The CHIPS Research and Development Office has unveiled plans for a major funding initiative aimed at revolutionizing semiconductor advanced packaging in the United States. With up to $1.6 billion in cooperative agreements and other transaction agreements, this program seeks to establish domestic capacity for cutting-edge packaging technologies crucial for next-generation computing, AI, and low-power electronics.
This funding is part of the broader CHIPS and Science Act, which allocated $39 billion for semiconductor manufacturing incentives and $11 billion for R&D. The National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) is a key component of this R&D effort, focusing on developing advanced packaging technologies to maintain U.S. leadership in the semiconductor industry.
The announcement outlines five primary R&D areas, with a strong emphasis on photonics, chiplets, and advanced packaging technologies:
1. Equipment, Tools, Processes, and Process Integration
2. Power Delivery and Thermal Management
3. Connector Technology, Including Photonics and Radio Frequency (RF)
4. Chiplets Ecosystem
5. Co-design/Electronic Design Automation (EDA)
In the realm of photonics, the program aims to develop low-loss optical connections between packaged sub-assemblies, enabling high-speed, low-latency data transfer. This technology is crucial for meeting the increasing bandwidth demands of advanced computing systems.
Chiplets are a central focus of the initiative, with an entire R&D category dedicated to developing a comprehensive chiplet ecosystem. This approach aims to enable the creation of application-specific integrated packages that surpass the capabilities of traditional monolithic ASICs, potentially revolutionizing semiconductor design and manufacturing.
Advanced packaging serves as the foundation for all R&D areas, with a focus on developing end-to-end packaging flows suitable for industry adoption. The program emphasizes heterogeneous integration and the dual goals of scaling down package features while scaling out to accommodate more chips per package.“The National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program will enable a packaging sector within the United States that outpaces the world through innovation driven by robust R&D,” said Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Director Laurie E. Locascio. “Within a decade, through R&D funded by CHIPS for America, we will create a domestic packaging industry where advanced node chips manufactured in the U.S. and abroad can be packaged within the United States and where innovative designs and architectures are enabled through leading-edge packaging capabilities.
The CHIPS R&D Office anticipates awarding multiple grants of up to $150 million each, with project durations of up to 5 years. The program strongly encourages collaboration between industry, academia, and non-profit organizations to foster a robust ecosystem for advanced packaging innovation.
Key Points:
• Total funding of up to $1.6 billion available for advanced packaging R&D
• Individual awards of up to $150 million for projects lasting up to 5 years
• Focus on five R&D areas, including photonics, chiplets, and advanced packaging
• Aim to establish domestic capacity for cutting-edge packaging technologies
• Part of the broader CHIPS and Science Act’s $11 billion R&D initiative
• Emphasis on industry-academia collaboration to foster innovation ecosystem
• Prototype development opportunities included to demonstrate new packaging flows
This funding initiative represents a significant step in the U.S. government’s efforts to reinvigorate domestic semiconductor research and manufacturing. By focusing on advanced packaging technologies, the program aims to position the United States at the forefront of the next wave of semiconductor innovation, crucial for maintaining technological leadership in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/noindex/2024/07/09/CHIPS%20NAPMP%20NOI_07092024.pdf
