On July 9 the US Department of Commerce announced that it plans to open a competition for research and development activities that will help grow the country’s capacity for “semiconductor advanced packaging.”
Designing new semiconductor wafers has attracted most of the resources and attention in the electronics industry, but the way the wafers are installed within microchips can have a major impact on their overall durability and performance. It is also a largely outsourced aspect of microchip manufacture, which is becoming newly important as tensions rise between the United States and China, particularly around advanced technologies.
The funds for research and development are part of the CHIPS for America program designed to boost the domestic semiconductor industry. The National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program will provide several winning companies or academic institutions with $150 million in federal funding.
“President Biden was clear that we need to build a vibrant domestic semiconductor ecosystem here in the U.S., and advanced packaging is a huge part of that. Now, thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to investing in America, the U.S. will have multiple advanced packaging options across the country and push the envelope in new packaging technologies. This announcement is just the most recent example of our commitment to investing in cutting edge R&D that is critical to creating quality jobs in the U.S. and making our country a leader in advanced semiconductor manufacturing.” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
For the latest about the Packaging program, follow the CHIPS for America website at https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-america-webinars
