Nearfield Instruments and Singapore’s A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (IME) have entered into a multiyear research collaboration to advance semiconductor metrology technologies. This partnership, announced on 20 May 2025, seeks to innovate metrology solutions critical for efficient AI chip production, leveraging Nearfield’s expertise in high-precision metrology and A*STAR IME’s cutting-edge semiconductor research.
The collaboration comes at a time when the demand for compute power is surging due to the rapid rise of AI. As traditional semiconductor scaling approaches its limits, the industry is increasingly adopting heterogeneous integration—advanced packaging of different chip types into a single system—to achieve superior compute performance and energy efficiency. This shift necessitates enhanced process control and precision metrology to maintain production yield and efficiency.
Hamed Sadeghian, CEO of Nearfield Instruments, emphasised the importance of metrology in the AI revolution, stating, “Nearfield enables the AI revolution by providing the metrology solutions needed to tackle the challenges of heterogeneous integration with a specific focus on hybrid bonding.”
Terence Gan, Executive Director of A*STAR IME, highlighted the collaboration’s potential impact, noting, “Our collaboration with Nearfield Instruments will drive innovation in metrology to achieve the high yield and energy-efficient manufacturing of AI and high-performance computing chips.”
The partnership aligns with Singapore’s strategic efforts to bolster its semiconductor industry through global collaborations. Chang Chin Nam, Senior Vice President of the Singapore Economic Development Board, remarked on the significance of this initiative, affirming Singapore’s commitment to supporting advanced semiconductor research and development.
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