[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 131 (Tuesday, July 9, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56308-56314]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-14980]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology


CHIPS National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) 
Advanced Packaging Research and Development

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Department of 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of intent (NOI).

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The CHIPS Research and Development Office (CHIPS R&D) intends 
to announce, via a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), an open 
competition for new research and development (R&D) activities to 
establish and accelerate domestic capacity for semiconductor advanced 
packaging. The purpose of this NOI is to offer preliminary information 
to potential applicants, facilitating the development of meaningful 
partnerships and strong, responsive proposals relevant to one or more 
of five R&D areas: Equipment, Tools, Processes, and Process 
Integration; Power Delivery and Thermal Management; Connector 
Technology, Including Photonics and Radio Frequency (RF); Chiplets 
Ecosystem; and Co-design/Electronic Design Automation (EDA). In 
addition to the R&D areas, the NOFO is expected to include a specific 
opportunity for prototype development in exemplar application areas 
such as high-performance computing and low-power systems needed for AI.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions may be directed via email to

[[Page 56309]]

[email protected] with ``2024-NIST-CHIPS-NAPMP-Advanced Packaging'' in 
the subject line, or via phone to Bill Burwell at 240-224-4335. All 
answers to questions, provided at the sole discretion of CHIPS R&D, 
will be posted on the CHIPS R&D website at https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-RD-funding-opportunities, with further information provided on 
this site once the open competition has been announced.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 
    Purpose. The CHIPS Research and Development Office (CHIPS R&D) 
intends to announce, via a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), an 
open competition for new research and development (R&D) activities to 
establish and accelerate domestic capacity for semiconductor advanced 
packaging. The technical focus and R&D goals of the NOFO are expected 
to be informed by recent industry roadmaps, which share the common 
theme that emerging applications like high performance computing and 
low power electronics, both needed for artificial intelligence (AI), 
require leap-ahead advances in microelectronics capabilities, including 
advanced packaging. Advanced packaging allows manufacturers to make 
improvements in performance and function and to shorten time to market. 
Additional benefits include a reduced physical footprint, lower power, 
increased chiplet reuse, and potentially decreased costs. Achieving 
these goals requires coordinated investments to support integrated R&D 
activities to establish leading-edge domestic capacity for 
semiconductor advanced packaging.
    In addition to the R&D areas, the NOFO is expected to include a 
specific opportunity for prototype development in exemplar application 
areas. These exemplar applications are likely to focus on areas such as 
high-performance computing and low-power systems needed for AI. 
Prototypes should be designed to demonstrate and validate research 
advances and new packaging flows resulting from projects supported 
through this NOFO.
    More information about the expected CHIPS R&D NAPMP Advanced 
Packaging Research and Development NOFO will be available on the CHIPS 
for Amercia website at https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-rd-funding-
opportunities.
    CHIPS R&D anticipates awarding a total of up to approximately 
$1,600,000,000 in cooperative agreements and other transaction 
agreements in amounts up to approximately $150,000,000 in federal funds 
per award. Multiple awards for projects varying in scope and funding 
amount are expected within this NOFO, with a period of performance of 
up to 5 years per award. While co-investment will not be required, 
CHIPS R&D will give preference to applications that demonstrate 
credible co-investment commitments. The purpose of this NOI is to offer 
preliminary information to potential applicants, facilitating the 
development of meaningful partnerships and strong, responsive proposals 
relevant to one or more of the R&D research and prototype \1\ 
development areas described below.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ The term ``prototype'' is used throughout to refer to a 
functional system produced through an end-to-end advanced packaging 
process flow for the purpose of demonstrating the characteristics of 
