Laurie E. Locascio Director of NIST and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology | Official Website
The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a funding competition for up to $1.6 billion aimed at advancing U.S. semiconductor packaging technologies. This initiative is part of the CHIPS and Science Act, supporting the adoption of new advanced packaging flows within the U.S. semiconductor industry. The effort aligns with President Biden's Investing in America agenda, which focuses on enhancing American competitiveness and boosting future manufacturing industries.
Semiconductor packaging combines multiple components into a single electronic device, while advanced packaging enhances chip performance and reduces costs and power consumption. The CHIPS for America program plans to allocate up to $1.6 billion across five research and development areas, with potential follow-on funding for prototyping activities. This initiative supports the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program's mission to create a sustainable domestic advanced packaging industry.
"Securing domestic packaging capabilities is a key part of our mission to expand domestic semiconductor manufacturing," stated Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. She added that these investments will bring innovative technologies directly to American manufacturers and consumers, helping achieve economic and national security goals.
The investment in R&D aims to drive advances in semiconductor technology and establish leading-edge domestic capacity for advanced packaging. Emerging AI-driven applications require significant advancements in microelectronics capabilities, particularly in advanced packaging, to help U.S. manufacturers compete globally.
"This ambitious funding opportunity is designed to fill key technology gaps in advanced packaging to ensure U.S. leadership in the global semiconductor ecosystem," said Laurie E. Locascio, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director.
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology Arati Prabhakar noted that under President Biden and Vice President Harris' leadership, efforts are underway to bring leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing back to the United States.
The funding opportunity spans five R&D areas addressing challenges detailed in the NAPMP Vision Paper. The approach targets complementary R&D efforts expected to produce results that can be integrated into existing manufacturing processes.
CHIPS for America plans awards ranging from approximately $10 million to $150 million per award over five years, with up to $50 million reserved for future prototyping activities at the anticipated National Semiconductor Technology Center Prototyping Facility.
A one-day meeting hosted by the CHIPS Research and Development Office on October 22 will inform potential applicants about this opportunity, followed by webinars detailing each research area.
For more information about the CHIPS NAPMP program, visit CHIPS.gov.
