Russia completes development of its first plasma chemical deposition and etching equipment with 65nm process technology
On December 10, 2025, the Russian business newspaper Vedomosti reported that the scientific research institutions under the Element Group - the Institute of Microelectronic Equipment (NIIMÉ) and the Institute of Thin Film Technologies (NIITM) - have completed the development of Russia's first plasma chemical deposition and etching cluster system. This equipment will support the manufacturing of integrated circuits with a 65nm topological standard on 200mm and 300mm wafers. Relevant companies have announced this progress.
These two research institutes are among the top five in the world for the development and manufacturing of such equipment.
The main contractor of the project is NIIMÉ, which is responsible for the construction of clean production facilities, installation and commissioning of prototype equipment, development of process flows, and testing and verification. As a core collaborating unit, NIIMÉ led the development of the equipment and participated in the testing work.
Vasily Shpak, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia, pointed out that the 300mm wafer 65nm-level equipment will meet the future needs of Russia's microelectronics industry. He emphasized that the modular design of this platform has special value - it can be used to verify processes on existing equipment, and also lays the foundation for transitioning to more advanced processes.
Element Group stated that the equipment is suitable for existing production lines and is compatible with planned production facilities using the 200mm wafer technology standard. Alexander Krafzov, director of NIIMÉ, and Mikhail Biryukov, director of NIIMÉ, both stated that the introduction of the domestic plasma chemical deposition and etching cluster system is a crucial step toward achieving independence in Russian microelectronics technology.
Shpak had previously pointed out on November 25 that the development project of Russian electronic instruments faces a funding gap of 33.1 billion rubles. Since 2024, project funding has been reduced by hundreds of billions of rubles, which may lead to delays in dozens of projects by the end of 2025.
According to the deputy minister, the project was planned to allocate 43.3 billion rubles in 2024, but only 23.7 billion rubles were actually allocated; in 2025, the plan was 40 billion rubles, but only 15.7 billion rubles were actually spent. In 2026, the planned allocation is 30 billion rubles, and 25 billion rubles each in 2027 and 2028. Shpak predicts that by the end of 2025, the number of delayed R&D projects will exceed 60.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1851186810943500/
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