Foundry (TBD)

This forecast from the Department of Commerce Office of the Director aims to address critical deficiencies in US semiconductor manufacturing, specifically regarding the poor yield, reproducibility, and outdated measurement techniques used by chip makers. The initiative focuses on establishing a robust framework for the development and verification of high-frequency transistor models to overcome current performance limitations and modeling inaccuracies. The proposed technical approach includes the implementation of new on-wafer standards and calibration, precision noise measurements for quality assurance, and enhanced characterization methods. By creating optimal models tailored to specific technologies and verifying them across frequencies using key performance indicators, the project seeks to modernize the production and verification of advanced transistors. The work is expected to be performed in Boulder, Colorado.