The US Department of Energy announces $ 54 million to increase energy efficiency in microelectronic technologies

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WASHINGTON, DC The United States Department of Energy (DOE) today announced nearly $ 54 million for 10 new projects led by the DOE National Laboratories to increase energy efficiency in microelectronics design and manufacturing. Microelectronics is critical to nearly all modern technologies, including smartphones, medical equipment, power plants, power grids, and automobiles. Advanced microelectronics has the potential to provide innovative solutions to clean energy, climate and homeland security challenges.

Thanks to microelectronics, technologies that once engulfed entire buildings are now in the hands of four hands and are now supporting climate solutions in electricity, transportation and renewable energy, said Secretary of Energy Jennifer M. Granholm. , increase US competitiveness and lead climate action and innovation.

The miniaturization of microelectronic devices has spawned a digital revolution in recent decades, resulting in smaller and more powerful devices, such as phones and computers, which have improved practicality and advanced scientific advancement and innovation. That continuing reduction, commonly known as Moore’s Law, is now facing technological and economic hurdles. As the devices have shrunk in size, the energy required for their production has not been reduced at the same rate. Significant investments in R&D are now needed to increase energy efficiency and create more sustainable technology systems that can take the field into the future.

The projects announced today, led by several groups of DOE National Lab researchers and experts from academia and industry, will aim to increase energy efficiency and functionality, spurring innovation in the United States as a basis for future development and manufacturing. of home technology. These projects are co-design microelectronics projects, involving a multidisciplinary collaboration that takes into account the interdependencies between materials, physics, architectures and software.

Projects will explore:

New Computing Architectures Based on Human Brain Design Ultra Low Power Electronics Low Temperature, Nanoscale and Quantum Sensors

The projects were selected based on a peer review within the DOE National Laboratory Announcement Microelectronics Co-Design Research. Total funding is $ 54 million for projects lasting up to three years, with $ 18 million in dollars in fiscal year 2021 and funding for the following year conditional on Congressional appropriations. A list of awards can be found here.

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