that flow and the prototype design, including packaging process 
characteristics such as process stability, yield, reliability, and 
defectivity; and prototype characteristics such as functionality, 
performance, power/energy consumption, and thermal dissipation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    CHIPS R&D Mission. The CHIPS and Science Act appropriated 
approximately $50 billion to the Department of Commerce--$39 billion in 
incentives to onshore semiconductor manufacturing and $11 billion to 
advance U.S. leadership in semiconductor R&D. Within CHIPS for America, 
the mission of CHIPS R&D is to accelerate the development and 
commercial deployment of foundational semiconductor technologies by 
establishing, connecting, and providing access to domestic research 
efforts, tools, resources, workers, and facilities.
    NAPMP Objectives. NAPMP, one of multiple CHIPS R&D initiatives, 
seeks to drive U.S. leadership in advanced packaging and provide the 
technology and skilled workforce needed for packaging manufacturing in 
the United States. Within a decade, NAPMP-funded activities, coupled 
with CHIPS manufacturing incentives, will establish a vibrant, self-
sustaining, profitable, domestic packaging industry where advanced node 
chips manufactured in the United States and abroad can be packaged in 
appropriate volumes within the United States and innovative designs and 
architectures are enabled through leading-edge packaging capabilities. 
In combination with other CHIPS for America education and workforce 
efforts, NAPMP-funded activities will also produce the diverse and 
capable workforce needed for the success of the domestic packaging 
sector.
    Advanced Packaging Research and Development NOFO Objective. The 
intended objective of the NOFO will be to enable, through R&D, 
innovative new advanced packaging flows suitable for adoption by U.S. 
industry. To pursue this objective, CHIPS R&D expects to design the 
NOFO with the following elements. First, the NOFO is expected to set 
out R&D areas to be supported in addressing key challenges and 
technology gaps in advanced packaging. Second, it is expected to 
provide for coordinated R&D efforts aligned through common technical 
targets so that results collectively contribute to composable and 
implementable advanced packaging flows. Finally, it is expected to 
provide for demonstrating the benefits of R&D results through a 
combination of prototypes and baseline packaging flows.
    Background. The technical focus and R&D goals of this NOFO are 
expected to be informed by a series of industry roadmaps, including the 
2024 IEEE Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap (https://eps.ieee.org/technology/heterogeneous-integration-roadmap/2024-edition.html) and 
International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (https://irds.ieee.org/editions), the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) 
Microelectronics Advanced Packaging Technologies Roadmap (https://srcmapt.org/); the UCLA and SEMI Manufacturing Roadmap for 
Heterogeneous Integration and Electronics Packaging (https://chips.ucla.edu/page/MRHIEPProject/MRHIEP Final Report); and the iNEMI 
5G/6G mmWave Materials and Electrical Test Technology Roadmap (https://www.inemi.org/article_content.asp?adminkey=cc22bf8eb1bfb8248c594509fe54dd9b&article=275). Collectively, these roadmaps emphasize that emerging technologies 
like high performance computing and artificial intelligence, advanced 
telecommunications, biomedical devices, and autonomous vehicles require 
leap-ahead advances in microelectronics capabilities.
    In the past, the semiconductor industry has largely addressed 
performance needs by increasing the number and density of transistors 
on a chip, a process known as miniaturization. However, the previous 
pace of miniaturization, as expressed by Moore's Law, is slowing and 
cannot alone provide the performance improvements needed for emerging 
microelectronics technologies. Improving all aspects of system 
performance to support the breadth of new semiconductor applications 
will require innovations in advanced packaging.
    Semiconductor packaging serves two general purposes. One is to 
protect the chip mechanically, thermally, and environmentally. The 
other is to enable reliable inter-chip communication and

[[Page 56310]]

data processing, power delivery, and a stable test and system 
integration platform. Advanced packaging and related capabilities, such 
as heterogeneous integration, are designed to increase all aspects of 
system performance by linking multi-component-assemblies with large 
numbers of interconnects to achieve a degree of integration that blurs 
the line between chip and package.
    Program Drivers: In designing proposals, applicants should consider 
in their planning activities the below five program drivers guiding the 
design of this NOFO.

