Listen2Future will boost the potential of piezoelectric acoustic transducers to provide new solutions in the key application areas of Health & Wellbeing and Digital Industry & Energy. Acoustic transducer solutions and the key underlying technologies are addressing many of the challenges in emerging applications towards a more digitalized society. Indeed, growing demand for MEMS-based acoustic transducers (microphones, ultrasonic transducers) in medical and industrial devices are creating a new high demand for miniaturized low power sensors. In combination with an intelligent signal processing system, algorithms and customized packaging, these technologies will be the key to achieve performant, low power consuming, miniaturized and cost-saving systems. The demonstrators will address 14 use-cases in LISTEN2FUTURE with their benchmark in low power consumption, small size and low cost to open the door for disruptive acoustic applications. Major impact on quality of live for humans as well as on industrial and medical appliances can be expected. The European Position in Acoustic Sensors will be therefore strengthened by new piezoelectric materials and technologies with the capability to outperform the existing ones that are based on capacitive MEMS technologies. This will contribute to reinforcing the Union's strategic autonomy in electronic components and systems to support future needs of vertical industries and the economy at large. The growth of the microphone market (8 -> 14bio. units in 5 years) and the growth of the Ultrasound sensing modules market (500mio -> 800mio in 3 years) should be predominantly covered with acoustic sensors made in Europe. The double transition of European Union toward digital and greener society there poses a high demand for reliable and secure data. Our integral acoustic sensor solutions are listening to these needs and mapping the acoustic senses and perceptions into Society 5.0.

The challenges and major HiCONNECTS objectives are to transform the centralized cloud platform to decentralized platforms which include edge cloud computing in a sustainable, energy-efficient way. This will bring cloud services including Artificial Intelligence (AI) closer to the IOT end-users, which enables them to really use the COT and IOT efficiently. The technologies underpinning this revolutionary step include the development of high-performance computing, storage infrastructure, network interfaces and connecting media , and the analysis of IOT sensors and big data in real-time. This major step forward will enable, for example, the mobile clients (during the 5G deployment phase and 6G exploration) to move among different places with minimum cost, short response time and with stable connection between cloud nodes and mobile devices. The main underlying technology to be developed by the HiCONNECTS consortium, comprising large industrial players, universities and RTOs, and many SMEs, can be summarized under the title: heterogenous integration (HI) which is needed to meet the computing power, bandwidth, latency and sensing requirements for the next generation cloud and edge computing and applications. The HI revolution brings the electronic components and systems (ECS) into a new domain, which combines traditional silicon wafers integrated circuit (IC), InP based high speed electronics , and Si and InP photonics devices and interconnect. The HiCONNECTS ambition is to demonstrate, through HI development, a leap in computing and networking reliability and performances across the full vertical and horizontal ECS value chain (i.e. essential capabilities and key applications) in a sustainable way. In addition, HiCONNECTS will focus on the development of next generation design, algorithms, equipment (HW/SW), systems and Systems of Systems (SOS).

The SILENSE project will focus on using smart acoustic technologies and ultrasound in particular for Human Machine- and Machine to Machine Interfaces. Acoustic technologies have the main advantage of a much simpler, smaller, cheaper and easier to integrate transducer. The ambition of this project is to develop and improve acoustic technologies beyond state-of-the-art and extend its application beyond the mobile domain to Smart Home & Buildings and Automotive domains. In this project, it will be proven that acoustics can be used as a touchless activation and control mechanism, by improvement or development of different smart acoustic technology blocks (hardware, software and system level) and integrate these blocks at system level. At technology level, the SILENSE project will: - Adapt and improve cost, performance, directivity and power consumption of (MEMS) acoustic transducers (incl. testing and qualification) - Heterogeneously integrate arrays of acoustic transducers with other electronics, using advanced (3D) packaging concepts - Develop smart algorithms for acoustical sensing, localization and communication - Combine voice and gesture control by means of the same transducer(s) At application level the SILENSE project will: - Apply acoustical sensing for touchless activation/control of mobile devices, wearables and, more in general, IoT nodes. The project links to Smart Systems Integration (B4), and refers also to application application-related topics, such as Smart Mobility and Smart Society. The application scope of the developed technologies is broader and comprises more societal domains, such as smart home/buildings, smart factories (i.e. Smart Production) and even Smart Health. Furthermore, a clear cross reference with Semiconductor Process, Equipment and Materials (B1) is established in view of the heterogeneous integration of technology blocks. Conventional silicon technologies will be combined with printed (flexible, large area electronics).

