The Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC) has launched the Semiconductor and Packaging Advanced Research Consortium (SPARC), an industry-led programme intended to speed up research into semiconductor technologies needed for the next generation of microelectronics.
The initiative brings together SRC member companies and leading universities to tackle emerging technical challenges across semiconductor design, manufacturing, and advanced packaging.
SPARC has already established its first research portfolio, with an industry-funded research council selecting 21 collaborative projects backed by more than $13m in funding.
The projects cover areas including advanced transistor architectures, heterogeneous integration, analogue and mixed-signal systems, and manufacturing technologies, creating a research programme spanning much of the semiconductor innovation chain.
The programme has also attracted strong interest from academia. Its first research solicitation received nearly 500 concept papers from researchers at 121 universities.
The selected projects will focus on three priority areas: Analogue & Mixed-Signal Technologies, Advanced Packaging, and Manufacturing & Devices, with new projects expected to begin on 1 January 2027.
Speaking on SPARC, David Henshall, SRC Senior Vice President, said: “SPARC reflects the evolution of how industry and academia collaborate to solve the semiconductor challenges of tomorrow.
“By bringing together our member companies to define and fund targeted research opportunities, we’re creating a more agile framework for accelerating innovation while continuing SRC’s long-standing mission of advancing semiconductor technology through university research.”
Connecting industry priorities with university research
SPARC is designed to give semiconductor companies greater flexibility in identifying emerging challenges and directing research towards areas where breakthroughs could have practical industrial value.
Rather than relying on a fixed research agenda, the project-based model allows SRC members to identify technology priorities, define research questions collaboratively and support university teams capable of addressing them.
This approach builds on SRC’s established role in connecting industry with academic researchers, while adapting the model to a semiconductor sector where technology requirements are changing rapidly.
Research spanning the semiconductor innovation stack
The initial SPARC portfolio reflects the increasingly interconnected nature of semiconductor development.
Research projects will explore technologies ranging from new transistor architectures and advanced manufacturing approaches to heterogeneous integration and intelligent analogue and mixed-signal systems.
The programme will also draw on artificial intelligence, digital twins, experimental research and system-technology co-optimisation.
These methods are intended to help researchers develop semiconductor technologies that can scale while improving energy efficiency, performance and reliability.
The emphasis on advanced packaging is particularly significant as the semiconductor industry increasingly looks beyond traditional approaches to improving chip performance.
Heterogeneous integration can allow different components and technologies to be combined within increasingly sophisticated systems, creating new opportunities for system-level innovation.
Strong academic demand for semiconductor research
The response to SPARC’s inaugural call suggests there is substantial demand for collaborative research opportunities in the semiconductor field.
Nearly 500 concept submissions from 121 universities give the programme a broad academic base for identifying promising research directions. Researchers whose concepts progress through the competitive review process will be invited to submit full proposals.
As semiconductor development becomes increasingly dependent on advances across devices, manufacturing, packaging and system design, SPARC provides a mechanism for aligning those research efforts with industry-defined priorities.
The programme’s first projects therefore mark more than the launch of a new research initiative. They establish a framework intended to accelerate the development of the semiconductor technologies required for an increasingly AI-driven global microelectronics industry.
