Fusion Semiconductor Funds
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Commonwealth Fusion Systems will receive $85 million through the Department of Commerce's CHIPS Act to develop advanced chips for the fusion power industry. The award also gives the government a stake in the company and will boost U.S. semiconductor research and manufacturing capacity.
The funding supports five initiatives, including silicon carbide power electronics that drive the superconducting magnets confining plasma, next-generation radio-frequency power generators that heat fusion fuel, and radiation-hardened controls that could extend electronics lifespan. CFS also plans to adapt GPUs and TPUs for power plants and is aiming to turn on its Sparc reactor next year.
As startups plan commercial plants, CFS signals how durable power electronics and a domestic supply chain could lower fusion operating costs and speed its path to the grid.
