The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Lincoln Laboratory are involved in four microelectronics proposals that have been selected for funding by the Northeast Microelectronics Coalition (NEMC) Hub. This funding is part of the Microelectronics Commons, a $2 billion initiative under the CHIPS and Science Act aimed at bolstering U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing and innovation. These regional awards are among 33 projects announced as part of a $269 million federal investment.
Officials from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the White House announced the awards during an event on September 18, hosted by the NEMC Hub at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. The NEMC Hub, a division of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, leads a network of over 200 member organizations across the region to facilitate the transition of critical microelectronics technologies from the lab to the factory for the DoD. The NEMC Hub is one of eight regional hubs forming a national chip network under the Microelectronics Commons, managed through the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division and the National Security Technology Accelerator (NSTXL).
« The $38 million in projects awarded to the NEMC Hub is a recognition of the capability, capacity, and commitment of our members, » said Mark Halfman, director of the NEMC Hub. « We have a tremendous opportunity to develop lab-to-fab microelectronics capabilities in the Northeast region and drive the growth of groundbreaking technologies. »
« We are very excited that Lincoln Laboratory is a central element of the dynamic ecosystem that has formed within the Microelectronics Commons program, » said Mark Gouker, associate head of the laboratory’s Advanced Technology Division and representative on the NEMC Hub advisory group. « We have established strong connections with academia, startups, DoD contractors, and commercial sector companies through collaborations with our technical staff and by offering our microelectronics fabrication infrastructure to assist in these projects. We believe this closer ecosystem will be important for future Microelectronics Commons programs as well as other CHIPS and Science Act programs. »
The nearly $38 million award to the NEMC Hub is expected to support six collaborative projects, four of which will involve MIT and/or Lincoln Laboratory.
« These projects promise significant advancements in advanced microelectronics technologies, » said Ian A. Waitz, vice president for research at MIT. « We look forward to working alongside industry and government organizations within the NEMC Hub to strengthen microelectronics innovation, workforce, and education in the U.S., as well as lab-to-fab translation. »
The funded projects support key technology areas identified in the federal call for proposals. MIT campus researchers will participate in a project advancing commercial technologies, titled « Advancing DoD High Power Systems: Transition of High Al% AlGaN from Lab to Fab, » and another in the 5G/6G domain, called « Wideband, Scalable MIMO Networks for NextG Systems: From Antennas to Decoders. »
Lincoln Laboratory and campus researchers will contribute to a quantum technology project called « Community-Driven Hybrid Integrated Quantum Photonic Circuits (CHIQPI). »
Lincoln Laboratory researchers will also participate in the project « Wideband Same-Frequency STAR Array Platform Based on Heterogeneous Multi-Domain Self-Interference Cancellation. »
This funding follows a $7.7 million grant awarded earlier this year to MIT from the NEMC Hub, alongside an agreement between MIT and Applied Materials to add advanced nanofabrication equipment and capabilities to MIT.nano.
The funding also supports the construction of the Compound Semiconductor Laboratory – Microsystems Integration Facility (CSL-MIF) at Lincoln Laboratory. The CSL-MIF will complement the existing Microelectronics Laboratory at Lincoln Laboratory, which has been the U.S. government’s most advanced silicon-based research and fabrication facility for decades. Once completed in 2028, the CSL-MIF is expected to play a crucial role in the broader CHIPS and Science Act ecosystem.
« Lincoln Laboratory has a long history of developing advanced microelectronics to enable critical national security systems, » said Melissa Choi, director of Lincoln Laboratory. « We are excited to embark on these awarded projects, leveraging our microelectronics facilities and partnering with other hub members to be at the forefront of U.S. microelectronics innovation. »
Officials speaking at the September 18 event emphasized the national security and economic imperatives of building a strong microelectronics workforce and innovation network.
« The Microelectronics Commons is a key element of the CHIPS and Science Act’s whole-of-government approach to strengthening the U.S. microelectronics ecosystem and ensuring sustained technical leadership in this critical sector, » said Dev Shenoy, principal director for microelectronics in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering. « I believe in the incredible impact this work will have on the U.S. economy, defense, and the American people. »
« The secret sauce that has made the United States the world’s leading innovator over the past 100 years has been the coming together of the U.S. government and public sector, along with the private sector and collaboration with academia and research, » said Amos Hochstein, special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security at the U.S. Department of State. « This is what has allowed us to be at the forefront of innovation and technology, and this is what we need to do again. »
