Computing power, particularly from artificial intelligence, could consume a substantial portion of global energy production within ten years, prompting the Department of Energy to establish three new research centers focused on making computer chips more efficient.
“We face an unprecedented microelectronics energy efficiency challenge,” says Jeffrey Nelson of Sandia National Laboratories. “Computing alone is projected to consume a significant portion of the total planetary energy production within a decade.”
The Department of Energy’s Office of Science is addressing this challenge with a $179 million investment across three new Microelectronics Science Research Centers. One center, dubbed MEERCAT (Microelectronics Energy Efficiency Research Center for Advanced Technologies), will specifically target energy efficiency in computing, with Sandia serving as a founding member.
The urgency stems from AI’s growing presence in homes and workplaces. AI algorithms consume more energy than conventional computing, and combined with other emerging technologies like quantum computing, they’re creating unprecedented demands on power systems.
Rather than completely replacing silicon-based computing, researchers are exploring ways to integrate new materials into existing silicon processes. The team is investigating materials such as molybdenum disulfide, gallium arsenide, and diamond, which could theoretically create more energy-efficient computer chips.
“They’re very promising,” Nelson notes about these alternative materials. However, the challenge lies in developing methods to mass-produce them while working within established silicon manufacturing systems.
The initiative brings together all five of the Energy Department’s Nanoscale Science Research Centers, along with researchers from Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory. This collaboration emerged from two years of biweekly discussions among facility directors exploring ways to address national priorities.
“By collaborating across multiple national laboratories and universities, our goal is really to accelerate the innovation discovery process and make a positive impact on economic and national security,” Nelson says.
The work is authorized by the Micro Act, part of the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, which has directed billions toward building advanced semiconductor facilities in the United States. Beyond manufacturing, the legislation supports fundamental research to advance future chip technologies.
“We are working with companies to understand their problems and pulling experts together from across the DOE to solve these problems quickly,” Nelson explains.
The research centers will operate for up to four years, with MEERCAT specifically focusing on solutions that bridge sensing, edge processing, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing. The other two centers will concentrate on making chips resilient in extreme environments, including high-radiation, cryogenic, and high magnetic field conditions.