The overall objective of the PIn3S project is to realize Pilot Integration of 3nm Semiconductor technology. This covers Process Integration, creation of Lithography Equipment, EUV Mask Repair Equipment and Metrology tools capable to deal with 3D structures, defects analysis, overlay and feature size evaluation. Each of these objectives will be achieved by cooperation between key European equipment developers like; ASML, Zeiss, Thermo Fisher, Applied Materials, Nova, KTI involved with their suppliers, involvement of a strong knowledge network based on Universities of Germany, Heidelberg University Hospital, and the Netherland, TU Delft and the University of Twente, complemented with key Technology Institutes such as imec and Fraunhofer. The project addresses Section 15 “Electronics Components & Systems Process Technology, Equipment, Materials and Manufacturing”, Major Challenge 4 “Maintaining world leadership in Semiconductor Equipment, Materials and Manufacturing solutions” and Major Challenge 1 “Developing advanced logic and memory technology for nanoscale integration and application-driven performance” of the ECSEL JU Annual Work Plan 2018. As set out in the Multi Annual Strategic Plan 2018, PIn3S addresses the ambition for the European Equipment & Manufacturing industry for advanced semiconductor technologies to lead the world in miniaturization by supplying new equipment and materials approximately two years ahead of introduction of volume production of advanced semiconductor manufacturers. With the results of the Pin3S project the consortium builds on realizing IC manufacturers to migrate to the 3nm Technology node which enables a class of new products which have more functionality, more performance and are more power efficient. As such it will form the bases for innovations yet to come enabling solutions that address the societal challenges in communication, mobility, health care, security, energy and safety & security.

14ACMOS is about enabling manufacture of 14A Semiconductor technology. It addresses the 4 key pillars in IC technology development for manufacture; Lithography, Metrology, Mask Infrastructure and Process technology. Carl ZEISS, Trumpf and ASML are the main parties to push the lithography solutions to 14A. Between Carl ZEISS, Fraunhofer, RWTH, UW and TNO further understanding of optics life time and plasma physics is pursued in optimizing optics transmission and lifetime. Nova, BRT, ILT and PTB address measurement sensitivity enhancement of X-ray and optical based methodologies to meet the 14A requirements. Imec, TNO, PTB, UPB and RWTH will combine and tune metrology techniques specifically for the assessment of EUV reticle degradation. On throughput and resolution enhancement Bruker, EXC, PTB and AMIL will work on X-ray sources and AMIL, ICT and NFI on e-beam and SPM platforms for in-line metrology. On the reduction of Total Measurement Uncertainty, Prodrive and AMIL cover the development of an ultra-high precision wafer stage and NVIDIA, AMIL and Prodrive the development of a next generation image processing system. In Mask Infrastructure there are FHG (IISB), ASML, Carl Zeiss covering the creation of a simulation based mask repair strategy and with Carl ZEISS, ASML, PI and UPB HW/SW and process technology for particle removal is created and repair durability is covered with Carl ZEISS, ASML, Suss and UPB. Process technology covers the creation of patterning solutions with the involvement of imec and TEL. On active device selection there will be imec, Cadence, IBS, JSR, Recif and TEL with THERMO enabling advanced TEM characterization. Middle Of Line and Back End Of Line solution development is with imec, TEL, Solmates and Coventor for process modules and Cadence the interface with the design community. On Sustainable Semiconductor Technology and Systems there are imec, Recif and ThermoFisher covering sustainable material and processing alternatives.