Albany NanoTech to Host National Semiconductor Technology Center
ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 31, 2024) — The Albany NanoTech Complex will host the first National Semiconductor Technology Center established under the landmark CHIPS and Science Act, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday.
Read Sen. Schumer’s announcement and watch video of the event from Gov. Hochul’s office.
The news is a major boost for the Capital Region’s high-technology sector and the industry-university partnerships that have helped fuel it for three decades.
The NSTC EUV Accelerator will receive an initial $825 million investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce to facilitate state-of-the-art research on the process by which intricate patterns are printed on the microchips that power most modern devices.
“I crafted the program with Albany NanoTech as my North Star, as my inspiration,” Schumer said told the crowd gathered at the Albany NanoTech Complex. “Good old Uncle Sam is saying the future of semiconductor research for America and for the world will be right here in Albany.”
EUV stands for Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography, which is the technique used in the R&D work at the facility. NY CREATES, which owns and operates the Albany NanoTech Complex, has already begun constructing a new building, NanoFab Reflection, to house a sophisticated new lithography tool announced by Gov. Hochul last year as part of a $1 billion state investment in the complex.
Innovation Through Academic Partnerships
Since its inception, Albany NanoTech has also been home to UAlbany’s Department of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, which is now part of the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering. CNSE was the first college in the nation dedicated to the study of nanotechnology and has long been recognized as a leader in semiconductor research and workforce development.
University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez attended Thursday’s announcement and joined Schumer, Hochul, SUNY Chanceller John B. King Jr. and many others in celebrating the news.
“Today is an exciting day for the Capital Region and the culmination of three decades of innovation that made Albany a global hub for semiconductor R&D. The NY CREATES Albany NanoTech Complex is the perfect home for the National Semiconductor Technology Center’s Extreme Ultraviolet Accelerator, and we are grateful for Sen. Schumer’s stalwart support and vision in advocating for the CHIPS and Science Act and Gov. Hochul’s clear-eyed leadership and investments to make sure the Capital Region’s bid for this NSTC research center was successful,” Rodríguez said.
“This announcement is a momentous next step on a journey that began 30 years ago when the University at Albany was first designated an advanced research center for chip technology. A decade later, UAlbany founded the nation’s first college of nanotechnology, a seminal moment in the development of the world-class ecosystem now known as Albany NanoTech."