美國將撥款 3.89 億美元研發電力半導體與關鍵材料

大衛・謝帕德森報導By David Shepardson

華盛頓，10 月 22 日（路透社）——美國商務部週四表示，計畫向 4 家從事電力半導體元件與關鍵材料研發的公司提供 3.89 億美元研發資金，以推動商用核融合等技術。WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The US Commerce Department said on Thursday it plans to award $389 million in research and development funding to four companies working on power semiconductor devices and critical materials to boost technologies like commercial fusion.

商務部表示，作為取得資金的條件，美國政府將獲得少數、非控制性且無投票權的股權。As a condition of funding, the US government will receive minority, non-controlling and non-voting equity stakes, the department said.

近幾個月來，商務部已從國會 2022 年批准的 100 億美元基金中，向半導體公司核發 19 筆研發補助。美國商務部長霍華德・盧特尼克（Howard Lutnick）在聲明中表示，這些補助將「加速美國半導體創新，以強化我國本土能源與電力資源」。In recent months, it has awarded 19 R&D grants to semiconductor firms from a $10 billion fund approved by Congress in 2022. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a statement the awards will "accelerate American semiconductor innovation to enhance our domestic energy and power resources."

路透社率先報導了這項新資金。商務部表示，已簽署意向書，將提供 4 筆新補助：Reuters first reported the new funding. The department said it had signed letters of intent to provide four new awards:

• 總部位於華盛頓州的 Helion 將獲得最高 1.75 億美元，用於開發核融合發電中的高壓電力半導體與先進能源電力模組。這些半導體將為驅動 Helion 核融合發電機的磁鐵供電，並利用其產生的能源。Helion 表示，這筆補助還將搭配 5,000 萬美元新的民間投資資金。Helion 執行長大衛・柯特利（David Kirtley）表示：「要大規模建造核融合電廠，我們必須加速開發半導體等關鍵技術，這些技術對實現核融合至關重要。」• Washington-based Helion will receive up to $175 million to develop high-voltage power semiconductors and advanced energy power modules in fusion power generation. The semiconductors will power and use energy from magnets driving Helion fusion generators. Helion said the award will be accompanied by $50 million in new private investment funds. "Building fusion power plants at scale requires us to accelerate the development of technologies like semiconductors that are critical to making fusion possible,” said Helion CEO David Kirtley.

• 總部位於麻薩諸塞州的 Commonwealth Fusion Systems 將獲得最高 8,500 萬美元，用於開發應用於射頻電漿加熱、電力電子、核融合診斷及抗輻射電子設備的半導體。• Massachusetts-based Commonwealth Fusion Systems will receive up to $85 million to develop semiconductors for radio-frequency plasma heating, power electronics, fusion diagnostics, and radiation-hardened electronics.

• Commonwealth 表示，這筆資金將有助於開發機器人維護系統所需的半導體技術。Commonwealth 執行長鮑勃・穆姆加德（Bob Mumgaard）表示：「這些創新將是我們全球部署商用核融合努力中的關鍵一環。」• Commonwealth said the funding will help develop semiconductor technologies for robotic maintenance systems. "These innovations will be a vital part of our global effort to deploy commercial fusion," Commonwealth CEO Bob Mumgaard said.

• Vertical Semiconductor 將獲得最高 7,300 萬美元，用於推進其垂直式氮化鎵電力半導體，供 AI 資料中心機櫃使用。這家公司是從麻省理工學院（Massachusetts Institute of Technology）分拆出來的新創公司，表示這筆資金將有助於加速下一代功率電晶體的研發，並加快這項技術在美國本土生產，以大幅提升 AI 資料中心與關鍵能源基礎設施的效率與功率密度。• Vertical Semiconductor will receive up to $73 million to advance its vertical gallium nitride power semiconductors for use in AI data center racks. The company, a startup spun out of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the funding will help accelerate R&D of next-generation power transistors and speed domestic production of this technology to drastically improve efficiency and power density for AI data centers and critical energy infrastructure.

• Sibelco North America 將獲得最高 5,600 萬美元，用於開發半導體供應鏈所需超高純度石英的下一代純化技術。Sibelco North America 隸屬於比利時母公司 Sibelco。該公司表示，這筆針對半導體製造關鍵石英元件的資金，將用於下一代浸出技術，以及在北卡羅來納州設立示範設施，以支援新產品測試。Sibelco 執行長希爾瑪・羅德（Hilmar Rode）表示，這項公告「對 Sibelco 而言是一項重大進展，也反映高純度石英在半導體製造供應鏈中的重要性」。• Sibelco North America will receive up to $56 million to develop next-generation purification for ultra-high-purity quartz used in the semiconductor supply chain. Sibelco North America, part of Belgium parent Sibelco, said the funding for key quartz components in semiconductor manufacturing will be used for next-generation leaching technologies and a demonstration facility to support testing new products in North Carolina. Sibelco CEO Hilmar Rode said announcement "represents a significant step for Sibelco and reflects the importance of high purity quartz within the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain"

（大衛・謝帕德森報導；安德魯・考索恩與菲莉帕・弗萊徹編輯）(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Philippa Fletcher)