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U.S. Department of Commerce Invites Three Teams to Submit Applications for the CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute
On July 19, 2024, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that three teams have been invited to submit full applications for the CHIPS Manufacturing USA funding opportunity to establish and operate a CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute focused on digital twins for the semiconductor industry. Digital twins are virtual models that mimic the structure, context, and behavior of a physical counterpart. Once established, the CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute will help unite the semiconductor industry to unlock the enormous potential of digital twin technology for breakthrough discoveries. The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute is the first Manufacturing USA institute launched by the Department of Commerce under the Biden Administration.
Unlike traditional, physical research models, digital twins can exist in the cloud, which enables collaborative design and process development by engineers and researchers across the country, creating new opportunities for participation, speeding innovation, and reducing costs of research and development. Digital twin-based research can also leverage emerging technology like artificial intelligence to help accelerate the design of new U.S. chip development and manufacturing concepts and significantly reduce costs by improving capacity planning, production optimization, facility upgrades, and real-time process adjustments.
The CHIPS for America Program anticipates awarding up to approximately $285 million for a first-of-its kind institute focused on the development, validation, and use of digital twins for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test processes. Full applications are due on September 9, 2024.
The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute will join an existing network of seventeen Manufacturing USA institutes designed to secure the future of U.S. manufacturing through innovation, education, and collaboration.
Please visit the CHIPS R&D funding page for information on other opportunities.
The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute will foster a collaborative environment to significantly expand innovation, bring tangible benefits to both large and small-to-medium-sized manufacturers, strengthen diverse research institutions, and ensure a national reach in workforce development.
The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute will be an entirely new and unique institute that facilitates the manufacturing of semiconductor digital twins.
This technology can serve as a virtual manufacturing floor – mimicking the physical floor in real time to discover ways to improve products and expedite processes. While changing equipment or manufacturing processes can drastically slow down production, digital twin technology will allow manufacturers to assess techniques before making costly decisions.
Digital twin technology can significantly reduce U.S. chip development and manufacturing costs, such as by improving capacity planning, production optimization, facility upgrades, and real-time process adjustments.
The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute is expected to establish a shared facility where companies can:
- Experiment while protecting proprietary information.
- Execute industry-relevant research projects.
- Leverage a shared facilities and technologies to enable diverse members to innovate at low cost.
- Participate in an education and workforce development program.