New Report Identifies Target Areas for CHIPS R&D Investments
October 27, 2022 | SIAEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Following landmark enactment in August 2022 of the CHIPS and Science Act to reinvigorate domestic semiconductor manufacturing and research, the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) released a report identifying five key areas of the semiconductor R&D ecosystem that should be strengthened by the new law’s R&D funding.
The report, titled “American Semiconductor Research: Leadership Through Innovation,” highlights the importance of government-industry collaboration on two historic new entities—the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP)—created by the CHIPS and Science Act. The study also calls for CHIPS funding to be used to bridge key gaps in the current semiconductor R&D ecosystem. Doing so will help pave the way for sustained U.S. chip innovation leadership, according to the report.
“Semiconductor R&D is essential to the innovations powering America’s economy, national security, advanced manufacturing, and critical supply chains,” said John Neuffer, SIA president and CEO. “Enactment of the CHIPS and Science Act was a major step toward reinvigorating domestic chip production and innovation for years to come. The ‘Leadership Through Innovation’ study is a roadmap for implementing the new law’s R&D provisions and ensuring sustained U.S. leadership in chip technology.”
Based on our extensive consultations with industry technology leaders, the report calls for bolstering the U.S. R&D ecosystem’s capabilities through investments in five key areas:
(1) Transitioning and Scaling Pathfinding Research
The NSTC and NAPMP should serve to bridge the gap between early-stage R&D and at-scale production. Both should strengthen the R&D ecosystem’s ability to conduct R&D and commercialize technologies that are 5 to 15 years from production.
The NSTC and NAPMP can become hubs for aligning R&D efforts, both for industry and government agencies, allowing industry to participate in programs where it has interests, and enabling agencies to focus their own funds on their respective missions.
(2) Research Infrastructure and (3) Development Infrastructure
The NSTC and NAPMP should play an active role in expanding, upgrading, and providing access to institutions’ technology development capabilities where they align with R&D priorities. The two initiatives must neither spread funding too thinly nor concentrate investments in a single technology or location. Rather, both must balance the benefits of a highly distributed network against the benefits of scale, based on technology needs.
Specifically, it is critical the NSTC and NAPMP use existing infrastructure where possible to leverage CHIPS funding and enable faster learnings by benefiting from available resources.
The primary support the NSTC and NAPMP will provide for research efforts is the establishment of transition paths for promising technologies through prototyping and scale-up.
(4) Collaborative Development
The NSTC and NAPMP should support full-stack innovation by convening companies to solve complex technological problems that benefit from collaboration across the full computing stack and accelerate the development of technologies, tools, and methodologies.
For example, creating next-generation data centers requires bringing together expertise in advanced materials, new computing architectures, packaging, software, and more.
In particular, the NAPMP can convene technical experts to provide input to organizations like Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC) when developing, for example, integration standards for heterogenous integration, chiplets, and other components of secure technologies.
(5) Workforce
The NSTC and NAPMP should promote a range of programs that expand the size and skills of the U.S. semiconductor R&D pipeline and workforce to strengthen the U.S. R&D ecosystem and the economic competitiveness it underpins.
Without these efforts, the inadequate supply of highly skilled R&D workers – those in semiconductor design, manufacturing, and the other activities of the value chain – threatens to limit the pace of innovation.
Suggested Items
Lockheed Martin Australia, The Department Of Defence Sign Strategic Partnership Head Contract
04/26/2024 | Lockheed MartinLockheed Martin Australia signed a landmark AUD$500 million contract with the Department of Defence to build Australia’s future Joint Air Battle Management System under project - AIR6500 Phase 1 (AIR6500-1).
SMC Korea 2024 to Highlight Semiconductor Materials Trends and Innovations on Industry’s Path to $1 Trillion
04/24/2024 | SEMIWith Korea a major consumer of semiconductor materials and advanced materials a key driver of innovation on the industry’s path to $1 trillion, industry leaders and experts will gather at SMC (Strategic Materials Conference) Korea 2024 on May 29 at the Suwon Convention Center in Gyeonggi-do, South Korea to provide insights into the latest materials developments and trends. Registration is open.
Elevating PCB Design Engineering With IPC Programs
04/24/2024 | Cory Blaylock, IPCIn a monumental stride for the electronics manufacturing industry, IPC has successfully championed the recognition of the PCB Design Engineer as an official occupation by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). This pivotal achievement not only underscores the critical role of PCB design engineers within the technology landscape, but also marks the beginning of a transformative journey toward nurturing a robust, skilled workforce ready to propel our industry into the future.
Real Time with... IPC APEX EXPO 2024: Going Vertical: SCHMID's Advanced Solutions for Printed Circuit Boards
04/24/2024 | Real Time with...IPC APEX EXPOEditor Marcy LaRont chats with Bob Ferguson, the president of SCHMID, about advanced solutions for PCBs and the equipment they are highlighting at this year's show. He delves into vertical no-touch handling systems and the prospect of achieving sub-10-micron lines. Inspired by SCHMID's technology, Bob expresses excitement about where the industry is today.
Big Win for Defense Production Act Budget Allocation in FY24 Budget
04/23/2024 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamOne year ago, President Biden issued a determination that chips and packaging are critical for national security. Since that time, much work has been done to continue the conversation in Washington, elevating the importance of the entire chips value chain, and including printed circuit boards and substrates, without which chips cannot operate.