Albany named nation’s first semiconductor tech center, boosting Upstate NY’s chip industry

Syracuse, N.Y. — The nation’s first National Semiconductor Technology Center will be in Albany, a big boost for Upstate New York’s status as a chipmaking hub.U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said today the new center, at the Albany Nanotech Complex, could receive up to $825 million federal investment from the CHIPS and Science Act, which Schumer sponsored.“This is the dawn of a new day for Upstate NY and a turning point in U.S. leadership in semiconductor research,” Schumer said in a news release. “Today, Uncle Sam is saying that Upstate NY is the place for developing the next frontier of America’s technological future.”The center is part of the Biden administration’s effort to bring chipmaking back to the United States from Asia. Establishment of the center means that industry leaders, university researchers and entrepreneurs will have access to the most advanced chipmaking machines in the world. Those machines include what’s called an extreme ultraviolet lithography, OR EUV, machine. A single, bus-sized EUV machine can cost $500 million, and is critical to laying down the initial pattern for memory chips that are used in phones, cars and other electronic devices. New York state has provided $1 billion toward the EUV complex.“From day one of my administration, I pledged that New York State would lead the charge to bring back advanced manufacturing and R&D to the U.S., creating good jobs and opportunity in the process,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. Schumer said the new center will help Micron Technology, which plans to build the nation’s biggest chipmaking plant, in the town of Clay. The project, which Micron says could cost $100 billion to build over the next 20 years, is expected to start construction in late 2025. Micron says it will use EUV machines at the fabrication plants, or fabs, in Clay. The first fab is expected to open in 2028.Schumer said the technology center will allow Micron, IBM, GlobalFoundries and other leading semiconductor companies to research and and develop new chips on on Albany’s EUV machine.The Albany NanoTech Complex is planning to install an EUV there. The complex would become the only publicly owned research-and-development facility in North America that has the latest EUV model.The EUV center is expected to open in 2025.

Maxwell promotes HJT technology at PV CellTech USA

Maxwell Technologies has taken part in the 2024 edition of PV CellTech USA, with its North America representative, Dr Gang Shi, delivering a presentation in which he discussed how HJT cell technology, invented over thirty years ago, is contributing to the advancement of the solar industry, as well as the role being played by Maxwell with its full-line HJT cell manufacturing equipment offerings and innovative technology solutions.

For the burgeoning U.S. PV manufacturing sector, HJT is a cell technology that is rising in response to the unique time and conditions. With simple processes, superior efficiency and low degradation, ample room for further cost reduction and efficiency improvement and a lower carbon footprint, HJT can pave the way for the sustainable development of the industry.

Dr. Shi commented: “HJT is widely recognized as a high efficiency cell technology. Although traditional HJT has a few limitations, including the higher cost of N-type wafers and Ag paste and greater Si layer resistance, these challenges have been largely addressed over the past five years.”

Maxwell has developed a range of innovative technologies, including nanocrystalline layer deposition, a manufacturing process for half-sized cells, NBB, Ag coated Cu paste technology, Cu electroplating and low-indium target material. With these advancements, the company collaborates with both upstream and downstream entities in the industry chain to jointly promote the industrialization of HJT cells, resulting in a mass production level which has seen a qualitative leap in terms of cost, the reduction in thickness of a G12 half-sized cell to 110 μm, the replacement of pure Ag paste by Ag coated Cu paste and the NBB technology saving a further 30% in Ag consumption. In terms of efficiency, the application of bifacial nanocrystalline technology has increased this by over 1%, with the mass production power of HJT cell modules (66 G12 cell version) reaching 725W.

Analyzing the unique advantages of HJT in the U.S., Dr Shi pointed out that the initial investment in the technology in the U.S. is comparable to that of TOPCon, but key factors such as labour, water and energy consumption lead to lower manufacturing and operating costs. It is estimated that the non-silicon cost of HJT is about 0.5 cents/W lower than TOPCon. Overall, considering the simple processes, low manpower demand, rapid production and low patent risk, HJT presents a significant set of advantages for U.S. manufacturers.

