Energy Awards $54 Million in Microelectronics Grants

The Department of Energy has awarded $54 million in grant money to ten microelectronics projects led by its national laboratories.

Announced Wednesday, the funding is geared toward research efforts that could increase energy efficiency and functionality of microelectronics and subsequently stimulate innovation nationwide. The funding further aims to push microelectronics through challenges the technology faces keeping pace with Moore’s Law—the continued shrinking of microelectronics and processing devices—as energy usage required to make continually smaller devices has not decreased at the same rate.

“Thanks to microelectronics, technologies that used to swallow entire buildings now fit in the palms of our hands—and now they are supporting climate solutions in electricity, transportation, and renewable energy,” Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. “DOE’s world-class scientists are stepping up to reduce the carbon footprint of micro technologies used by billions of people around the world to secure our clean energy future, increase American competitiveness, and lead on climate action and innovation.”

The projects make up research efforts in three areas: new materials, chemistry, synthesis and fabrication; new computing paradigms and architectures; and integrated sensing, edge computing and communications. These projects include efforts in new computing architectures based on human brain design, ultra-low power electronics and low-temperature, nanoscale and quantum sensors.