The Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) Program is a grant and contract program from the Department of Defense that funds modernization of defense systems through advanced microelectronics technologies. The program drives access to state-of-the-art, commercially driven microelectronics capabilities and mitigates persistent threats throughout the microelectronics supply chain from design to final package delivery.

Eligible applicants include defense contractors, academic institutions, and private sector entities with expertise in microelectronics design, fabrication, packaging, and assurance. Award amounts vary based on project scope. T&AM supports DoD's need for trusted microelectronics to maintain operational readiness and technological superiority across defense systems and platforms.

Trusted & Assured Microelectronics – DoW Research & Engineering, OUSW(R&E) Office of the Under Secretary of War for Office of the Under Secretary of War for Trusted & Assured Microelectronics Trusted & Assured Microelectronics To meet current operational needs for the Department of War, the Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) Program drives modernization of defense systems through access to advanced microelectronics technologies that leverage state-of-the-art (SOTA), commercially driven capabilities.

The T&AM Program identifies and works to mitigate persistent threats throughout the microelectronics supply chain. From design to final package delivery, the T&AM Program uses a Quantifiable Assurance zero-trust based method to drive growth of the domestic supply chain and alleviate the DoW's reliance on sole source foundries.

Under the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)), T&AM has undertaken multiple efforts to advance warfighter technology and strengthen our country's defenses.

Support microelectronics modernization and leverage state-of-the-art (SOTA) commercially-driven technology to obtain the best available products Mitigate persistent threats to microelectronics lifecycle Address entire microelectronics supply chain from design through final package delivery and advocate for U.S. based capabilities.

Use Quantifiable Assurance zero-trust based method to assure DoW supply chain and apply across microelectronics supply chain for legacy and SOTA technology Reduce reliance on obsolete microelectronics Alleviate DoW's reliance on sole source foundries for assured SOTA microelectronics Technical Execution Areas The T&AM Program actively engages with policy and industrial representatives on a regular basis and serves as the Technical Execution Lead for the Strategic Radiation-Hardened Electronics Council (SRHEC).

The T&AM Program consists of six Technical Execution Areas: Access to Advanced Packaging and Test The Advanced Packaging and Test Technical Execution Area is focused on designing and validating a sustainable model for access to customized state-of-the-art packaging using standard commercial flows.

This includes the following key lines of effort: SHIP : State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integrated Packaging STAMP : Stimulating Transition for Advanced Microelectronics Packaging STEAM PIPE : Strategic Transition of Microelectronics to Accelerate Modernization by Prototyping and Innovating in the Packaging Ecosystem See the section below to learn more about each of these efforts.

Access to SOTA Microelectronics The goal of the SOTA Access Technical Execution Area is to enable access to the latest and best commercial technologies for Department of War (DoW) applications while implementing evidence-based assurance practices.

This includes the following key lines of effort: Design Acceleration and Transition: D2TA Pilot Demonstrator s: Accelerate key DoW integrated circuit design pilots that have a defined path for transition to programs of record, and support DoW common IP and ecosystem development. Cloud Design : Support multi-level, multi-vendor cloud accessed emulation and digital engineering workflows.

Leverage secure cloud infrastructure to ensure confidentiality and integrity of circuits during the design and fabrication flow, as well as enabling compute resource optimization. RAMP-C (Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes – Commercial): Develop a leading-edge U.S. wafer foundry/fabrication capability for commercial dual-use COTS integrated circuits and evidence-based assured custom DoW integrated circuits.

Foundry Access : Enabling regular multi-project wafer (MPW) run access to SOTA US commercial foundries for applicable DoW designs. Access to Radiation Hardened (RadHard) Microelectronics The Access to Radiation Hardened (RadHard) Microelectronics Technical Execution Area focuses on strengthening and expanding the domestic industrial base for radiation-hardened and strategic radiation-hardened microelectronics.

Maintaining and expanding domestic capabilities for the production of these components and is of vital importance. Access to SOTA Radiofrequency (RF)/Optoelectronics (OE) Microelectronics The Access to SOTA Radio Frequency- & Opto-Electronics (RF/OE) Microelectronics Technical Execution Area supports two main strategic goals.

First, RF/OE accesses, matures, and assures state-of-the-art manufacturing capabilities for RF Gallium Nitride and Photonic Integrated Circuits. This directly enables domestic manufacturing of next generation sensors and communication devices. Secondly, RF/OE develops, demonstrates, and transitions state-of-the-art devices and Intellectual Property via rapid prototyping.

