ALBANY, N.Y., Feb. 3 -- Infineon, Genus and the University at Albany Center of Excellence in Nanoelectronics (Albany NanoTech) have signed a letter of intent to enter into a $12 million, three-year partnership to develop computer chip technology that incorporates nanotech materials at the nanoscale. Infineon is a computer chip-maker based in Munich, Germany; Genus is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., and makes capital equipment for advanced semiconductor manufacturing. Researchers and engineers from Infineon, Genus and Albany NanoTech will work together, on site at the Albany NanoTech center, to develop and optimize atomic layer deposition (ALD) processes for both metal electrode and high-k dielectric materials for sub-45-nm DRAM capacitors on a Genus StrataGem300 300-mm wafer bridge cluster tool. "The Genus StrataGem300 300mm wafer cluster tool platform was selected because of its exceptional extendibility and flexibility capabilities," Albany NanoTech said in a statement. "These capabilities, when combined with the outstanding conformality and uniformity characteristics of ALD, will provide a unique pathway for the successful development and manufacturing of reliable material systems for nanoscale device architectures." Infineon and Genus join several other corporate partners, including Tokyo Electron Ltd. and International Sematech, at the Albany NanoTech site. Earlier this month, Gov. George Pataki announced plans to open the College of Nanoscale Sciences and Engineering there, the nation's first college devoted to such efforts. For more information, visit: www.albanynanotech.org