U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a $498,825 grant from the Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for SEMATECH in Albany. This funding will support SEMATECH’s Semiconductor Supply Chain Roadmapping initiative as part of NIST’s new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia (AMTech) program, which creates manufacturing roadmaps to help the nation’s manufacturers become more globally competitive.
“There are hundreds of companies that make tools, parts and materials for the semiconductor industry, so it is tremendously valuable to examine the whole development process from the supplier to the end user,” said Senator Schumer. “This federal grant will help SEMATECH map out the challenges facing the semiconductor industry and its supply chain to see if some much-needed efficiencies can be worked out along the way. We want more and more of these suppliers to locate in Upstate New York, so I hope that having SEMATECH engage them in this study will encourage more of them to bring their business, jobs, and research dollars here.”
“Research and development is critical to compete in the 21st century global economy,” said Senator Gillibrand. “New York State has long been a national leader in semiconductor research and manufacturing, and SEMATECH is carrying on that legacy in developing a critical roadmap to identify challenges facing U.S. suppliers to the semiconductor industry, making the U.S. more competitive and helping create new manufacturing jobs here at home.”
SEMATECH, which is the U.S.-based consortium of semiconductor manufacturers and their major equipment suppliers, is one of 19 non-profit organizations and universities to receive the NIST advanced manufacturing technology planning grant. SEMATECH has been instrumental in developing the gold standard of technology roadmapping, the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS). Thanks in large part to the technical targets and research directions set forth in the ITRS, the industry has consistently doubled the number of devices on a silicon chip about every two years. However, suppliers of components and materials have not been engaged in the industry’s regular technology forecasting and planning activity, which this roadmapping initiative will help address.
The federal funding provided by this grant will allow for increased technology development and improvement of manufacturing capabilities and innovation across industries. The projects generated from these awards span a variety of industries and technologies, from flexible-electronics manufacturing and biomanufacturing to forming and joining technologies.