The U.S. government has issued a funding opportunity to establish and operate a CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute focused on digital twins for the semiconductor industry.
The CHIPS for America Program will allot about $285 million for the institute that will focus on development, validation and use of digital twins for chip manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly and test processors.
Digital twins allow for collaborative design and processor development from engineers and researchers across the country. By existing in the cloud, digital twins offer new opportunities for participation, speeding innovation and reducing costs of R&D.
Additionally, digital twin research uses emerging technology like artificial intelligence to accelerate chip development and manufacturing concepts. The goal is to improve capacity planning, production optimization, facility upgrades and real-time process adjustments.
Funding activities will include:
- Operational activities to run the institute
- Basic and applied research for digital twins
- Establishing and supporting share physical and digital facilities
- Demonstration projects
- Digital twin workforce training
“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 Gina Raimondo, U.S. Secretary of Commerce. “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.”