1. Scale-down and Scale-out
2. Heterogeneous Integration, including Chiplets
3. End-to-End Advanced Packaging Flows
4. Prototypes for Demonstrating Functionality
5. Aligned R&D efforts for Implementable Advanced Packaging Flows

    These program drivers are aligned with the industry roadmaps 
referenced above and the objectives outlined in the Vision for the 
National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2023/11/19/NAPMP-Vision-Paper-20231120.pdf). The drivers are outlined below and are expected to be 
relevant to all R&D areas under this NOFO. Review, evaluation, and 
selection criteria for the NOFO are expected to include consideration 
of these drivers.
    The first program driver is the ability in advanced packaging to 
``scale-down and scale-out.'' Scaling-down refers to shrinking the size 
of the features on the package and increasing interconnect densities. 
Scaling out refers to increasing the number of chips assembled on the 
substrate and overall functional density in both 2-dimensional (2D) and 
3-dimensional (3D) architectures. Examples of scaling down goals and 
targets can be found in the MRHIEP roadmap (https://chips.ucla.edu/page/MRHIEP%20Project/MRHIEP%20Final%20Report). Applicants should 
consider in their planning activities interdisciplinary approaches that 
contribute to scaling-down and scaling-out in advanced packaging.
    The primary driver for advanced 2D and 3D packaging technologies is 
the need for increased interconnect densities to support [heterogeneous 
integration] and deliver increasing bandwidth in a power efficient 
manner while enabling efficient power delivery. NIEEE Heterogeneous 
Integration Roadmap 2024 (https://chips.ucla.edu/page/MRHIEP%20Project/MRHIEP%20Final%20Report).
    The second driver is advancing capabilities for heterogeneous 
integration (HI), including chiplets.\2\ This driver focuses on the 
NAPMP objective for ``creating an advanced packaging ecosystem based on 
heterogeneous chiplet technology to promote widespread and easy use of 
the technologies developed.'' \3\ Applicants should incorporate 
considerations for heterogeneous integration and chiplets-based 
architectures in their research planning.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \2\ The term ``chiplets'' refers throughout to the design of 
small, functionally targeted semiconductor chips that, when 
assembled at tight pitch and placement, result in a highly 
functional subsystem. Examples of chiplets in an ecosystem include 
common functions such as CPU, input/output devices, memory, domain-
specific accelerators, etc.
    \3\ The Vision for the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing 
Program (NAPMP Vision Paper, https://www.nist.gov/document/vision-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program), Nov. 2023.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Heterogeneous Integration is essential to maintain the pace of 
progress with higher performance, lower latency, smaller size, lighter 
weight, lower power requirement per function, and lower cost. IEEE 
Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap 2021 (https://eps.ieee.org/images/files/HIR_2021/ch01_overview.pdf).
    [T]he exponential growth in package pin counts and I/O power 
consumption, domain-specific architectures, technical and business 
models of [intellectual property] reuse, and mixed technology node 
chiplets will drive advances in HI and advanced packaging. SRC MAPT 
Roadmap (https://srcmapt.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SRC-MAPT-Roadmap-2023-v4.pdf).
    The third program driver is enabling end-to-end advanced packaging 
flows suitable for adoption by industry. This driver addresses the 
NAPMP objective to ``develop packaging platforms capable of both high-
volume and customized manufacturing.'' \3\ To address this driver, 
applicants should plan for implementing their research outputs in a 
full packaging flow.
    The CHIPS Research and Development Office has designed the NAPMP to 
include an Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility ([N]APPF) where 
successful development efforts will be transitioned and validated for 
scaled transition to U.S. manufacturing. NAPMP Vision Paper (https://www.nist.gov/document/vision-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program).
    The fourth driver is demonstrating functionality in prototypes to 
provide evidence for new capabilities, increased efficiencies, lowered 
production costs, reduced environmental impact, or other benefits 
resulting from research advances. This driver addresses the NAPMP 
objective to ``enable successful advanced packaging development efforts 
to be validated and transitioned at scale to U.S. manufacturing.'' \3\ 
NAPMP expects to support projects to design prototypes in application 
areas such as high-performance computing and artificial intelligence 
and low-power systems under the NOFO.
    The final driver is aligning R&D efforts so that R&D results are 
not isolated or incompatible, but instead collectively contribute to 
implementable advanced packaging flows. Successful applicants should 
expect to participate in coordination and information-sharing across 
projects in all R&D areas. The NOFO is expected to include provisions 
for coordination and cooperation activities connecting all of the R&D 
projects.
    Advanced Packaging Research and Development NOFO Objectives: 
Consistent with the research incentives areas identified in the NAPMP 
Vision Paper (https://www.nist.gov/document/vision-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program), the NOFO is expected to focus on 
proposals in one or more of five R&D areas with the potential to 
strategically enhance domestic advanced packaging capabilities through 
innovation in:
    1. Equipment, Tools, Processes, and Process Integration;
    2. Power Delivery and Thermal Management;
    3. Connector Technology, Including Photonics and Radio Frequency 
(RF);
    4. Chiplets Ecosystem; and/or
    5. Co-design/Electronic Design Automation (EDA).
    Within these areas, CHIPS R&D intends to fund R&D activities that 
establish and promote relevant domestic capability and capacity, with 
the following objectives:
    1. Accelerate domestic R&D and innovation in advanced packaging;
    2. Transition advanced packaging innovation into U.S. 
manufacturing, such that these technologies are available to U.S. 
manufacturers and customers, including to significantly benefit U.S. 
economic and national security;
    3. Support the establishment of a robust, sustainable, domestic 
capacity for advanced packaging R&D, prototyping, commercialization, 
and manufacturing; and

[[Page 56311]]

    4. Promote a pipeline of skilled and diverse workers for a 
sustainable domestic advanced packaging industry.
    To ensure that funded R&D meets the above objectives, CHIPS R&D 
expects to specify technical targets for applicants to achieve within 
each of the five R&D areas described below. Individual proposals may 
address one or more of the R&D areas. Note that these R&D areas are 
aligned with the relevant research investment areas set out in the 
NAPMP Vision Paper (https://www.nist.gov/document/vision-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program).
    R&D Area 1: Equipment, tools, processes, and process integration: 
This R&D area is expected to include developing: (1) end-to-end 
packaging flows that enable a chiplet-based advanced packaging 
architecture suitable for commercial adoption; (2) advanced, flexible, 
extensible process technologies required to produce a packaged 
subassembly; and (3) new packaging equipment needed to run the 
packaging processes and to handle the required substrates, wafers and 
dies, all at the scaled down dimensions set out in the previous NAPMP 
Materials and Substrates NOFO, located at https://www.nist.gov/document/nofo-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program-napmp-materials-substrates (see Table 2, page 14) and designed for use at 
commercial scale.
    R&D in this area is expected to focus on five packaging process 
clusters, with a cluster defined as a sequence of steps that enable a 
key part of the packaging flow. The five process clusters expected to 
be relevant to this NOFO are:
    1. Chiplet Singulation: Producing singulated chiplets from incoming 
wafers that are fully patterned with dies, for subsequent assembly.
    2. Chiplet to Substrate Bonding: Positioning and attaching chiplets 
with ultra-fine-pitch bonding pads to substrates, in dense arrays with 
close chiplet-to-chiplet spacing. This includes bonding techniques 
designed to improve bond quality, positioning precision, process 
flexibility, process efficiency, and overall cluster efficiency. 
Examples include thermal compression bonding, fusion bonding, hybrid 
bonding, multi-step sequences, and other methods.
    3. Chiplet Reconstitution: Placing and attaching singulated 
chiplets on a carrier. Reconstitution should be compatible with the 
scaled down dimensions set out in the previous NAPMP Materials and 
Substrates NOFO, located at https://www.nist.gov/document/nofo-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program-napmp-materials-substrates (see table 2, page 14).
    4. 3-Dimensional Integration (3DI): Forming heterogeneous chiplet 
stacks with ultra-fine bonding pad pitches.
    5. Finishing: Incorporating advanced power delivery, passivation, 
thermal management, and connectors, including photonics, into the 
packaged device.
    NAPMP expects that proposals within this R&D area may address one 
or more of these clusters, including the relevant equipment, tools, and 
processes. The NOFO is expected to call for comprehensive R&D 
approaches that encompass interactions between steps and step 
sequencing within each cluster. The NOFO is also expected to include 
proposals addressing cluster assembly, i.e., sequencing of multiple 
clusters for end-to-end packaging process flows suitable for use in 
advanced packaging of prototypes. Note that the specific processes and 
sequence of steps within each cluster are expected to be driven by the 
requirements of the prototype to be packaged.
    R&D Area 2: Power delivery and thermal management: The expected 
focus of this R&D area is to address the challenges introduced by 
advanced packaging in terms of power delivery, power efficiency, and 
thermal management.
