Google Makes Deal with US to Develop Chips for Researchers

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) signed a collaborative R&D agreement with Google to develop chips for researchers. The chips the researchers use to develop new nanotechnology and semiconductor devices will be made by SkyWater Technology.

The Alphabet-owned company will cover the initial cost of setting up production and subsidize the first production run. The announcement comes shortly after the U.S. passed the Chip and Science Act, which aims to boost semiconductor research and manufacturing in the country.

The U.S. government agency has struck a deal with Google to develop and produce chips that researchers can use to develop new nanotechnology and semiconductor devices, according to a NIST blog post.

NIST will work with university research partners including the University of Michigan, University of Maryland, George Washington University, Brown University and Carnegie Mellon University to design the chip circuits. The chips will be manufactured by SkyWater Technology at its semiconductor foundry in Bloomington, Minnesota.

The search giant will cover the initial cost of setting up production and will subsidize the first production run.

“NIST expects to design as many as 40 different chips optimized for different applications. Because chip designs will be open source, researchers will be able to pursue new ideas without restriction and freely share data and device designs,” the Commerce Department said.

U.S. President Joe Biden recently signed an order implementing the 2022 CHIPS Act, which provides $52.7 billion (nearly Rs 421,000 crore) in subsidies to encourage the manufacture of semiconductors and research in the United States. It is also expected to enhance the country’s competitiveness against China’s technological development.

September 14, 2022