![Students in protective clothing from head to toe work at a machine in the Mantei Center clean room.](https://www.uc.edu/news/articles/2023/09/n21199174/jcr:content/image.img.cq5dam.thumbnail.500.500.jpg/1695647245992.jpg)
NSF: Investing $45M in future of semiconductors
UC research project is among 24 that will benefit from federal investment
The National Science Foundation announced $45 million in funding to support 24 semiconductor research and education projects, including one at the University of Cincinnati.
UC College of Engineering and Applied Science Assistant Professor Sarah Watzman is studying “spin gapless semiconductors” in collaboration with four other academic institutions.
UC Assistant Professor Sarah Watzman. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
The grants are designed to spur semiconductor development and manufacturing in the United States as part of the 2022 Chips and Science Act.
“Our investment will help train the next generation of talent necessary to fill key openings in the semiconductor industry and grow our economy from the middle out and bottom up,” NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan said.
“By supporting novel, transdisciplinary research, we will enable breakthroughs in semiconductors and microelectronics and address the national need for a reliable, secure supply of innovative semiconductor technologies, systems and professionals.”
At UC, Watzman is studying the next generation of materials used in nanoelectronic devices called spin gapless semiconductors.
“These materials focus on spintronic applications, which combine electronics with spin, which is an intrinsic property of electrons,” Watzman said.
“Focusing on the spin of an electron, rather than on the whole electron, makes it possible to make smaller devices that operate at higher speeds and consume less energy,” Watzman said.
Watzman is collaborating on the research project with two professors in UC's College of Arts and Sciences.
Evgeny Mikheev, an assistant professor of physics, will work on the device development portion of the project while Assistant Professor Melissa Jacquart in philosophy will oversee technology communications. Jacquart is the associate director of the UC Center for Public Engagement with Science, which supports researchers in achieving broader impacts of their work on students and society.
“This project will also promote development of the semiconductor workforce through technical communication coursework and credentialing,” Watzman said.
UC is among 47 institutions that will use the NSF grants to support their two-dozen projects.
Featured image at top: UC College of Engineering and Applied Science students wear protective clothing while working with semiconductors in the Mantei Center's 8,000-square-foot clean room. Photo/Corrie Mayer/CEAS Marketing
Innovation Lives Here
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
Cincinnati researchers want to know if MRIs can work better
June 28, 2024
![WVXU logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/wvxu.png)
WVXU and the Cincinnati Business Courier highlighted a new collaboration between the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, UC Health GE HealthCare, JobsOhio, REDI Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s to create an MRI Research and Development Center of Excellence located on UC’s medical campus.
UC opens Blood Cancer Healing Center
June 28, 2024
![WLWT 5 logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/wlwt-dark.png)
Media outlets including WLWT, Local 12, Spectrum News, the Cincinnati Enquirer and Cleveland.com highlighted the opening of the University of Cincinnati Cancer Center's Blood Cancer Healing Center.
Financial factors to consider when moving
June 27, 2024
![USA Today logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/usa-today.png)
Moving can be a stressful and expensive endeavor. When it comes time to move, there are important financial implications to consider, Gary Painter, PhD, the academic director of the University of Cincinnati’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business real estate program and a professor of real estate, told USA Today.
New project aims to better support teen mothers in Adams County
June 27, 2024
![WCPO logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/wcpo-dark.png)
WCPO highlighted a partnership between the University of Cincinnati and the Adams County Health Department that is aiming to provide better support for teen mothers in the county.
Free Wi-Fi, work area coming to Greater Cincinnati
June 27, 2024
![Local 12 logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/wkrc-logo-dark.png)
St. Lawrence Park in Price Hill now has free Wi-Fi and a furnished outdoor space for community members to access digital needs. The space is part of The Nodes Project, which stands for “Neighborhoods of Design Engagement": a collaboration between UC DAAP communication designers and community entities.
Study aimed at reducing opioid overdose deaths presents results
June 27, 2024
![Spectrum News logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/spectrum-news.png)
The University of Cincinnati's John Winhusen and Caroline Freiermuth discussed the evidence-based practices implemented during the HEALing Communities Study to fight the opioid epidemic with Spectrum News.
UC alum credits journalism program with early success
June 26, 2024
Zachary Jarrell came to the University of Cincinnati in 2019 to pursue a degree in statistics. In 2023, he graduated with a Bachelor’s in Journalism. For many undergraduates, the journey through college rarely takes the expected track. Detours happen, and majors change. When plans switch up, it can be helpful to a student’s success to find support. For Jarrell, it was the people he worked alongside in the journalism department who helped him on his journey. It has left a lasting impression on his life so far, guiding him to multiple internships as an undergraduate, real-world experience in prominent news outlets, and eventually a successful career in the highly competitive field of journalism.
University of Cincinnati, UC Health collaborate with GE HealthCare on MRI research center
June 26, 2024
The University of Cincinnati and UC Health are collaborating with GE HealthCare, JobsOhio, REDI Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children’s to create an MRI Research and Development Center of Excellence located on UC’s medical campus.
UC grad’s innovative tech to manage ER wait times
June 25, 2024
When launching Teravus, a health care triage management startup, Jason Murray turned to the University of Cincinnati's Center for Entrepreneurship and the 1819 Venture Lab for guidance and funding.
The health impact of living near a natural gas leak
June 25, 2024
![BBC logo](/content/dam/refresh/uc-news/news-icons/dark/bbc.png)
UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Amy Townsend-Small talks to the BBC about the health issues faced by neighbors of leaking natural gas wells.