HP is set to benefit from funding under the CHIPS and Science Act, with the Department of Commerce announcing up to $50m in funding for the technology firm to support the development and commercialisation of semiconductor technologies.
If approved, the funding will be used to expand and modernise HP’s microfluidics semiconductor fab in Corvallis, Oregon. The site is part of the company’s lab-to-fab ecosystem and is home to several research and development (R&D) activities.
Enrique Lores, President and CEO of HP, says that microfluidics could drive changes across industries to pave the way for the next generation of innovation in life sciences and technology.
“The proposed investment provides HP with an opportunity to modernise and expand our facility to further invest in our microfluidics technology, which is the study of behaviour and control of fluid on a microscopic scale.”
HP first entered the semiconductor market in 1962 with the formation of HP Associates, which focused on developing semiconductor technology for its own products. Since then, the company has grown to focus on semiconductors for additional uses too.
To support extended semiconductor R&D, HP has donated a 25-year lease of a portion of its Corvallis campus to Oregon State University. The site has incubated 39 different companies, including 20 that spun out from OSU faculty and students.
The Corvallis campus provides resources and tools for startups and entrepreneurs to build products locally and provides an opportunity for companies to grow and reinvest in the domestic ecosystem.
Revitalising domestic manufacturing
President Biden signed the CHIPS and Science Act into law in August 2022 as part of the Investing in America agenda and to usher in a new era of semiconductor manufacturing in the US to revitalise the supply chain.
Read more: President Biden signs $52bn CHIPS Act into law
Under Secretary of Commerce for Standards and Technology and National Institute of Standards and Technology Director Laurie Locascio, said it is imperative that the US curates and grows the domestic semiconductor ecosystem.
“The opportunity that companies such as HP have to push our industry further than we’ve ever gone before is inspiring, motivating and an incredible moment to be a part of.”
So far this year, the US government has named several companies that will benefit from the CHIPS and Science Act funding. Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Samsung, GlobalFoundaries, and Texas Instruments are among the mix.
Read more: Biden-Harris Administration launches first CHIPS Act funding opportunity
Read more: Texas Instruments to receive up to $1.6bn in CHIPS Act funding
The role of specialty gases in semiconductor manufacturing
Specialty gases are often thought of as the lifeblood of the electronics industry and the beating heart of semiconductor manufacturing. These gases, including those used in creating silicon for chips, are directly linked to the advancement of current technology. Remarkably, a single wafer – a thin slice of semiconductor material crucial for integrated circuits – can comprise up to one thousand chips.
Semiconductor manufacture may use up to 30 different gases in all the various processes, including gases such as helium, nitrogen, and argon, which are used to create an inert atmosphere, flush chambers at the end of a process, or before cleaning.
Other specialty gases such as hydrogen, ammonia, and chlorine, in addition to less common examples like hexafluoroethane, octafluorocyclobutane and germane, are used in the etching and deposition processes.
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