DARPA-Backed Foundry TIE Aims to pioneer 3D Chip Assembly by 2026
AUSTIN, TX – A new, first-of-its-kind fabrication facility (fab) focused on 3D Heterogeneous Integration (3DHI) is rapidly taking shape in Austin, Texas, with a goal of full operational capability in the first quarter of 2026. The foundry, operated by TIE (details of the full name not provided in source), is a key component of the Next Generation Manufacturing (NGMM) program funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
The facility, toured recently by IEEE spectrum, is already seeing the installation of numerous chip manufacturing and testing tools, and has onboarded a growing team of engineers and technicians. Unlike customary silicon foundries, TIE is designed to be a “high-mix, low-volume” operation, capable of handling a diverse range of projects rather than mass-producing a single chip type.
A meaningful challenge facing the fab is the inherent variability of non-silicon wafers – differences in size and thermal expansion rates – which must be overcome to achieve the micrometer-precision required for linking chips in 3D structures.To address this, TIE is developing Process Design Kits (PDKs) and Assembly Design Kits (ADKs). The ADK is notably crucial, providing the rules for 3D assembly and advanced packaging techniques like hybrid bonding.
The initial manufacturing processes will be refined through three “exemplar” projects: a phased-array radar, an infrared imager (focal plane array), and a compact power converter. “Piloting those through production gives us an initial roadmap… an on-ramp into tremendous innovation across a broader request space,” explained a TIE executive, identified as Holmes in the article.
Because TIE won’t have the benefit of running large batches of similar test wafers to identify and correct process flaws – a common practice in high-volume silicon foundries – the company is leveraging artificial intelligence developed by Austin-based Sandbox Semiconductor to predict the impact of process adjustments.
The NGMM program is also fostering collaboration with academic institutions, including UT Dallas, where researchers are focusing on areas like new thermal conductivity films, microfluidic cooling, and failure analysis in complex 3D packages. Dr. Ted Moise,an IEEE Fellow and professor at UT Dallas,described NGMM as “a very rare opportunity” for research.
DARPA’s Whitney Mason, director of the Microsystems Technology office, acknowledged the unusual nature of the program, stating, “It’s not our habit to stand up facilities that do manufacturing.” However, she suggested the innovative spirit of Austin – embodied in the city’s motto, ”Keep Austin Weird” - makes it a fitting location for this pioneering effort.