Semiconductor manufacturing recently received what the industry hopes to be a big boost, as the Biden administration recently announced it would put $285m towards supporting manufacturing using digital twin technology. The CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute marks the first Manufacturing USA institute launched by the Biden administration, and joins a network of 17 Manufacturing USA institutes.
As a consequence of the Covid pandemic, the global chip shortage that spanned over a three-year period, bolstering resilience and strengthening supply chains has become a major focus for many countries who don’t want a repeat. The CHIPS and Science Act, the US answer, was signed into law in 2022 and this new manufacturing institute dips into this funding.
Startups Magazine reported that there are opportunities for UK companies within the semiconductor industry to grow and expand as Taiwan, which currently dominates many parts of global chip design and manufacturing, is facing challenges such as constrained energy supply, talent outflow and competition.
Digital twins refer to a digital representation of an object or system, designed to accurately reflect it. Digital twins have a rich number of applications including in aerospace, to enable teams to visualise and interact with CAD models; automotive, where new design concepts are tested before built and can be used to predict how vehicles will perform in different environments; and manufacturing, to improve the speed of products’ time-to-market.
In the world of semiconductor manufacturing more specifically, the CHIPS for America Program is focused on developing, validating and using digital twins for semiconductor manufacturing, packaging, assembly and test processes.
In an announcement about the funding by the U.S. Department of Commerce, they explained that using digital twin technology facilitates “collaborative design and process development by engineers and researchers across the country” as well as leverage emerging technologies like artificial intelligence to accelerate the design of new chip development and manufacturing concepts.
“Digital twin technology can help to spark innovation in research, development, and manufacturing of semiconductors across the country – but only if we invest in America’s understanding and ability of this new technology,” said Gina Raimondo, Secretary of Commerce at the time of the announcement. “This new Manufacturing USA institute will not only help to make America a leader in developing this new technology for the semiconductor industry, it will also help train the next generation of American workers and researchers to use digital twins for future advances in R&D and production of chips.”
“Digital twin technology will help transform the semiconductor industry,” added Director Laurie E. Locascio, Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). “This historic investment in the CHIPS Manufacturing USA institute will help unite the semiconductor industry to unlock the enormous potential of digital twin technology for breakthrough discoveries.”
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