On April 9, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) released a request for information for S&T Microelectronics (RFI 21-03). Responses are due by 10:59 p.m. Eastern on May 27.
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) is seeking information on novel ideas for strengthening the U.S. national security innovation base through the commercial development of tools used in the domestic manufacturing of secure microelectronics.
The manufacturing of state-of-the-art (SOTA) microelectronics—particularly secure microelectronics that can be trusted for use in defense and intelligence applications—is widely acknowledged as an area of strategic technological importance for the U.S. Government and the broader national interests. The U.S. national security community requires the means to fabricate or procure secure microelectronics in a manner that assures supply chain integrity and protects intellectual property and proprietary designs.
Consistent with the recently released National Strategy for Critical and Emerging Technologies, the ODNI seeks new mechanisms to promote the development of technologies within the domestic semiconductor manufacturing industry, advance U.S. competitiveness, and ensure the national security community’s access to SOTA secure microelectronics. Additional goals of a future ODNI-led effort would be to promote the development of new technologies with the potential to increase the security of microelectronic manufacturing while reducing cost.
The ODNI seeks responses outlining new approaches to ensure national security requirements related to speed, scale, and security of domestic microelectronics manufacturing processes can be met. The focus of this RFI is on the tooling used in the manufacturing of secure microelectronics, i.e., design, fabrication, packaging, assembly, testing of integrated circuits, and inspection. Responses related to securing the entire microelectronics production line or any of the above supporting tooling areas are welcome. Responses should be limited to these areas and not include other aspects of the process such as the development of new chip designs. Although individuals and all types of organizations are welcome to respond, information on approaches for meeting the ODNI’s goals are particularly solicited from the below categories:
- Venture capital firms with expertise in investing in startup companies that specialize in tooling used in the manufacturing of microelectronics; and
- Financial firms who specialize in the development of long-term investment strategies in critical and emerging technologies, specifically semiconductor technology.
Responses should, where appropriate, also include information regarding the rough order of magnitude cost associated with the proposed idea, as well as any other types of government furnished equipment or information required to fully execute the approach.
Full information is available here.
Source: SAM
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