Core Chip R&D Issues to Be Probed by Partnership

Staff -- Semiconductor International, 2/1/1999

Leading semiconductor companies working with the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA, San Jose, Calif.), 14 top universities and the U.S. government have come together to form a research network to conduct projects considered critical to U.S. technology industry growth. The network will lead to the creation of six national Focus Centers that, when fully funded, will sustain $60 million per year in new research activities. Over a 10-year period, the program is expected to channel over $600 million into the nation's research universities.

Contracts for the first two centers have been awarded to a network of universities from seven states, headed by the University of California at Berkeley and the Georgia Institute of Technology. The UC Berkeley consortium will undertake projects on design and test issues. The Georgia Tech consortium will pursue research on interconnect technology. Both initial centers will investigate technological challenges identified in the National technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (NTRS).

The design and test research will consider software programs used to create chips, as well as the testing of semiconductor components.

Funding will come from SIA member companies, SEMI/SEMATECH and the Department of Defense. Following a review of the first two centers, four additional focus centers may be added to the network by 2005. The Focus Center program will provide new monies for faculty and student salaries, equipment and upgrading university research facilities. Industry funds will offset recent federal cutbacks in technology research spending.

The Focus Center program will be managed by DARPA and the Microelectronics Advanced Research Corp.

Focus Center researchers will investigate technology solutions for issues that are eight to 10 years in the future. Whenever positive results are obtained, DARPA representatives and participating funding semiconductor companies will work with the research teams to bring these into the marketplace.