    Examples of the associated research challenges expected to be 
considered in this R&D area include the following.
    1. New thermal solutions--for implementation with advanced 
substrates, 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI), and other design 
aspects--to reduce hotspots, maintain thermal targets, and enable 
reliability in multilayer stacks without constraining connectivity.
    2. Innovative approaches for delivering power at high density with 
efficient voltage regulators and dynamic power management schemes for 
3DHI devices, including modular designs and devices for use with a 
variety of chiplets.
    3. Validated, higher fidelity models and accelerated learning using 
artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) to accurately 
predict power and thermal distribution across chiplet stacks and enable 
advanced system design and evaluation.
    4. Integrated power and thermal management to reach efficiency and 
power density goals with modular designs for use with fine-pitch, 
bonded stacks of chiplets.
    It is expected that proposals within this area may consider related 
research challenges within other R&D areas, such as Co-design/
Electronic Design Automation and Chiplets Ecosystem. Expected to be in 
scope are vertical heat extraction, local heat spreading, advanced 
methods for active and passive cooling of 3DHI devices to reliably 
operate at higher power density, wide bandgap chiplets for 3DHI, and 
advanced materials and architectures to achieve specific thermal and 
power goals such as low-resistance thermal interfaces. Expected to be 
out of scope are discrete packaged wide bandgap devices and 
conventional cooling approaches.
    R&D Area 3: Connector Technology, Including Photonics and RF: The 
expected goal for this R&D area is innovation for high data-rate, low 
latency, small footprint, error-free, and energy-efficient connections 
between packaged sub-assemblies. It is expected that the intended sub-
assemblies will be chiplet populated substrates where the substrates 
have the characteristics set out in Section 1.5 of the NAPMP Materials 
and Substrates NOFO, located at https://www.nist.gov/document/nofo-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program-napmp-materials-substrates.
    NAPMP expects that, depending on the distance between the packaged 
assemblies, the mode of data transfer may be via flexible wire, such as 
serializer/deserializer (SerDes) with or without repeaters; wireless, 
including RF; or low-loss photonics via optical fiber arrays. It is 
also expected that projects may address one or more of these modes of 
data transfer. RF transceivers and optical engines are expected to be 
provided using chiplet-based technology or embedded directly into the 
advanced substrates. Potential applicants are encouraged to focus on 
new scale-down and scale-out technologies for connections that enable 
secure communications and provide for mechanical, electrical, and 
thermal reliability.
    It is expected that chiplet sub-assemblies to substrate connectors 
will be in scope for this R&D area. Expected to be out of scope are 
traditional ball grid array (BGA) or land grid array (LGA) connectors 
and conventional wire bonding.
    R&D Area 4: Chiplets Ecosystem: This R&D area is expected to focus 
on developing a comprehensive set of novel technologies for chiplet 
ecosystems that leverage advanced packaging to enable application-
specific integrated packages that go beyond the capabilities of 
conventional monolithic ASICs (application-specific integrated 
circuits). It is expected that chiplets in an application-specific 
integrated package will need to communicate and operate together. For 
this NOI, the term

[[Page 56312]]