Based on its industry-leading equipment, technological solutions and professional services, Maxwell has earned the highest global market share for HJT cell equipment for three consecutive years and will continue its commitment to ongoing innovation, focusing on client needs and the provision of advanced, reliable and cost-effective equipment.

Trump attacks undocumented immigrants, other familiar targets at Georgia Tech rally

Former president Donald Trump was back in Georgia Monday for a faith summit and rally just over a week ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election where he faces Vice President Kamala Harris.Georgia’s 16 electoral votes could be crucial to victory, and both candidates and their surrogates have been barnstorming the state in the final days, with major appearances by candidates last week and by surrogates over the weekend.

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Biden finalizes crackdown on US military tech investments in China with one week to lame duck session

The Treasury Department finalized a crackdown that will prevent the U.S. from investing in the development of military technologies in China this week.Hawks say the rule is “long overdue” and not broad enough, while some are skeptical of taking U.S. investment power out of China.The rule prohibits U.S. financing of some China-based ventures and requires Americans to notify the government of their involvement in others. It restricts and monitors American investments in artificial intelligence, computer chips and quantum computing, all of which have a dual use in the defense and commercial sectors. ELON MUSK WANTS PEOPLE TO SUBMIT THEIR MEDICAL SCANS TO GROK, HIS AI CHATBOTThe rule seeks to limit the access “countries of concern” like China, including Hong Kong and Macao, have to U.S. dollars to fund the development of high-level technologies like next-generation missile systems and fighter jets they could then utilize for their own military. It’s set to take effect Jan. 2.  “Artificial intelligence, semiconductors and quantum technologies are fundamental to the development of the next-generation of military, surveillance, intelligence and certain cybersecurity applications like cutting-edge code-breaking computer systems or next-generation fighter jets,” said Paul Rosen, assistant secretary of the Treasury. “This final rule takes targeted and concrete measures to ensure that U.S. investment is not exploited to advance the development of key technologies by those who may use them to threaten our national security.”  President Biden speaks at NHTI-Concord Community College in Concord, N.H., Oct. 22, 2024. (Joseph Prezioso/Anadolu via Getty Images)Existing U.S. regulations restrict the export of such products to China and other “countries of concern,” and the new regulation cracks down on U.S. dollars pouring into such countries. The rule, finalized after a public comment period, builds on President Biden’s 2023 executive order. In one category, it will allow the Treasury to investigate and ban transactions that pose “a particularly acute national security threat because of [their] potential to significantly advance the military, intelligence, surveillance, or cyber-enabled capabilities of a country of concern.”CHINA WILL DOUBLE ITS NUCLEAR ARSENAL TO OVER 1,000 WARHEADS BY 2030, ACCORDING TO US INTELLIGENCEIt would also create a category of “notifiable transactions” that the government would monitor, those that “may contribute to the threat to the national security of the United States identified in the Order.”Blocking China’s ambitions for tech supremacy is one of few bipartisan priorities in Washington. But not everyone is on board with the new rule.”The most well-known proponent of restricting American investment in China is, of course, Xi Jinping,” said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., chair of the House Financial Services Committee.”I remain skeptical of a sectoral approach to regulating outbound investment. U.S. outbound investment to acquire Chinese companies enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support, as proven most recently by congressional action to wrest control of TikTok away from ByteDance.”The chairman, who is retiring, added, “To have a strong, immediate and global impact on the CCP’s ability to wage war, policymakers in Congress and the administration must embrace our time-tested sanctions regime. I will continue to oppose efforts that unwittingly advance Chairman Xi’s crackdown on Western influence in China, and I look forward to examining this rulemaking in more detail.” A Nvidia GH200 Grace Superchip used for AI processors  (Marlena Sloss/Bloomberg via Getty Images)But others argue the rule is not nearly strong enough. It allows Americans to invest in publicly traded Chinese companies or participate in venture capital or private equity funds with stakes worth up to $2 million.”I think that this was a step forward, but, at the same time, it was a missed opportunity to signal deterrence towards China that we will not continue to fund their economy when they’re going to use their economic and military strength to go after Taiwan, to go after the Philippines, to go after Japan, to go after all of our friends and even military allies,” Michael Lucci, founder of global security firm State Armor, told Fox News Digital. The rule “should be broader than just these three categories” of AI, quantum computing and semiconductors, said Lucci. CHINA GOING AFTER DOWN-BALLOT RACES: REPORT REVEALS WHICH LAWMAKERS ARE IN THEIR CROSSHAIRSHe criticized McHenry’s stance on the rule and said it rang similar to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s calls for American investment in China.”Chairman McHenry’s limp-wristed approach to China’s economic warfare upon America is pathetic. He remains in thrall to the long-discredited idea that we will somehow turn China into a liberal democracy if we keep dumping our money into their economy and propping up their hard-core Marxist regime,” he said. “Now, China is once again courting investment because Xi Jinping desperately needs U.S. capital to bail out China’s stagnating economy. America needs to stop playing this game and instead broadly divest from the CCP.” The rule is meant to stop U.S. dollars from funding technologies the Chinese military could use. (Ma Yue/VCG via Getty Images)But a House Republican aide familiar with outbound investments argued the U.S. should want Americans at the forefront of technology development in other countries. “You want Americans controlling a company. You want Americans on the board. You want Americans having insights into the technologies that are being developed. And these are the very same arguments behind wanting American investors to own shares and to acquire control over a company like Tiktok, which is also a Chinese technology company,” the aide said. “China is the world’s largest exporter of capital. It certainly does not need dollars, and if we are concerned about these technologies being developed, the proper response is to kill any company that poses a threat to America’s national security, and the way you do that is either through sanctions or through export controls.” U.S. investment in China has been on the decline for years amid a cooling of relations between the two world powers. U.S. venture capital in China reached a 10-year low of $1.3 billion in 2022, down from $14.4 billion in 2018, according to the Rhodium Group. Others criticized the Biden administration for waiting until the week before the election to finalize such a rule. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Mich., the China select committee chair, called the new rule a “long overdue step.” “More must be done to ensure American money no longer fuels the Chinese Communist Party’s military build-up, its technological ambitions or its ongoing genocide,” he said in a statement, adding Congress should “build on these rules and address a broader set of technologies and transactions that threaten our national security.””The Biden-Harris administration has finally decided, just a week before the election, that it’s time to act tough on China,” said Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Barr and Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., are two top contenders for the top Republican spot on the Financial Services Committee next Congress. Both emphasized that Congress needed to take further action to restrict U.S. investment in Chinese technologies. “House Republicans continue to work to construct the most effective legislative approach that properly addresses the concerns many have regarding U.S. investment in Chinese-controlled dual-use technologies while also ensuring we don’t harm our economy,” Hill said in response to the new rule. 

