The Defense Advanced Research Agency’s (DARPA) Next Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing (NGMM) Program

DARPA’s Next-Generation Microelectronics Manufacturing program, known as NGMM, aims to unlock accessible prototyping for the microelectronics of tomorrow by establishing the first-ever national center for advancing U.S.-based 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI). Given the Agency’s expectation that future innovation hinges on the fusion of diverse materials, devices, and circuits through advanced packaging, 3DHI will be key to U.S. technological leadership. The foundational goal of NGMM: Establish a self-sustaining manufacturing center for R&D and pilot production of high performance 3DHI microelectronics. DARPA is working with The University of Texas at Austin, and its existing Texas Institute for Electronics (TIE) research center, to establish the TIE NGMM Center (TNC) to support 3DHI microelectronics research, development, and low-volume production. The Center will leverage partnerships spanning organizations – across the defense industrial base, domestic foundries, vendors and startups, designers and manufacturers, members of academia, and other stakeholders – to achieve a shared vision for national and economic security. The Center encompasses both a physical location and a research pipeline to drive dual-use innovations supporting the defense sector, academia, and industry. Development of 3DHI technologies creates the ability to stack separately manufactured components – chips or wafers originating in different facilities, containing different semiconductors and materials – within a single package. In realizing 3DHI microelectronics that incorporate diverse materials beyond silicon, NGMM focuses on revolutionary improvements in functionality and performance. Moreover, these advances provide an opportunity for U.S. leadership in cutting-edge microelectronics of the future. In Phase 0 of NGMM, conducted in 2023, performer teams worked to define, analyze, and make expert recommendations for representative 3DHI systems. Their work informed the next phases of creating a domestic center for fabricating 3DHI microsystems. Phases 1 and 2 are each 2.5 years in length. Phase 1, awarded on July 11, 2024, is establishing the center’s infrastructure and basic capabilities. Phase 2 will focus on building 3DHI prototypes and automating essential processes to drive long-term success. The official kickoff for NGMM Phase 1 took place in September 2024 in Austin. NGMM is a cornerstone of ERI 2.0, a DARPA initiative to ensure domestic leadership in cross-functional, future-focused microelectronics research, development, and manufacturing. Built on collaboration with industry and academia, ERI 2.0 targets national-level microelectronics concerns through a thematic portfolio of programs aimed at U.S. national security and economic interests. DARPA’s work in microelectronics R&D aligns with, but is separate from, broader government initiatives to secure microchip supply chains. NGMM is funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) budget, rather than the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 which is aimed at near-term domestic semiconductor manufacturing. However, cross-collaboration remains integral to building onshore capacity. For the DoD, that includes programmatic investment in over-the-horizon technologies for both national security and commercial applications – a key goal for NGMM.