``chiplet ecosystem'' is used to refer to: (1) a set of chiplets that 
can be used to form application-specific integrated packages and (2) 
the set of requirements new chiplets have to follow to be added to the 
ecosystem. Consistent with this definition, chiplets in an ecosystem 
can be combined in multiple ways to form diverse products.
    It is expected that successful proposals should develop a chiplet 
ecosystem that meets as many of the following goals as is possible.
     The ecosystem provides for increasing performance over 
time by continually leveraging the tighter bond pitch and more intimate 
interaction that will be made possible by fine-pitch packaging, 
starting at a bond pitch of ~10 microns.
     The ecosystem enables designs that consist of a discrete 
number of chiplets, include support for 3D stacks, and are based on a 
chiplet integration layer specification that is not adequately 
addressed in current open systems and reduces the cost of adding new 
chiplets.
     System performance in the ecosystem can be increased by 
increasing the number of chiplets. For example, a high-performance 
chiplet ecosystem can be scaled up by increasing the number of chiplets 
rather than by developing new larger chiplets. This scaling up strategy 
enables going from a multi-chiplet device design comparable to a 
monolithic ASIC to a ``rack `n' pack'' device (i.e., an application-
specific integrated package comparable to a wafer-scale processor).
     The ecosystem enables designers to address all supported 
design requirements with provisions to accommodate yield loss in 
packaging assembly and optimize power and energy to meet performance 
requirements with the available system resources.
    It is expected that proposals should be centered around exemplar 
applications in the areas of high-performance computing/AI, and low-
power applications. It is expected that the NOFO will require 
applicants to plan for making chiplets resulting from funded project 
research available for purchase at cost in prototype quantities and in 
wafer form for research use at the National Advanced Packaging Piloting 
Facility (NAPPF).
    It is expected that, in addition to ecosystem development, chiplets 
for packaging process development that support any of the other five 
R&D areas will be in scope. Memory is also expected to be in scope but 
must be at fine bond pitch consistent with NAPMP scale-down goals (see 
Section 1.5 of the NAPMP Materials and Substrates NOFO, located at 
https://www.nist.gov/document/nofo-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program-napmp-materials-substrates).
    Expected to be out of scope for this R&D area are: designs that are 
extensions of conventional approaches based on commodity packaging and 
that do not directly leverage advanced packaging in their architecture; 
designs tightly coupled to the choice of an SoC-bus (system-on-chip 
bus) or other high-level protocols; or standalone chiplet designs for 
any function not coupled to a chiplet ecosystem. Also expected to be 
out of scope are ecosystem design proposals that: focus on unmodified 
reuse of existing chiplets; target the development of new chiplets to 
integrate existing chiplets into new architectures; do not leverage 
advanced packaging; or do not provide for the delivery of chiplets and 
application-specific integrated packages.
    R&D Area 5: Co-design/Electronic Design Automation: The expected 
focus of this R&D area is co-design with automated tools of multi-
chiplet subsystems for advanced packaging in scaled-down and scaled-out 
designs (see NAPMP Materials and Substrates NOFO Table 2, page 14 for 
insights into relevant dimensions and capabilities, located at https://www.nist.gov/document/nofo-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program-napmp-materials-substrates). This includes innovations in EDA 
interoperability; EDA-enabled incorporation and co-optimization of 
chiplets of different sizes in a large platform design including 
logical electrical, photonic, thermal, and mechanical models; and 
advances in seamless integration of the chip to package. Additional 
areas could include the use of artificial intelligence/machine learning 
(AI/ML) in package design and design approaches for test, repair, 
security, and reliability including graceful failure through designs 
that enable continued operation at a reduced performance level after 
failure of one or more components. Applicants should address 
comprehensive co-design capabilities that include a detailed 
understanding of the substrate and processes used for assembly, 
including power and thermal management, and connector solutions. It is 
expected that EDA that addresses purely monolithic applications without 
consideration of chiplets, heterogeneity and the multi-scale, multi-
physics packaging environment will be out of scope for this R&D area.
    Prototype Development: In addition to the five R&D areas listed 
above, the NOFO is expected to include opportunities for prototype 
development in exemplar application areas such as high-performance 
computing and artificial intelligence, and low-power systems 
applications. The goal in prototype development is to establish new 
advanced packaging flows that leverage the technologies being developed 
across the five R&D areas. Functionality will be a requirement, and 
prototypes should be designed to provide a means for assessing relevant 
packaging characteristics such as yield and preliminary reliability.
    Commercial Viability and Domestic Production: In accordance with 15 
U.S.C. 4656(g), the NOFO will include requirements for a commercial 
viability and domestic production plan (https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2024/03/12/CHIPS%20R%26D%20Commercial%20Viability%20and%20 
Domestic%20Production%20CVDP%20Plan%20Guidebook.pdf), describing 
activities to be funded as part of the proposed project and, 
potentially, additional commercialization activities beyond the period 
of performance. The CVDP plan must include a realistic business model 
for the funded innovations, include a technology transition plan, and 
describe pathways to benefitting national and economic security, such 
as through the domestic availability of the technology and successful 
adoption by commercial or defense partners.
    Education and Workforce Development: The NOFO is expected to 
include requirements for an education and workforce development plan, 
(https://www.nist.gov/system/files/documents/2024/06/17/CHIPS%20RD%20Education%20and%20Workforce%20Development%20Plan%20Guidebook-508C.pdf), that leverages capabilities supported through the proposed 
project to address domestic advanced packaging workforce needs, 
including educational opportunities arising from engaging students in 
research. NAPMP encourages applicants to, in providing an Education and 
Workforce Development (EWD) plan, describe any efforts to attract and 
retain a diverse student and trainee population and to demonstrate that 
the EWD efforts are worker centered, industry-aligned, and promote good 
jobs with working conditions consistent with the Good Jobs Principles 
(https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles), published by the 
Department and the U.S. Department of Labor.
    National Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility: The CHIPS Research 
and Development Office has designed the NAPMP to include a NAPPF, where

