UC Davis will be part of a new $285 million national institute dedicated to advancing U.S. semiconductor research and manufacturing.
The new institute, known as SMART USA (Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins USA), will develop, validate, and develop digital twins to improve the nation’s semiconductor design, manufacturing, advanced packaging, assembly, and test processes. Use.
A digital twin is a virtual model that replicates a physical object, such as a chip or a complex machine.
SMART USA will join an existing network of 17 research institutes aimed at increasing the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturing and promoting a robust research and development infrastructure.
SJ Ben Yoo, Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, along with Anh-Vu Pham, Omeed Momeni, Avesta Sasan, Houman Homayoun, and Saif Islam, who are also professors in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will be joining SMART USA in California. He will lead the University of Davis. .
“This is a significant development in the country’s semiconductor manufacturing and research ecosystem,” Yu said. “UC Davis’ strengths in multidisciplinary research collaborations and strong collaborations with community colleges and K-12 institutions in the greater Sacramento area will accelerate talent development, and our partnership with semiconductor research companies and campus-based With your support, we will be able to launch this exciting research institute.”
This project will leverage UC Davis’ strengths in photonics. Radio frequency, millimeter wave and terahertz wave technology;Microelectronics and artificial intelligence. and a unique collaborative infrastructure with industry, academia, and national laboratories covering research and workforce development.
Creating a digital twin
Led by Semiconductor Research Corporation, SMART USA is dedicated to the creation and use of digital twins to advance, accelerate and optimize manufacturing in the semiconductor industry. Specifically, the UC Davis division of the new institute will focus on digital twins in photonic, electronic, analog, digital, and radiofrequency/millimeter wave/terahertz wave semiconductor manufacturing for AI and numerous applications.
In semiconductor chip manufacturing, digital twins provide a replica of a production line to simulate and optimize processes, allowing researchers to test new designs and manufacturing techniques without having to build them first. This process saves significant time and money and accelerates innovation.
SMART USA Institute is the winner of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute competition. The competition aimed to build a new national network of researchers to support domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. The Institute’s headquarters will be located in North Carolina.
“This partnership exemplifies the power of the public and private sectors to work together to ensure America’s technological leadership and national security,” said Simon Atkinson, vice chancellor for research at the University of California, Davis. Ta. “We are proud to be part of such a great network and look forward to seeing the impact of this significant investment.”
The winning proposal was supported by cost-share funding provided by the University of California, Davis and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, totaling approximately $1 million over the five-year project period. At this early stage, the SMART USA Consortium is comprised of more than 150 organizations, including large corporations, small businesses, national laboratories, government agencies, industry associations, and academic institutions.
The ceremony announcing the award to SMART USA was held on Tuesday, November 19, at Semiconductor Research Corporation’s headquarters in North Carolina. The CHIPS for America program was created as part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 and provides more than $50 billion to strengthen U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research, and supply chains. This is part of efforts to strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry and reduce dependence on overseas suppliers.
