42 U.S.C. § 19331 — Microelectronics research for energy innovation

(a) Definitions. This subsection defines terms used in the section. "Center" means a Microelectronics Science Research Center created under subsection (d). "Department" means the Department of Energy. "Director" means the Director of the Office of Science. "Historically Black college or university" and "Tribal College or University" borrow meanings from other education laws, as does "Institution of higher education." "Microelectronics" covers a long list of related technologies: semiconductors and related materials, processing chemistries, design technologies, fabrication technologies, lithography technologies, packaging technologies, sensors, devices, integrated circuits, processors, computing architecture, modeling and simulation, software tools, and any other related technology. "Minority-serving institution" covers Hispanic-serving, Alaska Native-serving, Native Hawaiian-serving, Predominantly Black, Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving, and Native American-serving nontribal institutions, each defined in other education laws. "National Laboratory," "skilled technical workforce," and "work-based learning" borrow meanings from other laws. "Program" means the program set up under subsection (c)(1). "Secretary" means the Secretary of Energy. (b) Findings. Congress finds that the slowing of "Moore's Law" (the historic pace of computer chip improvement) creates big technology challenges and chances for the U.S., affecting national security, the economy, and science; that future progress in microelectronics, and keeping a strong U.S. supply chain, needs coordinated advances in materials science, device technology, processing and packaging, manufacturing, chip and system design, and software, all developed together; that National Laboratories have unique expertise and facilities essential to solving foundational research problems and moving research results into industry; and that this expertise will let the Department drive advances needed for its missions and for U.S. competitiveness, including in high-performance computing, new data-centric and energy-efficient computing, optical sensors and wireless networks, and power electronics. (c) Microelectronics research program. The Secretary must run a research, development, and demonstration program on microelectronics tied to the Department's missions, to speed up research for next-generation microelectronics and keep the U.S. globally competitive. The Secretary must give financial assistance to eligible entities for research projects in foundational science areas — materials, chemical, and plasma science; new microelectronics devices including emerging memory and storage; diverse computing architectures like analog and edge computing; data-driven modeling and simulation; integrated sensing, power harvesting, and communications; component integration; photonic integration and packaging; and codesign frameworks for all stages of microelectronics work — plus cybersecurity built into chip design, using advanced simulation and AI for design and discovery, fabrication and processing science and metrology (working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology), improving system-level energy efficiency of computing and the power grid, improving the durability of radiation-hardened electronics, enhancing security of devices and packaging for severe environments and national security, improving the lifetime, maintenance, recycling, and sustainability of microelectronics (coordinated with other Department efforts), and better domestic processing methods for microelectronics materials and parts. Eligible entities are colleges and universities (including historically Black colleges, Tribal Colleges, and minority-serving institutions), nonprofit research organizations, state research agencies, National Laboratories, private companies, partnerships of two or more of these, or any other entity the Secretary approves. Within 30 days of giving financial assistance, the Secretary must notify Congress, explaining the selection criteria, how those criteria fit the program's purpose, and what research project the money will fund. Working with the Director of the Office of Technology Transitions and consulting the private sector, the Secretary must support research and transfer of microelectronics technology to industry and identify what research and development industry and government need for U.S. economic competitiveness. The Secretary must support workforce development through internships, fellowships, individual grants, and other tools, and — consulting the National Science Foundation as needed — must run education and outreach to teach students at every level, from elementary school through graduate school, about microelectronics, including hands-on, project-based learning. The Secretary must recruit applicants and participants from all parts of the country, especially from underserved communities and groups historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and math, and must coordinate across all relevant Department programs and offices and with other federal agencies' microelectronics research, manufacturing, and supply-chain-security work, including specific programs named in a separate law. Within 180 days of August 9, 2022, the Secretary must send Congress a report describing the program's goals, priorities, and expected results. Congress may fund this program: $75,000,000 for 2023; $100,000,000 for 2024; $100,000,000 for 2025; $100,000,000 for 2026; and $100,000,000 for 2027. (d) Microelectronics Science Research Centers. Subject to available funding, the Director must set up no more than 4 Microelectronics Science Research Centers, each made up of one or more eligible entities, to do mission-driven research on the basic challenges of designing, developing, testing, prototyping, and building microelectronics, and to move research results into industry. A Center can include a National Laboratory, a college or university (including historically Black colleges, Tribal Colleges, and minority-serving institutions), a private company, a research center, a partnership of two or more of these, or any other entity the Secretary approves. Each Center must do research, development, and demonstration work to: speed up new microelectronics science and technology (materials, devices, circuits, systems, architectures, fabrication tools, processes, diagnostics, modeling, synthesis, and metrology, working with the National Institute of Standards and Technology); make new microelectronics more sustainable and energy-efficient; use application-driven design and prototyping to move ideas from the lab to fabrication; build knowledge and lab skills in surface and materials science, plasma science, and computational methods, including AI and advanced supercomputing; create technology testbeds for testing new capabilities and sharing ideas and facilities; support cybersecurity for computing systems that is safe, secure, and adaptable; and support both short-term and long-term workforce development. The Director must issue a request for proposals from eligible entities wanting to become a Center, and must pick them through a competitive, merit-based process. Each Center runs for up to 5 years, and can be renewed for up to 5 more years on a merit-reviewed basis if it's operated 5 years or less; for up to 5 more years on a competitive, merit-reviewed basis if it's operated between 5 and 10 years; and for up to 5 more years on a merit-reviewed basis if it's operated between 10 and 15 years. The Director may shut down an underperforming Center during its operating period. The Director, working with the Director of the Office of Technology Transitions, must try to partner with industry groups to move Center research results into use. The Secretary must set up a network to coordinate cross-cutting research and communication among the Centers, and must make sure each Center's work doesn't needlessly duplicate other Department research entities (like the Nanoscale Science Research Centers, National Quantum Information Science Research Centers, Energy Frontier Research Centers, Energy Innovation Hubs, and National Laboratories, and other Department offices), the National Semiconductor Technology Center, colleges and universities, industry, and other federal agencies' related research. Each Center must support workforce development by including undergraduates, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, early-career researchers, and K-12 students (through things like dual enrollment and work-based learning); hands-on research and equipment training; technical training and certificates for the skilled technical workforce; connecting academic, industry, and lab researchers; and public outreach, including project-based learning for students at every level. The Director must recruit and engage participants from all parts of the country, especially underserved communities and underrepresented groups in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Secretary must make sure that intellectual property and value the Centers create stay within the United States. A "covered determination" means deciding to create a Center, renew its support, or terminate it; within 30 days of making such a decision, the Secretary must notify Congress, explaining the criteria used and how they fit the program's purpose. Subject to available appropriations, the Secretary may spend up to $25,000,000 to fund each Center for each year from 2023 through 2027.