific niche: they are a dedicated microelectronics research institute with continuity across the entire European advanced-node semiconductor roadmap from 7nm to 2nm. Few organizations can demonstrate such consistent, progressive involvement in every generation of European chip technology pilot lines. Their crossover into medical microsystems (smart catheters, implants) also shows they can apply semiconductor fabrication expertise to non-traditional domains, making them a versatile partner for projects requiring precision microfabrication.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ID2PPAC
  Their most recent and technically ambitious project, targeting 2nm node integration with the broadest keyword scope, signaling their evolving expertise toward system-level semiconductor design.
• POSITION-II
  The outlier in their portfolio — applies microfabrication to medical smart catheters and implants, demonstrating cross-sector versatility beyond pure semiconductor work.
• TAKEMI5
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 957,888) and a key milestone in their node-by-node progression through European semiconductor pilot lines.