The Biden-Harris Administration has announced a $269 million investment to strengthen microelectronics manufacturing and workforce development. The funding is part of the Microelectronics Commons (ME Commons) initiative, which aims to improve U.S. semiconductor capabilities and reduce dependence on foreign microelectronics. The CHIPS and Science Act is the source of the funding.
The ME Commons initiative consists of eight regional hubs, with a total allocation of $2 billion from FY23 to FY27. These hubs will concentrate on advancing microelectronics technology and equipping American workers with advanced skills. Dr.
Devanand Shenoy, executive director of the Microelectronics Commons and principal director for microelectronics in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, stated, “Microelectronics are critical to our goals of having a more reliable microelectronics supply and to deliver next-generation capabilities for our troops. These awards will also upskill America’s workforce, thus helping keep America both secure and prosperous.”
The $269 million fund will be allocated across six technical areas, including quantum computing, secure edge computing, and artificial intelligence. The Department of Defense (DoD) intends to visit three hubs to discuss progress and highlight award recipients.
The initiative seeks to encourage partnerships, modernize research facilities, and improve workforce development tailored to regional needs. It specifically targets education in microelectronics, focusing on underutilized institutions such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and community colleges. Project funding will benefit 28 states and Washington, D.C., promoting a strong microelectronics workforce.
In the previous year, the Department of Defense announced and awarded just under $240 million to establish the eight hubs. This ongoing investment emphasizes the strategic importance of developing a domestic microelectronics sector. The Department of Defense (DoD) announced on September 17, 2024, that it is providing $31.9 million in funding to the California Defense Ready Electronics and Microdevices Superhub (CA DREAMS), led by the University of Southern California (USC).
The award aims to accelerate the development of advanced semiconductor technologies through two projects managed by Northrop Grumman. CA DREAMS, one of eight regional innovation hubs established under the DoD’s Microelectronics Commons Program, focuses on pioneering semiconductor advancements crucial for defense applications. The first project, receiving $16.2 million, will mature advanced gallium nitride (GaN) technology, which is essential for high power and high-efficiency solutions in future DoD Electronic Warfare (EW) systems.
Strengthening domestic microelectronics manufacturing
The second project, with $15.7 million in funding, aims to develop 5G/6G-relevant prototypes to enhance high-performance mmW phased-array front ends. Yannis C.
Yortsos, Dean of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, expressed excitement about the announcement and the opportunity to advance the state of the art in this important new technology area. The GaN project involves developing amplifier chipsets spanning from microwave to sub-millimeter wave frequencies. The project team, comprising USC, Northrop Grumman, Teledyne Technologies, HRL Laboratories, PseudolithIC, Monde Wireless Inc., Transphorm, UCLA, and UC Santa Barbara, aims to leverage the collaborative environment of the Microelectronics Commons ecosystem.
This initiative is expected to significantly reduce traditional DoD prototyping cycles, demonstrating capabilities in several wave bands within the project’s initial years. Alex Zamora, a project lead and RF/mixed signal department manager at Northrop Grumman, stated, “This project resolves a DoD-needed application and tackles the challenges by working through various levels – from university research to system architecture – all within a 12-month time span.”
The second project will develop high-frequency wireless communications solutions, encompassing phased array antennas, beamforming integrated circuits (ICs), and broadband amplifiers. Northrop Grumman, alongside USC and other industry and academic partners, will focus on integrating advanced packaging technologies to create leading-edge size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) systems.
Named collaborators include HRL Laboratories, Teledyne, Caltech, UC San Diego, Vorago, and Global Foundries. Steve Crago, CA DREAMS Director at USC, said, “This award demonstrates the power of collaboration between academia and industry in addressing critical national security and communication needs.”
CA DREAMS, led by USC Viterbi’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI), is one of eight regional innovation hubs funded by the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. The program focuses on developing onshore microelectronics hardware prototyping and transitioning semiconductor technologies from laboratory to fabrication.
USC’s MOSIS 2.0 service accelerates lab-to-fab prototyping processes. The Department of Defense has announced a total of $269 million in awards aimed at bolstering microelectronics manufacturing capacity and workforce development infrastructure. This funding, provided under the CHIPS and Science Act, will support 33 new technical projects as part of the Microelectronics Commons (ME Commons) initiative.
Arati Prabhakar, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, stated, “We’re creating a new chapter in semiconductor research and development here in America. These CHIPS and Science Act investments through the Microelectronics Commons will advance innovation for components that enable the most sophisticated defense systems, strengthening our national security. Today’s awards are the next step forward in making sure that we win the future.”
The Microelectronics Commons initiative marks a significant move in ensuring the United States remains a global leader in semiconductor technology.
The projects funded under this initiative are expected to lead to advancements that enhance the capabilities of national defense systems. Further details on the individual projects and the specific areas of focus within microelectronics will be provided as the initiatives develop.
