America wants its chips back—and Sandia National Laboratories just became one of its most powerful allies in the race to reclaim semiconductor dominance.
Key Points at a Glance
- Sandia becomes the first national lab to join the U.S. National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC)
- Supports the CHIPS and Science Act mission to revive U.S. chip manufacturing
- Focus on developing advanced chiplets and high-reliability semiconductor products
- Sandia will help train the future semiconductor workforce and share its advanced facilities
- Target: restore over 25% of global chip capacity to the U.S. by 2032
America’s microchip comeback just got a powerful boost. Sandia National Laboratories—long a heavyweight in national security science—is now at the heart of the effort to reboot U.S. semiconductor manufacturing. By joining the U.S. National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC), Sandia becomes the first national lab to officially enter this historic initiative.
For decades, the United States led the world in chip production. But while it fabricated more than a third of all chips in the 1990s, today that figure has plunged to just 12%. The most advanced chips—powering AI, smartphones, self-driving cars—are now made entirely overseas.
“The CHIPS Act has brought the band back together,” said Mary Monson, senior manager of Technology Partnerships at Sandia. “This isn’t just a tech initiative—it’s a national imperative. And Sandia is showing how public-private-academic collaboration can move the needle.”
At the center of Sandia’s contributions is MESA, its cutting-edge Microsystems Engineering, Science and Applications facility. With decades of experience in high-reliability chip fabrication and secure national security tech, Sandia is uniquely positioned to shape the future of advanced chiplets—miniature building blocks of powerful processors.
Chiplets, which communicate with each other at blazing speeds with minimal energy loss, are already used in commercial AI processors. The U.S. is investing $3 billion under the CHIPS Act to build a robust packaging ecosystem around this modular chip approach, and Sandia is expected to play a leading role in making it accessible for national security and small tech companies alike.
“This is about strengthening America’s capabilities and speed,” said Rick McCormick, Sandia’s senior scientist for semiconductor strategy. “We’re not just catching up—we’re innovating faster, smarter, and more collaboratively.”
Beyond technology, the people behind the silicon matter. The U.S. will need up to 70,000 more semiconductor workers in the coming decade, according to industry forecasts. Sandia aims to help fill that gap by training STEM students and funneling new talent into a sector that’s become as strategic as energy or defense.
Sandia is opening its doors—literally—to other NSTC members, offering access to its top-tier facilities to accelerate innovation. This includes its high-security cleanrooms and MESA’s infrastructure for producing microsystems with unmatched reliability.
It’s a bold move, but a necessary one. From pandemic-era car shortages to geopolitical chip races, the vulnerabilities of outsourcing critical technologies have never been clearer.
“This is about securing the future,” Monson said. “We’re not just fabricating chips—we’re fabricating resilience, leadership, and opportunity.”
In the coming years, the partnerships forged through the NSTC—and Sandia’s trailblazing role in them—could redefine what it means to lead in the global tech economy.
Source: Sandia National Laboratories News
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