This drives affordability and innovation into the Defense Industrial Base, and enables Spectrum Dominance for the Warfighter.

Education and Workforce Development The Education and Workforce Development Technical Execution Area focuses on assessing the current and projected technology skills being sought by industry, evaluates against initially identified university skill sets, and provides recommendations to partnering universities for recalibrating curriculum and pedagogy.

Microelectronics Assurance The Microelectronics Assurance Technical Execution Area provides a federation for Department of War organizations to support defense system needs and ensure the security of software, firmware, and hardware developed, acquired, maintained, and used by the DoW.

Advanced Packaging and Test Technical Execution Area State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integrated Packaging (SHIP) Program The State-of-the-Art Heterogeneous Integrated Packaging Program (or "SHIP") falls under the Access to Advanced Packaging and Test Technical Execution Area and tackles the issue of DoW's low-volume, high-mix requirements by leveraging commercial industry advanced packaging capabilities to realize size, weight, and power (SWAP) savings and increase system performance.

The SHIP Program is part of a broader effort to enhance U.S.-based, secure, and economically viable capabilities to provide the technologies necessary to success of our warfighters. The SHIP Program focuses on the development, delivery, and eventual transition of prototype devices into DoW systems, while demonstrating significant SWAP reductions.

These initiatives are rooted in partnership between the U.S. Government, microelectronics industry leaders, and the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Requirements were based on known threats being addressed by the lead DIB partners in an effort to drive wider modernization of DoW systems and maintain U.S. advantage.

The SHIP Program is also developing a business model for the DoW to gain sustained access to customized SOTA parts in a standard commercial flow and work with the lead DIB partners for each device to make these new technologies available for a wider DoW application. More information on the SHIP Program can be found on NSTXL's Opportunities page .

( click image for larger version ) Stimulating Transition for Advanced Microelectronics Packaging (STAMP) The Stimulating Transition for Advanced Microelectronics Packaging (STAMP) opportunity aims to provide opportunities for rapid transition of advanced packaging devices developed under the SHIP program.

While the initial phases of SHIP program obligations end with the delivery of prototypes to the lead DIB partner, STAMP serves as the next phase of the effort-reaching past typical prototyping efforts to champion transition of devices to DoD systems.

The STAMP opportunity helps the DoD modernize military systems in partnership with the Defense Industrial Base by creating a cost sharing model and aligning programs to buy down risks associated with adopting new technology. STAMP requires alignment to an existing DoD Program Office via existing Defense Industrial Base relationships and includes cost sharing to reduce the risk for adoption of devices and programs.

Even though the device designs were developed in partnership with one lead Defense Industrial Base partner, the designs were based on known threats and requirements to ensure wide applicability across DoD systems. These prototypes can impact a wide range of military systems through increased performance and capability due to significant SWAP savings and are at the core of driving rapid transition and technology adoption for the DoD.

More information on the STAMP Program can be found on NSTXL's Opportunities page .

(click image for larger version) Strategic Transition of Microelectronics to Accelerate Modernization by Prototyping and Innovating in the Packaging Ecosystem (STEAM PIPE) The Strategic Transition of Microelectronics to Accelerate Modernization by Prototyping and Innovating in the Packaging Ecosystem (STEAM PIPE) supports and supplements the vision of the SHIP Program to continue developing a U.S.-based, economically viable SOTA heterogeneous integration and packaging capability.

STEAM PIPE provides a unique opportunity to develop more capability, more prototype chiplets, and more prototype devices that are critical to delivering next generation capabilities to the warfighter. STEAM PIPE integrates transition from the very beginning of contract award and offers new contract opportunities for prototyping packaged devices and/or chiplets at a regular cadence.

Through STEAM PIPE, the government can award projects for either chiplet design and development or packaged device design and development resulting in prototype devices. The program lays out a three phased approach that includes design and development of chiplets and packages, fabrication, and potential cost-sharing collaboration to ensure the successful transition of devices into DoD systems.

STEAMP PIPE will strengthen the domestic packaging ecosystem and shape collaborative efforts to advance the technologies needed to maintain U.S. warfighting advantage. More information on the STEAM PIPE Program can be found on NSTXL's Opportunities page .

(click image for larger version) Office of the Under Secretary of War, Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) 3030 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3030 Office of the Under Secretary of War, Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)) 3030 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3030