The Electronics division remains central to the company’s growth strategy
Merck KGaA has inaugurated a new Metrology & Inspection facility in Saint-Ismier to strengthen its semiconductor technology capabilities amid rising demand driven by AI and advanced chip manufacturing.
Built with an investment of €20 million, the 4,500 m² facility is located within the Grenoble semiconductor cluster and is designed to enhance the development and production of precision inspection tools used in next-generation semiconductor manufacturing.
The site will focus on metrology and inspection systems that measure critical chip manufacturing parameters such as depths, thicknesses, and step heights while also detecting microscopic defects. These technologies are expected to help chipmakers improve production yields, reduce manufacturing costs, and accelerate production cycles.
“Advancing chip performance increasingly relies on the intricate architecture of chip systems rather than solely on miniaturization,” said Ben Hein. He added that growing chip complexity makes quality assurance and reliability more critical than ever.
The facility further strengthens Merck’s semiconductor business following its October 2024 acquisition of Unity-SC in Montbonnot-Saint-Martin, which expanded the company’s optical inspection capabilities.
Currently employing over 100 people, the site is expected to add nearly 100 advanced engineering roles over the next four years. The facility will support semiconductor applications across Artificial Intelligence (AI), High-Performance Computing (HPC), and High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM).
Sustainability has also been integrated into the building’s design through the use of straw-insulated wooden structures, rooftop photovoltaic panels, solar canopies, and energy-efficient heating and cooling systems, which together are expected to supply around 40% of the facility’s energy needs.
