The Biden administration will offer approximately $300 million in CHIPS and Science Act funding for research and development projects related to semiconductor packaging, the Department of Commerce announced on Wednesday.
The announcement marks the third funding opportunity from Biden’s CHIPS for America program and is the first to concentrate specifically on packaging and technology R&D efforts.
Funded projects are expected to include a variety of applications to improve chip packaging, such as basic and applied research, substrate and demonstration device development and production, commercial viability and domestic manufacturing, integrated workforce training and pilot-level substrate production, the notice stated.
The projects will further develop multiple technologies ranging from semiconductor-based to glass and organics.
The announcement builds off of recent plans from the White House to improve domestic development of chip packaging, an integral technology behind producing more powerful semiconductors. In November, the Commerce Department rolled out $3 billion in funding for chip packaging manufacturing, also under the CHIPS and Science Act. The money will establish a National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program to fund new domestic projects in the sector.
The department is also doling out money for R&D. Earlier this month, the agency invested over $5 billion in semiconductor R&D efforts, including launching the previously announced National Semiconductor Technology Center and a national workforce center coming online this summer.
On Feb. 1, the CHIPS program also announced plans for a $300 million CHIPS R&D competition that aims to fund projects focused on advanced packaging substrates and materials. The funding will be awarded over the next five years, with individual grants of up to $100 million.
The Commerce Department is overseeing the rollout of $11 billion in semiconductor R&D funding, part of the $50 billion pot dedicated to strengthening the U.S. chip industry as a whole.
The department will provide a briefing with more details regarding the funding on March 1 at 3 p.m. ET.
