University of Florida to lead hub for $285 million semiconductor research institute
The University of Florida will lead one of seven regional hubs of a new, $285 million nationwide institute dedicated to advancing America’s semiconductor industry through next-generation simulations known as digital twins.
Volker Sorger, Ph.D., the Walden and Paula Rhines Endowed Professor of Semiconductor Photonics in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UF, will direct the Florida/Caribbean hub of the SMART USA Institute. Led by the Semiconductor Research Corporation, the institute is focused on creating and using digital twins to advance, accelerate, and optimize manufacturing in the semiconductor industry.
Digital twins are virtual models that mimic the structure, context, and behavior of a physical counterpart. In semiconductor chip manufacturing, a digital twin can provide a replica of a production line that simulates and optimizes processes, allowing researchers to test new designs and manufacturing techniques without having to build them first. The process results in significant savings in time and money and speeds innovation.
The SMART USA Institute is the winner of the Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute competition, which sought to create a new, nationwide network of researchers to support domestic manufacturing of semiconductor chips. The institute will be headquartered in North Carolina.
“This is a signature R&D program of the CHIPS Act of 2022” said David Arnold, Ph.D., acting director of the Florida Semiconductor Institute and the George Kirkland Professor of Engineering at UF. “Combining UF's semiconductor expertise with cutting-edge AI capabilities and the power of HiPerGator provided a winning recipe that will allow our region to drive groundbreaking advancements in semiconductor technology and meet the growing demands of the industry.”
The winning proposal was supported by funding provided by the Florida legislature. In collaboration with the Florida Semiconductor Institute, UF will lead the Florida/Caribbean Digital Innovations Semiconductor Center and will receive roughly $20 million in funding. Sorger will also serve as the deputy chief digital officer of SMART USA.
“As the leader of one of seven national centers, UF will oversee regional research and development initiatives, facilitate the commercialization of new technologies, and drive workforce development programs,” Sorger said.
The project will leverage UF’s strengths in artificial intelligence and its unique access to UF’s HiPerGator, one of the nation’s most powerful supercomputers, to develop faster and less-costly approaches to improve chip manufacturing.
“Creating chips is extremely expensive and making improvements can take years,” Sorger said. “The vision for the SMART USA Institute is to boost the semiconductor industry by establishing a new system where we are creating virtual copies of the manufacturing process, allowing companies to test and improve designs before making physical chips. This helps reduce errors, speeds up production, and leads to better, more efficient chips. In essence, we are creating an entire new industry sector via a ‘Twin-Store’ marketplace – the first in the U.S. and in the world.”
The SMART USA consortium comprises more than 140 organizations at this initial stage, including large corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, national labs, government entities, trade organizations, and academic institutions.
A ceremony announcing the award to SMART USA was held Tuesday, Nov. 19, at the Semiconductor Research Corporation’s headquarters in North Carolina. The CHIPS for America program was created as part of the CHIPS Act, which provides over $50 billion to strengthen U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research, and supply chains. It is part of an effort to strengthen the domestic semiconductor industry and reduce dependency on foreign suppliers.
Early contributors with UF in the Florida/Caribbean hub include strategic industry partners such as NVIDIA, NHanced Semiconductor, BRIDG, and Synopsys, as well as Florida International University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez.