
US launches five year microelectronics strategy

The US government has launched a strategy for microelectronics, building on the recent developments of the CHIPS and Science Act to boost domestic production of semiconductors.
The strategy developed by the Subcommittee on Microelectronics Leadership of the National Science and Technology Council aims to use the investments in the CHIPS & Science Act to revitalize microelectronics R&D activities and infrastructure over the next five years.
“Decades ago, American innovation sparked the microelectronics revolution, technology that now underpins nearly every aspect of our society, including communications, entertainment, health care, finance, energy, and transportation,” said Steve Welby, Deputy Director for National Security at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
“This whole-of-government strategy encourages the microelectronics R&D community to bring their diverse expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and drive to focus on a common purpose—to ensure that America remains a global leader in this important field. We now turn to the implementation of this strategy, leveraging the once-in-generation investments by government and the private sector—fuelled by the CHIPS and Science Act and the urgency to energize U.S. semiconductor innovation for the future.”
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The US microelectronics strategy has four interconnected goals.
The first goal focuses on key research needs in several areas that are required to accelerate the advances required for future microelectronic systems.
Research areas include materials that can provide new capabilities; circuit design, simulation, and emulation tools; new architectures and associated hardware designs; processes and metrology for advanced packaging and heterogeneous integration; hardware integrity and security; and manufacturing tools and processes to enable transition of new innovations into production. These require access to specialized tools and equipment.
The second goal is focused on supporting, expanding, and connecting the research infrastructure from small-scale material and device-level fabrication and characterization through prototyping, large-scale fabrication, and advanced assembly, packaging, and testing. The required tools include both software (including design tools) and commercial-scale production and metrology hardware.
Goal three identifies efforts to support learners and educators in the development of the technical workforce required from research through manufacturing.
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The fourth goal is focused on the entire R&D landscape and presents strategies and actions to create a vibrant microelectronics innovation ecosystem to accelerate the transition of new advances into commercial applications. Key efforts not only support actions at each stage of the microelectronics technology development pathway, but also connect the various networks and activities to build a virtuous cycle of microelectronics innovation.
