UMD Receives $2M NSF Grant for Advancement of Semiconductor Technology and Workforce Training

A $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) has been awarded to three researchers at the University of Maryland (UMD) to pioneer new sustainable semiconductor technologies and cultivate a diverse workforce for the future of this crucial industry. The grant is part of the NSF's Future of Semiconductors (FuSe) program, and UMD is among the 47 institutions selected to participate in this nationwide initiative. 

The project was inspired by the global microchip shortage that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent realization of the U.S.'s dependency on international supply lines for this vital hardware, which are at risk due to political and natural disasters. The awarded researchers from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) and the Institute for Research in Electronics and Applied Physics (IREAP) aim to discover new materials for high-performance, energy-efficient, and sustainable semiconductors. They will use machine learning to predict unexplored 'phase change materials' (PCM) that can be synthesized, tested, and integrated into electronic and photonic computational devices. Assistant Professor Carlos A. Ríos Ocampo is leading this three-year project in collaboration with Associate Professor Yifei Mo, Professor Ichiro Takeuchi, and researchers from Howard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the University of Washington. The project will tackle two main challenges: creating new materials optimized for photonic devices, which use light rather than electricity, and solving signal drift, which affects the stability of memory components and computing precision. The research team will develop new materials based on combinations of five or more elements to address these challenges. 

 The project also includes a provision for providing practical experience to students from communities underrepresented in the semiconductor industry, contributing to the development of its future leaders. The FuSe program aligns with the national $52 billion CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, signed into law by President Joe Biden. The initiative aims to enhance domestic technological capacity and production, a topic discussed during Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo's visit to UMD last October.