The White House has issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity under the CHIPS and Science Act to invest up to $1.6 billion in semiconductor research and development.
The Department of Commerce said Friday the investment is meant to develop technology and train the workforce necessary to enhance the U.S. semiconductor packaging industry.
The funding opportunity will conduct R&D on five crucial areas, including Equipment, Tools, Processes and Process Integration; Power Delivery and Thermal Management; Connector Technology, Including Photonics and Radio Frequency; Chiplets Ecosystem and Co-design/Electronic Design Automation.
Each award will potentially receive $10 to $150 million in funds with a five-year period to complete the project. Another $50 million will be reserved for follow-on funding for awardees’ future prototyping activities.
This investment, which aligns with the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program’s efforts to establish a self-sustaining packaging industry in the nation, is in response to emerging AI-driven applications and other technological advancements in microelectronics.
Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo stressed the significance of domestic packaging capabilities to the expansion of domestic semiconductor manufacturing.
“The Biden-Harris Administration’s investments in the NAPMP, including the advanced packaging piloting facility, expected to be announced later this year, will bring innovative and new technologies directly to American manufacturers and consumers – helping achieve the economic and national security goals of the CHIPS and Science Act,” added Raimondo.
The CHIPS Research and Development Office will hold a meeting for potential applicants on Oct. 22.