Nikon Corp. of Tokyo has entered into a joint development program with CEA/Léti, the electronics and information technology laboratory of the French Atomic Energy Commission, based in Grenoble. The microelectronics research center focuses on optical lithography development for technology beyond 45 nm. The companies will explore the potential of double exposure and double patterning for 32-nm semiconductor devices. A Nikon scanner will be employed in CEA/Léti’s Nanotec 300 research facility.