Site selection process for first three CHIPS R&D facilities revealed

The U.S. Department of Commerce and Natcast, the operator of the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), recently announced the site selection process for the first three CHIPS for America Research and Development (R&D) facilities for the NSTC and National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP). The goal of these facilities, as outlined here, is to allow U.S. innovators to collaborate and solve the most challenging problems in microelectronics. Due to the different timelines and technical requirements, there will be a separate site selection process for each facility, while still including an integrated assessment of all the factors considered in each selection process.

The first facility is the NSTC Administrative and Design Facility, which will serve as the location for key operations of the NSTC, including hosting Natcast administrative functions, meeting space, and programmatic activities. ​This facility is expected to be in a region with a thriving semiconductor design ecosystem, an existing semiconductor workforce, and proximity to universities with advanced microelectronics research. The selection process for this facility will be run by Natcast with support from a site selection firm. Natcast seeks to lease a facility and be operational in 2025.

The second facility is the NSTC Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) Center, which will provide NSTC members with access to EUV technology for research and commercialization purposes. ​According
to Natcast, there are many technologies being developed in advanced logic or memory
technology today that can only be evaluated using EUV lithography tools. Due to the high cost of purchasing and maintaining such EUV tools, Natcast plans to obtain access through an agreement with an existing facility that meets the program requirements. The selection process for this facility will be managed by Natcast in partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, with a goal of being operational in 2026.

The third facility is the NSTC Prototyping and NAPMP Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility, which will combine manufacturing and packaging prototyping with next-generation technology development. ​It is expected to be operational in 2028. Site selection for this facility will be a multi-phase site process, initially focused on identifying semiconductor ecosystems and followed by a site-specific search. According to Natcast, selecting an already existing semiconductor ecosystem for this facility will ensure that both the NSTC and NAPMP programs can attract the companies and workforce necessary to achieve the goal of providing 300mm research, prototyping, and packaging capabilities in a single, financially sustainable location.

 State economic development organizations (EDOs) were required to submit answers to an Ecosystem Questionnaire to identify semiconductor ecosystems potentially capable of supporting the NSTC Prototyping and NAPMP Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility. The questionnaire launched on July 16, with responses due by July 22 (a PDF of the questionnaire is available here). Only states that completed the Ecosystem Questionnaire will be considered for the facility. Important criteria include factors such as industry presence, availability of workers, advanced microelectronics education and research, workforce development, investment, and state/territory support. ​ States and territories selected for the next phase of the process will be asked to provide information about specific proposed sites for the facility. This information will include details about the real estate and existing infrastructure, costs, operating environment, the level of non-federal support, proposed partnerships with firms and universities in the region, and any unique attributes of the existing ecosystem that will be of benefit to the facility.

​The Department of Commerce and Natcast expect additional facility capabilities to be identified and prioritized as the NSTC continues to mature. ​For more information about the three facilities, visit the Natcast website. A webinar discussing the CHIPS for America R&D facilities model and process is available here.