SEMATECH, Inc. announced that Soitec SA, has joined SEMATECH's Front End Processes (FEP) and Advanced Metrology Programs. This partnership aims to foster the development of advanced processes, devices, based on Soitec's leading-edge silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers and other advanced engineered wafers for high-performance, low-power IC applications. The collaboration will also focus on applying SEMATECH's metrology expertise towards extending current solutions to advanced transistor designs. SOI wafers are widely used in fabricating semiconductor devices for applications such as computing, telecommunications, and automotive electronics. Compared to bulk silicon, SOI enables significant improvements in device performance including faster switching speeds for transistors and reduced power consumption while also decreasing manufacturing costs through process simplification. In addition, fully depleted SOI presents advantages in variability control and cost reductions at the 28 nm technology node and beyond.