Jude Law shares one ‘wish’ that would have improved Marvel film he starred in

Your support helps us to tell the storyThis election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.CloseRead moreJude Law has shared the one “wish” he had that would have made his Marvel experience better.Several actors have spoken candidly about their time working on Marvel films, including Anthony Hopkins and Christian Bale, who said starring as the villain in Thor: Love and Thunder was “monotonous”. Law appeared in the 2019 film Captain Marvel, playing Starforce leader Yon-Rogg opposite Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers. While Law reflects overall positively on his time working with the studio, calling it “a really good experience”, he has levelled that he would have liked more freedom with the role. Law told Variety: “I wish I’d been allowed to have a bit more fun with the part. I wanted him to be more arch. I wanted to lean into the humour more.”He also pointed out an irony with the relentless amount of training they put actors through ahead of the film’s stunts.“Those suits are hard to move in because they’re thick rubber. You go to stunt camp for a couple of months, where you’re doing all these fight rehearsals and learning to do all this stuff. And then you put the suit on, and you go, ‘Oh! I can’t touch my toes! How am I going to do all that stuff with this thing on?’ You figure it out though.”While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has now introduced the Multiverse, a series of alternate worlds featuring characters old and new, Law, who will now appear in the Star Wars universe, has categorically said his character won’t be returning.The British actor said in a new interview: “I don’t think there was much more they could get out of Yon-Rogg. That, for me, was the height of Marvel.”Jude Law has shared the ‘wish’ that would have made his Marvel experience better