Timelines Set for First CHIPS R&D Facilities

Today, the Department of Commerce announced the process for siting the first three semiconductor R&D facilities that will comprise the National Semiconductor Technology Center, a multi-billion-dollar initiative funded by the CHIPS and Science Act. Natcast, the NSTC operating organization, intends to make the facilities operational over the next four years.

All three facilities will have research capabilities and serve various additional purposes, with one housing the administration headquarters to be operational in 2025, one to provide extreme-ultraviolet technology for intricate printing by 2026, and one to have advanced prototyping and packaging capabilities in 2028.

These facilities are intended to convene partners across research and industry in the semiconductor ecosystem to facilitate the at-scale transfer of advancements in design and manufacturing to commercialization.

“Standing up domestic assets for research and development in both semiconductor and advanced packaging is a unique opportunity for the United States given how the lines are blurring between these areas,” Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology Laurie Locascio said in a statement. “These facilities will lower barriers to participation in semiconductor research and innovation and will provide state-of-the-art tools and processes at a scale that allows for more rapid transition to manufacturing.”

The department and Natcast also expect to create affiliated technical centers to meet additional needs, such as access to labs to conduct earlier-stage research and testing with new materials and equipment, compound semiconductors, micro-electromechanical systems, advanced lithography, or other specialized technologies.

States and territories can identify regions for consideration for the manufacturing and packaging facility through their respective economic development organizations, which will receive a questionnaire from the department next week. The department will consider the extent of each region’s semiconductor industry presence, workforce capabilities, and private and public investment before inviting selected states and territories to provide site-specific information.

The department will separately identify a shortlist of regions that match the requirements for the administrative facility before reaching out to state officials to propose sites and facilities. For the extreme-ultraviolet facility, the department will invite existing extreme-ultraviolet providers with the necessary technical capabilities to participate in selection and negotiation processes.

Some congressional and state officials, including leaders from California, Virginia, Texas, and New York, have already publicly urged the department to place NSTC components in their region. California’s Democratic congressional delegation wrote to the department in April to make the case for siting the NSTC headquarters in the state, echoing an earlier letter from California Governor Gavin Newsom (D).

Other funding opportunities in semiconductor development have also been announced in the last two weeks, including NSTC’s first workforce funding opportunity for entities enabling semiconductor-related education or training and up to $1.6 billion for R&D focused on semiconductor advanced packaging capacity.