[[Page 56313]]

successful research and development efforts will be implemented and 
validated for suitability for volume-scaled manufacturing. The specific 
tools and capabilities of the NAPPF will be aligned with the ``scale 
down and scale out'' strategy described in the NAPMP Vision Paper 
(https://www.nist.gov/document/vision-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program). Additional details regarding the NAPPF will be 
posted to the CHIPS for America website (https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-RD-funding-opportunities) as they are announced.
    Where applicable, proposers responding to the NOFO are expected to 
be asked to implement their research outputs in the NAPPF once 
established. NAPMP program managers will work with applicants in the 
post-award phase to facilitate work with the NAPPF.
    Technical Targets: Each R&D area is expected to include technical 
targets selected by CHIPS R&D for their potential to guide innovation 
toward the scale-down and scale-out goals of the program. Applicants 
should review the previous NAPMP Materials and Substrates NOFO, located 
at https://www.nist.gov/document/nofo-national-advanced-packaging-manufacturing-program-napmp-materials-substrates, which provides 
detailed insights into the NAPMP ``scale down and scale out'' targets. 
Sections 1.4.3, Technical Areas, and 1.5, Project-level Technical 
Targets, provide detailed information about substrate materials and 
technical targets.
    Eligible Use of Funds. Funded activities are expected to include, 
but not necessarily be limited to, basic and applied research, 
development of relevant advanced packaging manufacturing-scale 
equipment and processes, the design and demonstration of prototypes, 
commercial viability and domestic manufacturing preparation, workforce 
education and training, and pilot-level fabrication.
    Eligibility. CHIPS R&D expects eligible lead applicants and 
subrecipients will include for-profit organizations; non-profit 
organizations; accredited institutions of higher education, including 
community and technical colleges and minority serving institutions; and 
state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments. Entities that 
operate Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs) may 
be eligible to receive this funding as subrecipients to an eligible 
applicant to the extent allowed by law, based on the unique and 
specific needs of the project. It is expected that the NOFO will 
require that applicants must be domestic entities, meaning entities 
incorporated in the United States (including U.S. territories) with 
their principal place of business in the United States, including U.S. 
territories, and will potentially be subject to other eligibility 
requirements.
    Subrecipients are those who are designated by the lead applicant as 
subrecipients, included in the proposed budget, and whose activities 
are a continuing part of ongoing project activities with their work 
tailored to specific project goals, such as research and development 
activities, education and workforce activities, and other integral 
project efforts. Vendors selling goods and services to award recipients 
in the ordinary course of business are not considered subrecipients.
    It is expected that foreign organizations may be permitted to 
participate as members of a project team, as sub-subrecipients or 
contractors, subject to CHIPS R&D approval based on a written 
justification that the foreign partner's involvement is essential to 
advancing program objectives, among other considerations.
    R&D Collaboration: CHIPS R&D expects that applicants assembling 
teams (i.e., with a lead applicant from industry or academia and one or 
more subrecipients) may be best suited to collectively provide the full 
range of expertise and capabilities needed to achieve the program 
objectives and to successfully strengthen U.S. advanced packaging 
innovation. Equally important, effective partnerships can promote 
