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| Crolles 2 | |
|---|---|
| Name | Crolles 2 |
| Location | Crolles, Isère, France |
| Established | 1990s |
| Owner | STMicroelectronics, Motorola, Philips, CEA, Grenoble Institute of Technology |
| Industry | Semiconductor manufacturing |
Crolles 2 Crolles 2 is a semiconductor fabrication complex located in Crolles, Isère, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of France. The site is notable for its role in integrated circuit manufacturing and collaborative industrial research, involving a network of firms, universities, and research laboratories. It has influenced regional development in Grenoble and contributed to European microelectronics through partnerships with multinational companies and public research bodies.
Crolles 2 emerged from collaborations among STMicroelectronics, Philips, Motorola, European Commission, Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) and regional actors including Grenoble Institute of Technology, University of Grenoble Alpes, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and the French Government. Planning connected to earlier initiatives like Microelectronics development programs, ties with Silicon Valley models, and alignment with European strategies such as ESPIRIT and Framework Programme funding. The project engaged industrial partners including NXP Semiconductors, Infineon Technologies, Thales Group, Schneider Electric, Renault, STM, and research institutes like CNRS and CEA-Leti. Regional infrastructure bodies such as Conseil départemental de l'Isère and Grenoble Alpes Métropole coordinated land use with transport agencies like SNCF and Autoroutes françaises to support logistics and workforce mobility. Financial planning referenced investment patterns seen with Intel and TSMC, seeking synergies with European Commission Directorate-General for Research priorities and vocational frameworks from Pôle emploi.
The complex integrated cleanroom facilities, lithography suites, and testing lines comparable to plants operated by Intel Corporation, Samsung Electronics, GlobalFoundries, TSMC, and Micron Technology. It housed process equipment from vendors such as ASML, Applied Materials, Lam Research, KLA Corporation, and Tokyo Electron. Design incorporated collaborations with academic partners including École Polytechnique, Institut Laue–Langevin, CEA-Liten, and Institut Néel to enable advanced metrology and materials science. Facilities included chemical handling in compliance with standards influenced by work from European Chemicals Agency and safety frameworks observed at BASF and Air Liquide. The site layout referenced industrial campus models like Silicon Fen, Research Triangle Park, and Sophia Antipolis, embedding incubators tied to CNES spin-offs and startup accelerators such as BPI France programs.
Manufacturing at the site targeted CMOS processes, MEMS, and system-on-chip production with technology roadmaps influenced by International Roadmap for Devices and Systems trends and collaborations with CEA-Leti and IMEP-LaHC. Process nodes reflected transitions analogous to those at STMicroelectronics fabs and collaborators like NXP Semiconductors and Infineon Technologies, deploying optical lithography from ASML and etch systems by Lam Research. The site supported production flows including ion implantation, chemical vapor deposition, and metallization using equipment similar to Applied Materials and metrology from KLA-Tencor. Products served industries represented by Nokia, Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Siemens, Thales Group, Schneider Electric, Bosch, Faurecia, and Valeo. Research partnerships connected to programs with European Space Agency, CNES, and collaborations with CEA on cryogenic electronics, as well as joint projects with IBM Research and STMicroelectronics for packaging and heterogeneous integration.
The campus generated employment affecting stakeholders including STMicroelectronics', Philips', and Motorola' workforces, local suppliers like Schneider Electric and Soitec, and service firms such as Adecco and Randstad. It stimulated the Grenoble high-tech cluster comprising entities like CEA, CNRS, Institute for Advanced Studies, and startups spun out from CEA-Leti and Grenoble INP. Supply chain links involved multinational suppliers including Air Liquide, BASF, 3M, and TotalEnergies. The site influenced regional labor markets covered by Pôle emploi, education pipelines at University of Grenoble Alpes and Grenoble Institute of Technology, and vocational programs aligned with European Social Fund initiatives. Economic analyses referenced comparisons to semiconductor employment impacts in regions dominated by Intel in Oregon, Texas, and Ireland, and cluster studies like those for Silicon Valley and Taiwan Semiconductor Cluster.
Environmental management followed principles similar to those implemented by Air Liquide, Veolia, TotalEnergies, and guidance from European Environment Agency. Chemical safety and waste treatment were coordinated with standards influenced by European Chemicals Agency and emergency response protocols with local authorities including Préfecture de l'Isère and Sapeurs-pompiers. Energy supply considerations involved partnerships with utilities such as EDF and industrial gas suppliers like Air Liquide, and efficiency programs referencing practices at Schneider Electric and Siemens. Emissions monitoring paralleled measures used by BASF and water usage strategies aligned with regional water authorities like Agence de l'eau Rhône Méditerranée Corse. Occupational safety drew on frameworks from INRS and comparisons with safety regimes at Intel, Samsung, and GlobalFoundries facilities.
Key milestones included initial agreements involving Philips, STMicroelectronics, and Motorola and the involvement of public research bodies CEA and CNRS. Later strategic shifts mirrored consolidation trends involving NXP Semiconductors and Infineon Technologies and were influenced by European industrial policy debates in venues like European Parliament and European Commission meetings. The site featured collaborations and announcements connected to STMicroelectronics technology roadmaps, joint ventures reminiscent of alliances such as IMEC partnerships and research programs financed under Horizon 2020. Major events intersected with regional economic initiatives from Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and infrastructure developments coordinated with Grenoble Alpes Métropole and national investments aligned with directives from Ministry of Economy and Finance (France) and Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation (France). Category:Semiconductor fabrication plants