Power management firm Eaton has won a $20 million contract to provide power equipment to a chip R&D facility in New York.

Eaton will support the construction of the New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering and Science’s (NY Creates) new NanoFab Reflection semiconductor research and development facility at its Albany NanoTech Complex in Albany.

The company will supply low—and medium-voltage switchgear to provide centralized control and protection for sensitive electronic devices throughout the facility.

Albany NanoTech
– NY Creates

In addition, Eaton will deploy its Brightlayer electrical power monitoring system across the NanoTech complex to support facility management. The system will provide visibility into the facility’s energy systems, helping to identify opportunities to reduce energy consumption and avoid unplanned downtime.

Construction on the new facility began in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2026. It will feature a 50,000 sq ft cleanroom, which NY Creates says will expand its capabilities by providing an environment to further chip technology research, development, and commercialization.

The project, which will cost an estimated $410 million, was partially funded by New York State, NY Creates, and the US CHIPS Act. The facility will also house the NSTC EUV Accelerator, which was awarded $825 million in funding in November from the CHIPS and Science Act.

The R&D site will focus its research efforts on extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), a technology needed to make the most advanced 3nm and 5nm chips.

The site will provide access to cutting-edge EUV lithography tools, including high numerical aperture (NA) EUV systems, by the end of 2026. High NA EUV machines require less light per exposure than traditional EUV machines, reducing the time needed to print each layer and, therefore, increasing wafer output.

The $280bn CHIPS and Science Act was approved by Congress in July 2022, with $52bn of the overall funding package designated as subsidies for US semiconductor manufacturers.

Eaton has made several significant investments in the data center sector over the past 12 months. In June, the firm completed a strategic investment in power module firm NordicEPOD, which designs and assembles standardized power modules for data centers in the Nordic region.

Before this, in March, the company announced the launch of its new SmartRack modular data center solution. The solution combines racks, cooling, and service enclosures to withstand up to 150kW of equipment load.