The University of Florida is poised to lead a significant regional hub as part of a groundbreaking $285 million national initiative designed to advance the United States' semiconductor industry through cutting-edge digital twin technology. This ambitious project is led by Volker Sorger, Ph.D., the Walden and Paula Rhines Endowed Professor of Semiconductor Photonics at UF, who will manage the Florida/Caribbean hub of the SMART USA Institute.
Orchestrated by the Semiconductor Research Corporation, the institute aims to leverage digital twins to enhance, streamline, and innovate semiconductor manufacturing processes. Digital twins are sophisticated virtual models that mirror the structure, context, and behavior of their physical counterparts. In semiconductor chip production, these digital replicas allow for the simulation and optimization of production processes, enabling the testing of new designs and manufacturing techniques without the need for physical prototypes. This approach not only conserves time and resources but also accelerates technological innovation.
The Role of the SMART USA Institute
The SMART USA Institute emerged as a winner in the Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute competition, which seeks to create a nationwide network of researchers dedicated to strengthening domestic semiconductor chip manufacturing. The institute's headquarters will be based in North Carolina.
David Arnold, Ph.D., acting director of the Florida Semiconductor Institute and the George Kirkland Professor of Engineering at UF, stated, “This is a signature R&D program of the CHIPS Act of 2022.” He highlighted that UF's semiconductor expertise, combined with advanced AI capabilities and the HiPerGator supercomputer, formed a compelling foundation for driving significant advancements in semiconductor technology.
With support from the Florida legislature, UF will lead the Florida/Caribbean Digital Innovations Semiconductor Center, backed by approximately $20 million in funding. Sorger will also serve as the deputy chief digital officer of SMART USA.
UF's Strategic Initiatives and Collaborations
As the leader of one of the seven national centers, UF will oversee regional R&D initiatives, facilitate the commercialization of new technologies, and spearhead workforce development programs. Sorger emphasized the importance of utilizing UF’s strengths in artificial intelligence and its access to the HiPerGator supercomputer to develop faster and more cost-effective methods for enhancing chip manufacturing.
“Creating chips is extremely expensive and making improvements can take years,” Sorger explained. The vision for the SMART USA Institute is to transform the semiconductor industry by creating virtual counterparts of the manufacturing process, allowing companies to test and refine designs before physical production. This strategy reduces errors, accelerates production, and results in more efficient chips, effectively establishing a new industry sector through a ‘Twin-Store’ marketplace - an unprecedented initiative both in the U.S. and globally.
Consortium and Industry Impact
The SMART USA consortium currently comprises over 140 organizations, including large corporations, small and medium-sized businesses, national labs, government entities, trade organizations, and academic institutions. A ceremony to announce the award to SMART USA was held on November 19 at the Semiconductor Research Corporation’s headquarters in North Carolina.
The CHIPS for America program, part of the CHIPS Act, allocates over $50 billion to bolster U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research, and supply chains, with the goal of strengthening the domestic semiconductor industry and reducing reliance on foreign suppliers.
Early collaborators with UF in the Florida/Caribbean hub include strategic industry partners such as NVIDIA, NHanced Semiconductor, BRIDG, and Synopsys, along with academic institutions like Florida International University, the University of Central Florida, and the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez.