US Taps California for CHIPS for America R&D Facility
[Stay on top of transportation news: Get TTNews in your inbox.]
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced Nov. 1 that Sunnyvale, Calif., will be home to one of three CHIPS for America research and development facilities, elevating Silicon Valley’s role in the nation’s semiconductor industry.
Sunnyvale, Calif., will host both a research and development semiconductor facility and serve as joint headquarters for Natcast and the National Semiconductor Technology Center. Natcast is the nonprofit operator of NSTC.
Dee Dee Myers, senior economic adviser to California’s governor and director of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development, welcomed Sunnyvale’s selection in central Silicon Valley.
“[Our] administration and our partners across the industry know how important it is to shorten the time frame from R&D to commercialization,” Myers said. “We are looking forward to a productive partnership with the Department of Commerce and Natcast to ensure that CHIPS for America will be an enduring success not only for our state but for the entire country.”
The CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility in California will be established as a multifunctional center leading advanced semiconductor research in chip design, electronic design automation, chip and system architecture, and hardware security. The facility will also host various activities and serve as a site for future investments and stakeholder gatherings.
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said, “With this proposed facility, CHIPS for America is providing access to cutting-edge research, tools and workforce opportunities to communities across the country. The research and development component of the CHIPS and Science Act is fundamental to our long-term national security and ensuring the U.S. remains the most technologically competitive place on earth.”
From the Silicon Valley facility, NSTC members will have access to physical and digital assets to develop next-generation semiconductor technologies. NSTC is a public-private consortium working to position the United States as a world leader in semiconductor technologies, with goals including accelerating laboratory-to-market product development and expanding America’s skilled semiconductor workforce.
RELATED: Two-Year-Old CHIPS Act Spurs Regional Growth, Lawmakers Say
“Through physical and digital assets, this proposed facility will help researchers, educators and companies from across the country solve the most pressing challenges facing the semiconductor industry,” said Laurie Locascio, U.S. undersecretary of commerce for standards and technology and director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. “When we bring diverse perspectives together, we’re able to unlock new opportunities for innovation.”
The Sunnyvale announcement marks the second of three planned CHIPS for America R&D facilities. A day earlier, on Oct. 31, Raimondo announced that the first R&D center will be a CHIPS for America Extreme Ultraviolet Accelerator in Albany, N.Y., which is expected to receive a proposed $825 million federal grant.
According to the Commerce Department, EUV lithography is essential for creating smaller, faster and more efficient microchips in cutting-edge, high-volume transistor production at lower costs.
The final facility will be a CHIPS for America NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program at an Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility, whose location has not yet been announced.
Want more news? Listen to today's daily briefing below or go here for more info:
