STMicroelectronics Crolles

Expansion of electronic chip manufacturing capacity

A major world player in the production of electronic chips, the STMicroelectronics group has made numerous investments in recent years to increase its production capacity and thus meet the growing demand for printed circuit boards, particularly from the electric vehicle industry. Artelia is assisting STMicroelectronics in the expansion of its plants. At Crolles, near Grenoble, our teams oversaw the construction of some 8,000 m2 of new clean rooms.

CONTEXT & ISSUES

With 14 main manufacturing sites worldwide and almost 20% of its workforce engaged in R&D activities, STMicroelectronics is one of the world’s leading semiconductor companies. It masters the entire value chain (design, manufacturing, marketing). In 2018, STMicroelectronics launched a program to expand its Bernin site in order to increase its production capacity for “chips on 300 mm wafers”. Broken down into three successive phases, this has increased cleanroom space by 7,600 m², bringing the total for the site to around 30,000 m².

Artelia assisted STMicroelectronics with this project (Gateway 1, 2 and 3), which involved the creation of several buildings with their basements and superstructures (plenums for technical systems for ventilation, air conditioning and other fluid and electrical networks, etc.). Artelia mobilized its expertise in ultra-cleanliness (clean concept), fluid engineering and fire safety (SSI). Our teams supported STMicroelectronics in the implementation of the cleanrooms and the various associated facilities (HV/LV delivery substation, utility buildings, storage areas and equipment, etc.).

Artelia is currently pursuing this collaboration with STMicroelectronics as part of a new, highly ambitious program, initiated with GlobalFoundries, which should lead to a doubling of the Bernin site’s production capacity for “chips on 300 mm wafers”.