Today, the Biden-Harris administration issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) seeking proposals from eligible applicants for activities to establish and operate a CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute focused on digital twins for the semiconductor industry. Digital twins are virtual models that mimic the structure, context and behavior of a physical counterpart. The CHIPS for America Program anticipates up to approximately $285 million for a first-of-its-kind institute focused on the development, validation and use of digital twins for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly and test processes. The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute is the first Manufacturing USA institute launched by the Department of Commerce under the Biden administration.
Unlike traditional, physical research models, digital twins can exist in the cloud, which enables collaborative design and process development by engineers and researchers across the country, creating new opportunities for participation, speeding innovation and reducing costs of research and development. Digital twin-based research can also leverage emerging technology like artificial intelligence to help accelerate the design of new U.S. chip development and manufacturing concepts and significantly reduce costs by improving capacity planning, production optimization, facility upgrades and real-time process adjustments.
“Digital twin technology can help to spark innovation in research, development and manufacturing of semiconductors across the country — but only if we invest in America’s understanding and ability of this new technology,” said Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This new Manufacturing USA institute will not only help to make America a leader in developing this new technology for the semiconductor industry, it will also help train the next generation of American workers and researchers to use digital twins for future advances in R&D and production of chips.”
“Digital twin technology will help transform the semiconductor industry. This historic investment in the CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute will help unite the semiconductor industry to unlock the enormous potential of digital twin technology for breakthrough discoveries. This is a prime example of how CHIPS for America is bringing research institutions and industry partners together in public-private partnership to enable rapid adoption of innovations that will enhance domestic competitiveness for decades to come.” —Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and NIST Director Laurie E. Locascio
Read the entire news release on the Department of Commerce website.
Originally published at https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2024/05/chips-america-announces-285-million-funding-opportunity-digital-twin-and-0
