Technical Director Eric Forsythe

I work at CHIPS for America as the director of the CHIPS Manufacturing USA program. The program resides within the CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Office, which is housed by the US Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
At the end of January 2024, we announced plans for a CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute that will develop a “digital twin” for semiconductor manufacturing. That means we’ll work at the intersection of simulating semiconductor manufacturing process flows and the physical world. We aim to accelerate time to market, innovate new spaces, and create new processes and tools that expedite the manufacturing process. The US federal initiative CHIPS for America expects to award at least $200 million over five years to fund this new institute.

I am currently developing the institute’s technical program goals, which involves meeting with people from the semiconductor industry, academia, federal agencies, and others in
the community. I’m building out how the institute will meet the government’s economic and national security objectives, integrate across government programs, and meet the needs and requirements of industry and academia to drive innovation. This is the third public–private manufacturing partnership I’ve developed during my career.

I’ve always been interested in science. I remember, during middle school, being fascinated by a spring and the fact that you could write an equation describing its motion. That’s when I realized I could take math—which I really enjoyed—and apply it to the physical world to see how things operate. So I decided to be an engineering physicist.

I stuck with that plan and went to the University of Maine in Orono, seven miles from home. I studied physics with a concentration in electrical engineering to increase my job prospects within Maine, but I still ended up leaving when I graduated. I got a job at Kearfott Guidance and Navigation Corporation in New Jersey, working on stellar inertial guidance systems for the Trident missile. At night I took physics classes toward a master’s degree at Stevens Institute of Technology.

After a few years, a Stevens professor suggested I consider pursuing a physics PhD and joining his lab. Hailing from the backwaters of Maine, my background emphasized practical work over higher education. Intrigued by the prospect of pursuing physics research, I accepted the offer, albeit without fully grasping its implications at the time. My doctoral journey centered on porous silicon light-emitting diodes, leading to collaborations with a small business federally funded by Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs and eventually extending to a partnership with the Army Research Lab (ARL).

When I completed my PhD, my wife was in the midst of her PhD at the University of Rochester in New York. In a calculated move to support her academic journey, I accepted a postdoctoral position studying organic light-emitting diodes at the same institution. After she graduated and I concluded my postdoc, I had several job offers on the table. Contemplating between a staff position at ARL and opportunities with the display industry, I ultimately opted for ARL. The allure of broader physics research avenues and the chance to contribute to Department of Defense initiatives resonated deeply with me.

Soon after joining ARL, the Army worked with a group of companies to establish a flexible display program to develop and deliver flexible display manufacturing solutions through a public–private partnership. As the technology advanced, my role evolved to that of ensuring our flexible display technology was relevant to the needs of our warfighters. This often involved engaging directly with young soldiers to understand their requirements firsthand. These interactions solidified my commitment to public service intertwined with program management. Since then, I have maintained a steadfast focus on the intersections of electronics, physics, and manufacturing, consistently leveraging the power of public–private partnerships to drive innovation and impact.

I think it’s really important to know why you’re doing what you’re doing. I’m motivated by strengthening national security and supporting the nation’s goals. I spent most of my career with the Department of Defense, where nothing is more motivating for me than being at a base with 18-year-old soldiers who just came back from the tip of the spear and hearing, “If I had this technology, I could have...” or “My friend wouldn’t have...” Today, I am privileged to work for the National Institute of Standards and Technology on the CHIPS Act and to continue my support of our economic and national security.

I encourage you always to give your best to your current job but be mindful of what’s next. When building a program, I’m already looking ahead and always learning. What can I do with this? What problems are peripheral to this space? How could I solve them? We always have to be looking to the future.