Semiconductors and Microelectronics

For decades, the U.S. National Science Foundation has invested in the technological building blocks of the modern electronics that people depend on every day.

Semiconductors are the backbone of most electronics, from smart phones to home appliances, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners to satellites.

Breakthroughs in semiconductors and microelectronics will be key to overcoming limits in critical areas, including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, manufacturing and communications.

Find funding for semiconductor research

Brought to you by NSF

NSF's decades of sustained investments have ensured the continual advance of semiconductors and microelectronics. Pioneering work supported by NSF includes:

Smartphones

From their liquid crystal displays to their microprocessors, NSF-supported research into semiconductor materials and microelectronics was essential to the creation of many materials found in smartphones.

Supercomputers

Since the 1980s, NSF has funded some of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, including Frontera and Delta, and made these resources widely available to the research community.

LED lights

NSF-funded research expanded the capabilities and energy efficiency of light-emitting diode (LED) lighting, found in everyday electronics from smartphones and computers to streetlamps, home appliances and ceiling fans.

Nanotechnology

NSF-funded research into nanotechnologies is facilitating groundbreaking discoveries at the quantum level, enabling advances in faster computer chips, high-performance imaging systems and more.

How NSF-funded research led to semiconductor breakthroughs

What we support

A researcher in a lab coat stands behind a collection of colorful vials of liquid.

Fundamental research

We invest in research that builds knowledge to enhance the performance, energy use, scalability, security, interoperability and resilience of semiconductor materials and microelectronic technologies.

A closeup of a computer chip, featuring a red grid surrounded by golden bands

Next-generation semiconductors

We support researchers in developing and fabricating secure, high-performance semiconductor devices built with novel and sustainable materials.

High-resolution image of two-qubit quantum silicon processor with trapped electrons

Innovations in microelectronics

We support new designs and methods that bring electrical, optical, magnetic and quantum components into microelectronics for diverse platforms and systems.

Technicians in clean room learn how to operate the equipment used to make semiconductors

Access to fabrication facilities

We provide researchers and students across the U.S. with access to facilities where they can fabricate and test devices and systems.

A student in a lab coat working in a laboratory.

Education and workforce development

We invest in education and training, in partnership with industry, to foster a nationwide research and development ecosystem for semiconductors and microelectronics.

Erwin Gianchandani, Assistant Director of TIP, greets attendees at NSF's 2023 Industry Convening. NSF's Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships convened industry leaders to explore potential areas of collaboration.

Partnerships to accelerate progress

We partner with other federal agencies, industry and nonprofits to share data, tools, expertise and other resources; strengthen workforce development; and translate research into products and services that benefit society.