Brady PieperThe U.S. Department of Commerce and Natcast, which operates the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), is selecting Sunnyvale, California as the home for a second CHIPS for America flagship facility to usher in the next era of semiconductor design and manufacturing.
“The research and development component of the CHIPS and Science Act is fundamental to our long-term national security and ensuring the U.S. remains the most technologically competitive place on earth,” Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo said in a press release. “With this proposed facility, CHIPS for America is providing access to cutting-edge research, tools, and workforce opportunities to communities across the country.”
The proposed Sunnyvale Design and Collaboration Facility (DCF) will serve as one of three NSTC facilities advancing a variety of semiconductor research and development (R&D) objectives. Funded by the federal CHIPS and Science Act, these facilities seek to create a robust semiconductor industry in the U.S., enhance the semiconductor supply chain and develop skilled workforce opportunities.
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For the Silicon Valley facility, California will support the nation’s global leadership in semiconductor innovation by reducing the barriers to semiconductor prototyping, experimentation and R&D. Selected for Sunnyvale’s ample availability of world-leading research facilities, higher education institutions and global talent, the new multifunctional facility will act as a collaborative space for stakeholders to address some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.
The Sunnyvale facility will, in part, operate as a convening point for industry stakeholders, research institutions, NSTC members and partners across the nation to discuss the advancement of the semiconductor supply chain.
While hosting other administrative functions, the DCF will oversee progressive work on semiconductor and microchip technologies. This innovative semiconductor research will include chip design, electronic design automation, chip and system architecture and hardware security.
The DCF will also house several key programs whichlook to drive design and manufacturing advancements as well as cultivate a highly skilled workforce. The NSTC’s Design Enablement Gateway will offer collaborative engagement opportunities to advance technology to transfer at scale. Sunnyvale will also host the NSTC Workforce Center of Excellence to help develop and maintain a skilled workforce in the next era of semiconductor technology.
In addition to advancing semiconductor R&D, the DCF is expected to attract more than $1 billion in research funding and create over 200 direct jobs in the Sunnyvale area.
The proposed DCF is just one of several key facilities in development for the CHIPS for America program. The facility will work closely with the other two NSTC flagship locations to further advance semiconductor manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., including the recently-announced Extreme Ultraviolet Accelerator in Albany, New York and the to-be-announced National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program facility.
Ensuring the U.S. remains a leader in semiconductor research, manufacturing and workforce development, the Sunnyvale facility will be a cornerstone of America’s strategy to secure its technological future.
“Silicon Valley is a broad, vibrant, and dynamic semiconductor ecosystem,” Natcast CEO Deirdre Hanford said in a press release. “Surrounded by established companies and innovative startups, leading research and academic institutions, investors, and stakeholders from across the semiconductor value chain, the CHIPS for America Design and Collaboration Facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., will encourage and enable NSTC members to work together to address some of the most complex challenges we face as a nation and a world today.”
Photo by Jeremy Waterhouse
