Bosch is the latest recipient of (preliminary) Science Act and CHIPS funding. The company signed a non-binding agreement with the US Department of Commerce and could receive up to $225 million in funding.
Lest you think amazon's gruff crime solver somehow got a piece of the action, Bosch is also a German multinational corporation that makes…just about everything under the sun. (That even includes an odor removal machine!) The company recently accelerated its silicon development, buy TSI Semiconductors in 2023 and will finalize the agreement early this year. But instead of focusing on next-generation silicon for computers, phones and artificial intelligence, Bosch specializes in chips for the automotive industry.
The company plans to use the funds at the Roseville, CA facility it acquired in the deal with TSI. The company will invest up to $1.9 billion to convert the plant into one that produces silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors, which are used to increase the efficiency of driving and charging electric vehicles. Bosch expects the first 200mm wafers to go out of production there in 2026.
“The investment in Roseville allows Bosch to locally produce silicon carbide semiconductors, supporting American consumers on the path to electrification,” Paul Thomas, president of Bosch North America and Bosch Mobility Americas, wrote in a statement.
In addition to boosting US primacy in the chip industry, the other goal of the CHIPS Act is job creation. The White House says the proposed funding would create up to 1,700 jobs, including 1,000 in construction and 700 in manufacturing, engineering and research and development.
“Today's deal catalyzes nearly $2 billion of private investment and the creation of more than 1,700 jobs, while investing in critical technology that our auto and defense industries depend on,” Natalie Quillian wrote. , White House deputy chief of staff.
In November, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world's leading advanced chip maker, was the first to end its CHIPS Act grants (to the tune of $6.6 billion). Other recipients include Intel (although its funding was recently cut), HP, Samsung, GlobalFoundries, Texas Instruments, and Rocket Lab.
