Northrop Grumman opens semiconductor facilities to external partners
Northrop Grumman says that its Microelectronics Center will now provide external access to the company’s three US government-accredited semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The move is intended to expand secure domestic production of defense-grade microelectronics and strengthen US supply chain.
The new business model allows external entities — including commercial companies, aerospace and defence companies, US government agencies, academia, and federally funded research centres — to design, manufacture, package, and test microelectronics within the US. Partners will also gain access to advanced packaging capabilities and the option to purchase Northrop Grumman-produced components through an online storefront.
"By opening our defence-grade manufacturing facilities to partners, Northrop Grumman is expanding and strengthening the resilience of America's semiconductor industry and supply chain," said Vern Boyle, vice president of the Northrop Grumman Microelectronics Centre, in a press release. "We are providing partners with unprecedented access to design and develop domestic chips as well as the ability to directly purchase from us, enhancing collaboration across the broader defence industrial base."
Northrop Grumman’s Microelectronics Centre consists of two accredited semiconductor foundries in California and Maryland, alongside an advanced packaging facility in Florida. The packaging site supports wafer bumping, probing, and dicing on 100mm to 300mm wafers, enabling multiple specialised chips to be integrated into high-density 3D chip stacks. The company highlighted that 98% of advanced packaging currently takes place offshore, underscoring the national security risk of foreign dependence.
