The Albany Nanotech Complex will serve as the national headquarters for research in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, a cutting-edge semiconductor technology. Schumer emphasized that this facility will house some of the world’s most advanced chip-making machinery, enabling collaboration between semiconductor researchers and their university counterparts.
In a recent phone interview, Schumer stated, “When you do high-level research, like what will be done here, and you can create the most advanced chips in the world, it ensures our military has an edge. It also provides our economy and our companies with state-of-the-art capabilities.”
The National Semiconductor Technology Center’s Extreme Ultraviolet Accelerator is set to begin operations next year. Its establishment stems from the 2022 CHIPS and Science Act, designed to create high-tech jobs and bolster U.S. competitiveness against international rivals such as China. The Biden administration aims for the U.S. to produce 20% of the world’s advanced chips.
This selection of the Albany lab also furthers Schumer and other officials’ long-term efforts to establish New York as a global hub for semiconductor research and manufacturing. Governor Kathy Hochul had previously announced funding partnerships with the semiconductor industry to support the creation of the EUV center.
In February, the Biden administration announced a $1.5 billion funding initiative to help GlobalFoundries expand its domestic production north of Albany and in Vermont. Furthermore, in April, a $6.1 billion agreement was made to support Micron Technology’s production of advanced memory chips near Syracuse, NY, and in Boise, Idaho.
Schumer remarked, “This is not only going to make New York the center for semiconductor research for America but for the world.”
As of now, the Commerce Department has yet to announce the locations of the other two national technology centers.
