The Albany NanoTech Complex hosted the kickoff meeting in September for a new pilot program connecting the U.S. microelectronics industry with resources at Brookhaven National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Funded by the DOE Office of Science, the program aims to accelerate development of advanced semiconductor chips by giving manufacturers access to equipment and expertise.
“This pilot program will explore avenues for bolstering U.S. technological leadership in the semiconductor industry,” said DOE Associate Director of Science for Basic Energy Sciences Bindu Nair. The collaboration will focus on lithography and metrology to advance materials characterization and semiconductor patterning.
NY Creates and DOE Labs Launch Microelectronics Pilot Program
The Albany NanoTech Complex hosted a kickoff meeting in September to announce the pilot program. NY Creates, operating the complex, intends to actively co-develop and execute research alongside industry, accelerating the transition of experimental findings into practical applications, the company says. Brookhaven and Berkeley Labs will provide access to instruments that address challenges in EUV lithography, a key technology for creating increasingly dense and powerful chips.
Berkeley Lab’s contributions include expertise in chemical and materials science, scientific computing and its Center for X-ray Optics, which has a decades-long history of progress in EUV lithography. “The challenges posed by EUV lithography demand breakthroughs in nanoscale patterning science and leading-edge fabrication and characterization tools, and harnessing advanced computing models,” said a representative from Berkeley Lab.
Brookhaven’s National Synchrotron Light Source II (NSLS-II) will also play a role, building on existing collaborations with NY Creates to conduct studies of advanced semiconductor technologies using high-resolution X-ray beamlines. This pilot program aims to lower barriers for industry to use the national laboratories, streamlining access to equipment and encouraging collaborative experimentation.
Dave Anderson, Creates president and CEO, emphasized the program’s potential to establish a unique domestic research and development environment. “Collaboration among the Laboratories and Creates, while leveraging direct connections to an ecosystem of leading industrial partners, our High NA EUV Lithography Center, and team of experts, will provide a unique domestic R&D environment to support this pilot program and the development of EUV lithography capabilities as well as a domestic production base for novel microelectronics devices,” Anderson stated.
The initiative will focus on translating industry challenges related to materials and manufacturing processes into opportunities for joint exploration and development. The Office of Science is funding the program, recognizing the strategic and economic importance of bolstering U.S. competitiveness in microelectronics. The program’s structure is designed to raise awareness of the User Facilities among industry users, establish workflows for efficient experimentation and data analysis, and address pre-competitive challenges in partnership with semiconductor companies, tool manufacturers and materials specialists.
Brookhaven Lab Director John Hill highlighted the existing strong working relationship between his lab and NY Creates, noting prior use of NSLS-II beamlines for studies of advanced semiconductor technologies. The pilot program is not simply about providing access to equipment. It is about supporting a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates innovation and strengthens the U.S. microelectronics supply chain.
By connecting industry directly with the expertise and resources of the national laboratories, the program seeks to bridge the gap between fundamental research and commercial production, ultimately driving the development of the next generation of semiconductor chips for critical technologies. This coordinated effort is intended to ensure the U.S. maintains a leading position in this rapidly evolving field.
Brookhaven National Laboratory has already established a strong working relationship with NY Creates, which has leveraged high resolution X-ray beamlines at NSLS-II to conduct unique studies for the most advanced semiconductor technologies.
John Hill, Brookhaven Lab Director
High NA EUV Lithography Drives Advanced Semiconductor Research
This strategic location, operated by NY Creates, provides access to both established low numerical aperture EUV capabilities and, imminently, high NA EUV lithography, positioning it as a vital hub for chip development. The facility’s existing infrastructure and expertise will facilitate engagement with industry and support the program’s focus on advancing EUV lithography techniques. The program’s focus on high NA EUV lithography is particularly significant, as this technology promises to increase the resolution of EUV lithography, enabling the creation of smaller and more efficient chips.
This advancement is important for continuing Moore’s Law, the observation that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years. The initiative aims to translate industrial challenges into new approaches for materials characterization and semiconductor patterning through workshops and technical exchanges, supporting a dynamic environment for innovation. remains a leader in microelectronics research and manufacturing, driving economic growth and national security.
Collaboration among the DOE Laboratories and Creates, while leveraging direct connections to an ecosystem of leading industrial partners, our High NA EUV Lithography Center, and team of experts, will provide a unique domestic R&D environment to support this pilot program and the development of next-generation EUV lithography capabilities as well as a domestic production base for novel microelectronics devices.
Dave Anderson, Creates president and CEO
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