CBS 17: NC State receives funding for semiconductor electronics research

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — NC State University is getting new funding from the White House and Department of Defense to further semiconductor electronics research.

Thursday the White House Science and Technology Director, Department of Defense and others gathered at NC State’s Alumni Center to announce $19 million in funding four additional projects for the Commercial Leap Ahead for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors (CLAWS) Microelectronics Hub.

The projects were selected from more than 100 proposals and aim to improve the performance of transistors and switches used in important civilian and military technologies, as well as to increase U.S. economic competitiveness and national security with translational pathways to commercialization.

The hub is one of eight established by the Biden Administration’s Chips and Science Act.

“Wide bandgap semiconductors have been invented here in North Carolina. You see that in companies like Wolfspeed, Kyma Technologies, Adroit Materials so it’s got a great base and great start to do interesting technologies,” said John Muth, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at NC State.

The goal of the Chips and Science Act is to increase production and manufacturing of advanced semiconductors here in the United States.  Currently Taiwan tops the list as the largest producer of advanced semiconductors.

“Right here at NC State, with this work that they’re doing, a particular class of wide band gap semi-conductors, these are the devices that we need for advanced radar and power electronics. Our military needs them but we need them for our clean energy future as well and this area’s got just such a tremendous track record in this technology…this is about the next generation,” said Arati Prabhakar, White House Science and Technology Director.

The White House says the U.S. produces only about 10% of the global supply of semi-conductor chips. They hope with programs like these they can increase production over the next decade. You can learn more about the “Leap Ahead” projects here.