The Dutch government is giving NXP, ASML and Nearfield Instruments a 230 million euro for tech and chip manufacturing research. The subsidy is part of a European Important Project of Common European Interest (Ipcei) project.
Within the government subsidy provided, NXP is receiving funding for two projects. One project focuses on developing new chips for (mobile) 6G technology. The other project focuses on developing a radar chip that combines the functionality of transmitter, processor and receiver. This for high frequency radars. This technology could be used in industry, agriculture and healthcare, among others.
ASML is receiving money within the Ipcei framework to make a “next-generation” chip production machine available to European partners. This will allow the partners to gain more knowledge and make smaller chips that save on material and energy consumption. Think chips at ever-smaller nanometer levels.
Automated chip testing system
Nearfield Instruments, a spin-off of research institute TNO, specializes in measuring equipment for chips. The company is receiving the government grant to develop a fully automated test system. As chips become ever smaller, inspection and quality testing of manufactured chips must also evolve with them.
The measurement equipment specialist for chips is working on a fully automated testing process that tests these new chips with the greatest precision. This could save a lot of time in the production process of reliable chips, the government says.
Grant from Ipcei project
The government grant comes from an EU Ipcei project. Under this, subsidy proposals from member states for certain technology projects must first be approved by the EU. This approval was recently strengthened, so the government has now definitively awarded the grants.
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