Foundry services provider Rogue Valley Microdevices (RVM) has signed a non-binding agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce under which RVM will receive $6.7 million in direct funding under the CHIPS and Science Act. The proposed CHIPS investment would support the construction of RVM’s pure play microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and sensor foundry facility in Palm Bay, Fla., which is expected to nearly triple RVM’s manufacturing capacity. RVM specializes in high-mix, low-volume wafer and MEMS foundry services important to the defense and biomedical industries. According to RVM CEO Jessica Gomez, the company’s planned site in Florida will be the industry’s first MEMS pure-play foundry to offer 300 mm capability. The proposed CHIPS investment would support the construction of the facility including the renovation of the clean room and equipment installation. The first wafers produced at the facility are expected to ship early next year, while the facility’s completion is expected in 2025. “We plan to use this capital infusion to increase production of the miniature, intelligent sensors that are critical to markets for which a robust supply chain is essential, including automotive, biomedical, and industrial,” Gomez said. The company also intends to accelerate its expansion from its west coast foundry in Oregon to its Palm Bay facility. RVM has received state and federal support for the construction of its facility, including $5 million from a Florida Department of Commerce loan and $3.2 million from other state and incentives and additional grants.
