VTT completes the conversion of its cleanroom equipment in the Micronova cleanroom to 200 mm silicon wafer size. It has been a major project, during which the previous 150 mm semiconductor manufacturing equipment has either been converted or upgraded to support 200 mm wafers. According to Piia Konstari, Director at VTT, the investment is part of Finland’s goal to strengthen its leading role in the European specialised microelectronics ecosystem.
The investment strengthens Finland's position in specialised microelectronics development and supports Europe’s strategic sovereignty in critical technologies. It also marks a significant step forward for Nordic semiconductor capabilities.
“This upgrade significantly enhances our toolset enabling us to efficiently process 200 mm sized wafers and benefit from the latest industrial technologies and processes. With investments in front-end-of-line equipment as well as advanced back-end-of-line process equipment, we are strengthening our position in the forefront of microfabrication R&D and piloting,” says Oliver Pabst, Head of Fab operations at VTT.
“Our goal is to build a leading European microelectronics R&D and piloting cleanroom and ecosystem, supporting research, development, innovation, piloting and industrialisation. Our customers and partners will widely benefit from VTT’s new capabilities. This investment is part of a broader strategy through which VTT and Finland strengthen their leading role in the European specialised microelectronics ecosystem,” says Piia Konstari, Director, Microfabrication services at VTT.
The funding for this upgrade has come from Business Finland, the Research Council of Finland, the EU PREVAIL project, as well as VTT’s own funds granted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The project has spanned several years, beginning in 2019 and continuing through 2025, reflecting the scale, complexity and ambition of the transformation.
The rationale behind this conversion is rooted in the widespread adoption of 200 mm silicon wafers in the semiconductor industry and to the compatibility with other European cleanroom wafer sizes. The 200 mm wafer size is a standard choice for fabrication in MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems), RF (radio frequency) devices, analogue integrated circuits, integrated photonic components and quantum circuits. Transitioning to 200 mm wafers ensures seamless compatibility with key customers and research partners, including several prominent EU institutions that have already standardised their processes around this wafer size.
The availability of cutting-edge processing equipment for 200 mm wafers is rapidly expanding, while support and equipment for the older 150 mm format is on the decline. This demonstrates that the upgrade to 200 mm wafer size is not only strategic but necessary to remain competitive and relevant in the market. Furthermore, the 200 mm wafer size offers access to a wide range of specialised wafer types, such as Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI), enabling advanced fabrication possibilities such as monolithic integration with CMOS technology, wafer-to-wafer bonding, and chip-to-wafer assembly processes. These new capabilities lay the ground for future innovation, allowing VTT and the Finnish ecosystem to explore more complex system architectures and integrated solutions.