The National Science Foundation (NSF) and Semiconductor Research have joined forces to finance $20 million for 12 nanoelectronics research grants, each grant period being four years.
The 12 interdisciplinary research teams from 24 participating universities in the United States will focus on developing a novel switching mechanism utilizing innovations of nanoelectronics as a substitute for existing transistors.
The Nanoelectronics Research Initiative (NRI) Director of Semiconductor Research, Jeff Welser stated that the quest for novel semiconductor equipment that will make the US a leading market for nanoelectronics, depends discoveries made at these sophisticated universities.
Dr. Lawrence Goldberg, who serves as Senior Engineering Advisor for NSF, stated that the Nanoelectronics for 2020 and Beyond (NEB) competition is part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Signature Initiative with an objective to gear up the development and application of innovative nanofabrication methods and unique concepts to manufacture advanced materials, systems, devices and architectures to upgrade the nanoelectronics field. The 12 NSF-NRI joint grants extend and reinforce this public-private partnership program’s commitment.
Companies including Texas Instruments, Micron Technology, Intel, IBM and GLOBALFOUNDRIES, are participating in NRI. These firms appoint researchers to cooperate with the university teams.
NSF Divisions, including the Division of Computing and Communications Foundations in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering, the Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems in the Directorate for Engineering and the Division of Chemistry and the Division of Materials Research in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences, are participating in the NEB competition.
Source: http://www.src.org