The Biden-Harris Administration announced a significant investment of up to $100 million to accelerate research and development in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for sustainable semiconductor materials. This initiative, led by the U.S. Department of Commerce, is part of the administration’s broader effort to strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry while addressing environmental sustainability.
The investment, made through the CHIPS for America program, focuses on the development of AI-powered autonomous experimentation (AI/AE) to create sustainable semiconductor materials and manufacturing processes. This technology is seen as crucial to ensuring that U.S. semiconductor production remains competitive while meeting growing environmental demands.
The initiative highlights the use of AI to expedite the development of semiconductor materials, a process that traditionally takes years and is resource-intensive. The goal is to create sustainable materials that meet industry needs and can be implemented within the next five years, helping the U.S. semiconductor industry flourish in the face of climate challenges.
“Right now, new semiconductor materials often take years to be production-ready and are incredibly resource-intensive. If we’re going to quickly build up America’s semiconductor manufacturing base, in a way that’s sustainable over the long term in the face of increasing threats from the climate crisis, we need to leverage AI,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo.
AI/AE is expected to revolutionize materials research and development by combining AI with automated synthesis and characterization tools. These systems accelerate the design and testing of new materials, providing rapid feedback on experimental results. This approach reduces the time and resources needed to bring new materials to market, while enabling federated research across multiple locations.
Arati Prabhakar, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, emphasized the transformative potential of AI in this space: “Using AI to accelerate the extensive, intricate work of developing sustainable materials for this incredibly complicated product is a great example of American ingenuity.”
CHIPS for America is positioned to facilitate collaboration between universities, industry, government agencies, and research institutions. The program aims to foster partnerships that will drive innovation in sustainable semiconductor manufacturing while ensuring that the U.S. remains competitive on a global scale.
The new funding opportunity is expected to prioritize university-led collaborations, with a focus on including emerging research institutions. By doing so, the program hopes to expand the talent pool in semiconductor research and development and strengthen the U.S. semiconductor workforce.
Laurie E. Locascio, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), highlighted the unique opportunity presented by this initiative: “This CHIPS for America funding opportunity will help bring about sustainable manufacturing processes and materials to meet increasing demands for sustainability and safe working environments in perhaps as few as five years.”
Need Help?
With every day comes a new AI regulation or bill, and you might have questions and concerns about how it will impact you. Don’t hesitate to reach out to BABL AI. Their Audit Experts are ready to provide valuable assistance.