inventiveness, clarify future demand, improve transparency and 
security, solidify business and domestic manufacturing plans (including 
plans for technology adoption by defense and commercial partners), help 
educate the future workforce, mitigate the risk of future chip 
shortages or oversupply, and support a more productive, efficient, and 
self-sustaining semiconductor ecosystem.
    CHIPS R&D therefore strongly encourages applications from teams 
that demonstrate collaboration across the innovation, manufacturing, 
supply chain, and customer landscape, as well as across the industry, 
non-profit, and academic sectors. Applications that do not include 
teams may be required to include a justification for the proposed 
single-entity approach.
    Application Process and Award Information. The envisioned 
application process consists of a mandatory concept paper and a 
required full application. CHIPS R&D anticipates a due date for concept 
papers of approximately 60 days after the date of NOFO publication. 
Full applications would only be accepted from applicants invited to 
apply after the concept paper stage. Submissions from entities other 
than those specifically invited to submit a full application would not 
be reviewed or considered in any way.
    CHIPS R&D expects to host a webinar series after this NOI is 
released to provide additional opportunities to learn about the Notice 
of Intent. Details regarding the time and date of webinar events will 
be posted on the CHIPS R&D website at https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-RD-funding-opportunities. Participation in webinars is not a 
prerequisite for submitting a concept paper or application.
    Additionally, to provide the public with an opportunity to learn 
more about the NOFO, CHIPS R&D expects to host a Proposers Day after 
the NOFO is released to familiarize potential applicants with the NOFO 
objectives and program structure. CHIPS R&D will announce details 
regarding the date and location of Proposers Day via the CHIPS R&D 
website at https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-RD-funding-opportunities. 
Attendance is not a prerequisite for submitting a concept paper or 
application.
    Competition Information. Once the open competition has been 
announced, further information may be found at https://www.nist.gov/chips/chips-RD-funding-opportunities.
    System for Award Management. In anticipation of the NOFO, CHIPS R&D 
encourages potential applicants to complete the following steps, which 
are required to submit concept papers and full applications for Federal 
assistance:
     Register with the System for Award Management (SAM) at 
https://www.sam.gov. CHIPS R&D strongly encourages applicants to 
register for SAM.gov as early as possible. While this process 
ordinarily takes between three days and two weeks, in some 
circumstances it can take six or more weeks to complete due to 
information verification requirements. Recipients will be required to 
maintain an active registration in SAM and re-validate registration 
annually.
     Register for a Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov/) 
account. It is advisable also to go to ``manage subscriptions'' on 
Grants.gov and sign up to receive automatic updates when amendments to 
a funding opportunity are posted.
    Disclaimer. This NOI does not constitute a solicitation. No 
applications may be submitted in response to this NOI. Any 
inconsistency between information within this Notice and the eventual 
NOFO announcing CHIPS R&D/NAPMP Advanced Packaging awards competition 
shall be resolved in favor of the NOFO.

[[Page 56314]]

    Authority. DOC CHIPS activities are authorized by Title XCIX--
Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America of 
the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2021 (Pub. L. 116-283, often referred to as the CHIPS Act).

Alicia Chambers,
NIST Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2024-14980 Filed 7-8-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P