ASM Microchemistry Ltd. and the department of chemistry at the University of Helsinki in Finland have renewed their long-term research agreement on atomic layer deposition (ALD), an advanced technology for depositing thin-film materials in a highly controlled manner for integrated circuits and other applications. The company is a subsidiary of the semiconductor-processing tool supplier ASM International NV of the Netherlands. The new agreement is a continuation of a five-year collaboration project started in 2004 and includes research funding for four doctoral students. As part of the collaboration, ASM has located its research and development unit at the university.