The Biden-Harris Administration has signed a preliminary agreement with Infinera to provide up to $93 million in funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. This investment, overseen by the Department of Commerce and NIST, aims to build new semiconductor fabrication and testing facilities in California and Pennsylvania. While the article does not detail a specific quantum computing standard, it notes that the technology produced will support secure communications and emerging technologies, including quantum systems and sensing.
The funding is intended to expand domestic manufacturing capacity by ten times, creating hundreds of jobs and strengthening national security supply chains. Infinera plans to produce specialized chips for data transfer and defense use, with a commitment to high labor standards and sustainability goals like 100% renewable energy by 2030. This project is part of a larger $36 billion federal program designed to revitalize U.S. semiconductor production and create over 125,000 jobs.
Currently, the agreement is in the preliminary terms stage, meaning final funding is subject to further review and milestone completion. The program expects to catalyze over $400 billion in private investment across 19 states. Ultimately, this initiative seeks to secure America’s technological leadership by expanding domestic production capabilities for critical electronics used in both commercial and national security applications.
Keywords: photonic integrated circuits, indium phosphide, optical network communications
