At CEA-Leti, researchers benefit from a rich ecosystem that facilitates sharing views around major societal challenges. Innovation also requires knowing how to inspire future talent. In Europe, Thomas Ernst is convinced that one of the challenges of decades to come will “involve mobilizing future generations around the new issues from the great technological adventure'".
Involvement in scientific research
Thomas Ernst received his degree in Electronics Engineering, his PhD, and accreditation for PhD supervision from the Grenoble Institut National Polytechnique (France). Following advanced SOI CMOS characterization and modelling with CNRS and STMicroelectronics, he joined CEA-Leti in 2000 to lead different research projects with industrial partners.
His team published several improvements on stacked nanosheet gate-all-around transistors (called at that time nano-beams or MBCFET® by Samsung) in 2006 and later, in collaboration with STMicroelectronics using an original so-called silicon- on-nothing technology developed by CNET, STMicroelectronics and Leti. This technology is being introduced for sub 5nm CMOS. He is now scientific director at CEA-Leti, where he oversees long-term research strategies and scientific partnerships. In 2009, he received an ERC to study multiphysics integrated nano-sensors for complex gas analysis in collaboration with Caltech. He has also been a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) since 2015. With a portfolio of more than 20 patents, he has authored or co-authored more than 200 articles for technical journals and international conferences.
« By working at CEA-Leti, I am at the heart of societal transformations through science. »
he said.
What is most important to him
« Future generations have a wealth of assets and will invest their energy in projects that are central to societal transformations, including issues around sustainability of next technology generations and environmental responsibility. Getting young people involved early on is an important part of their mobilization. Established generations must open the path to meaningful #challenges and encourage them to responsibly take control of their technological destiny. »
Acknowledgments
Thomas would like to thank his former mentors, colleagues, and doctoral students, and his CEA-Leti teams, without whom nothing would have been achievable.