Advanced semiconductor metrology company, Nearfield Instruments, and the A*STAR Institute of Microelectronics (A*STAR IME) of Singapore, have entered into a multi-year research collaboration agreement. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of metrology solutions that enable efficient AI chip production. Specifically, the partnership will focus on heterogenous integration in chip design, to achieve exceptional compute performance and enhanced energy efficiency. According to Nearfield Instruments CEO Hamed Sadeghian, Nearfield’s solutions help tackle the challenges of heterogeneous integration, with a specific focus on hybrid bonding. The metrology solutions help chip manufacturers scale efficiently, improve yields, and reduce energy waste. Additionally, as part of its global expansion, Nearfield has established Nearfield Singapore, an innovation and service hub dedicated to supporting semiconductor manufacturers across Southeast Asia. Nearfield earlier this year also established a U.S. subsidiary, Nearfield Instruments USA Inc. The company raised €135 million ($153.1M) in funding last summer to advance metrology and inspection technologies, including the company’s QUADRA 3D metrology system, for use in the semiconductor and chip manufacturing industries.