Multi-Million Dollar University-Based &nResearch Program Underway

Staff -- Semiconductor International, 9/1/1998

T he U.S. semiconductor industry and the federal government have formed a new microelectronics Focus Center Research Program targeting the most challenging technological problems the industry will face in the future. The Focus Center Research Program is negotiating with university consortia led by the University of California at Berkeley and the Georgia Institute of Technology over multi-million-dollar research and development contracts that will study new methodologies in designing, testing and connecting microchip components.

Upon the successful review of the first two centers, the industry plans to establish four additional focus centers nationwide, which will lead the research efforts of a multi-university network. Funds for the focus centers and participating universities will provide salaries for students and faculty, along with equipment and upgraded facilities.

The program is the most ambitious research project the U.S. semiconductor industry has undertaken since 1987 when it formed SEMATECH, a consortium of U.S. chip manufacturers created to establish U.S. leadership in manufacturing and process technology.

"The semiconductor industry faces many technical challenges that need to be addressed if we are to maintain the rate of progress that has been the hallmark of our industry," said Dr. Craig R. Barrett, president and CEO of Intel Corp. and the head of the Semiconductor Industry Association's (SIA) Technology Committee. "The focus center program is designed to create a nationwide multi-university network of research centers that will help keep the United States and U.S. semiconductor firms at the front of the global microelectronics revolution. This program will help keep our country, economy and industry strong."

Funding for the future research awards will come from member companies of SIA; SEMI/SEMATECH, a consortium of U.S. semiconductor suppliers and the Department of Defense, represented by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA).

"By helping to ensure the progress of the $70-billion per year U.S. microchip industry, the Focus Center Research Program makes an important investment in the future of the U.S. economy," said George Scalise, SIA president.

"The increasing cost and complexity of research and development in integrated circuit design and manufacturing has grown beyond the capabilities of any single company to address," said Larry W. Sumney, president and CEO of the Semiconductor Research Corp. (SRC), based in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

A new subsidiary of SRC, the Microelectronics Advanced Research Corp. (MARCO) will manage the Focus Center Research Program on behalf of industry program participants. Researchers at the focus centers will generate ideas for

technology solutions. Then the government and member companies of SRC, SEMATECH, SEMI/SEMATECH and SIA will play a critical and complementary role in bringing appropriate ideas to successful commercialization.

"Increasingly, new processes and technologies are coming to semiconductor manufacturers through their suppliers," said Dr. Paul S. Peercy, president of SEMI/SEMATECH. "The program gives the U.S. suppliers the opportunity to interact closely with leading U.S. research universities to develop advanced technologies."