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46 min ago 2 min read
Oregon State University (OSU) administered consortium has secured up to $160m in funding from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) aimed at growing the state’s semiconductor ecosystem over the next decade.
OSU’s Frontiers of Advanced Semiconductor Technology (FAST) said it would use the funding to launch 180 semiconductor start-ups within the next 10 years – a move that could spur specialty gas demand.
According to Oregon state, the region’s semiconductor-related exports totalled $14.56bn in 2022.
Specialty gases are key across semiconductor manufacturing processes. According to advisory services firm Techcet, the global market for specialty gases should grow 8.7% in 2026, driven primarily by ongoing growth in semiconductors.
Under the NSF FAST Engine programme, the OSU FAST has already secured $15m over the next two years.
“[The NSF FAST Engine will] accelerate chip design, boost manufacturing performance, and shorten product development cycles in Oregon’s semiconductor innovation corridor,” added Brian Stone, performing the duties of the NSF director.
FAST was backed by $1m in funding from the NSF Engines programme in 2023 and advanced to the full proposal stage a year later.
According to market research, the US electronic specialty gases market was valued at $624.1m in 2024.
