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The Arizona State University Research Park in Tempe, Arizona has been chosen to host the world’s first 300mm front-end semiconductor manufacturing and packaging research and development facility, the Department of Commerce announced this week.
The CHIPS for America NSTC Prototyping and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility (PPF) will feature cutting-edge capabilities to bridge the gap between laboratory research and full-scale semiconductor production.
Natcast, the non-profit entity designated to operate the National Semiconductor Technology Center by the Department of Commerce, will operate the facility in coordination with ASU.
The facility, the third in the CHIPS for America program, will enable researchers and industry leaders to develop and test new materials, devices, and advanced packaging solutions in a state-of-the-art R&D environment.
The PPF is expected to be operational in 2028 and will play a key role in driving U.S. leadership in semiconductor innovation, economic growth and national security.
The announcement builds on work ASU is already doing in coordination with advancing semiconductor research. The Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub, led by ASU, was established in 2023 and is one of eight regional innovation hubs established by the Department of Defense’s Microelectronics Commons.
Funded by a $39.8 million initial DoD investment, the SWAP Hub at ASU is one of the first awards under the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which is designed to revitalize American semiconductor manufacturing capacity and competitiveness.
300mm semiconductors are essential to making microelectronics, but most are made in Taiwan, China, South Korea and Japan. The United States is working to reduce its reliance on the Asia, but scaling new semiconductor technologies from research to full production remains a significant challenge for the industry.
Scaling challenges include a lack of 300mm semiconductor wafer prototyping capability facilities and the absence of shared access to specialized facilities, shared infrastructure, skilled resources and capital.
The PPF’s prototyping capabilities will consist of at least one 300mm full-flow complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology as a stable baseline for experiments. The facility will also allow for a variety of R&D in a manufacturing-like environment that would not be feasible at a manufacturing site, including novel materials and device architectures.
Packaging capabilities are expected to include a baseline advanced packaging piloting line to enable the development and commercialization of new packaging processes. The facility will also support U.S. workforce development efforts by providing opportunities for collaborative, hands-on research utilizing industry-leading tools and equipment.
“The PPF will play a critical role in advancing semiconductor innovation across the country,” said Deirdre Hanford, Natcast CEO. “This facility will be a premier destination where researchers from industry, academia, startups, and the broader semiconductor ecosystem will convene to explore, experiment, and collaborate on the next generation of semiconductor and packaging technologies that will power the industries of the future.”
The first two locations were announced in November and are expected to begin operating this year.
The first – the CHIPS for America Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Accelerator – will be in Albany, New York. The second location – the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility – will be in Sunnyvale, California.
Image by Dan Williams from Pixabay
