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CEA-Leti

Compiled from public sources on 2026-06-10. Not independently verified by CEA-Leti.

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French public applied research institute for microelectronics and nanotechnology, founded 1967, part of CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission), headquartered in Grenoble. Key developer of infrared focal plane array (FPA) technology for space instruments, including HgCdTe (Mercury Cadmium Telluride) and MCT detectors used in EO and astronomy instruments. Spun off Sofradir (1986, now Lynred) for commercial IR detector production. ~1,900 staff. Key EO relevance: IR detector technology used in satellite instruments for atmospheric sounding and remote sensing.

CEA-Leti (Laboratoire d'Electronique des Technologies de l'Information) is a French public applied research institute for microelectronics and nanotechnology, founded on 10 October 1967 and based in Grenoble as part of CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission). The institute employs approximately 1,900 staff plus doctoral and postdoctoral researchers. ^[1]

CEA-Leti develops infrared focal plane array (FPA) detector technologies for space and defence instruments, with specialisation in mercury cadmium telluride (MCT/HgCdTe) arrays covering the short-wave to very long-wave infrared, amorphous silicon microbolometers, and InGaAs detectors. In 1986, CEA-Leti co-founded Sofradir with Thales and Sagem to manufacture these detectors commercially. ^[2] Sofradir merged with ULIS in 2019 to form Lynred, and CEA-Leti subsequently transferred its advanced IR sensing technology to Lynred. ^[3] The institute functions as an upstream technology provider and detector foundry for instrument primes building space-grade IR payloads for atmospheric sounding and remote sensing applications. ESA documentation references CEA-Leti in the context of new-generation sensor development for the Swarm magnetometry mission. ^[4]

Manufactures

Swarm Absolute Scalar MagnetometerMagnetometer
operational

Sources

[1]CEA-Leti - Wikipediacommunity2026-06-10
[2]Sofradir, CEA-Leti ready dual-band infrared detector - EE Timesthird party2026-06-10
[3]CEA-Leti transfers its record-breaking IR sensing technology to Lynredthird party2026-06-10
[4]Swarm new generation of sensors, ESAagency doc2026-06-08

Cite https://eo-atlas.org/companies/cea-leti Markdown twin → Field definitions →