Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading.

With a Digital Only subscription, you'll receive unlimited access to our website and e-edition. Our digital products are available 24/7 and are accessible anywhere, anytime.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please call our customer service team at 716-372-3121  or email nfinnerty@oleantimesherald.com .

As a current print subscriber, you receive 24/7 access to our website and online e-edition at no additional charge. All you have to do is activate your access. To activate digital access, you will need your account number. You can find your account number on any recent subscription notice or bill.

Sorry, no promotional deals were found matching that code.

Promotional Rates were found for your code.

Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Welcome! We hope that you enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in or create an account to continue reading.

Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribe purchase a subscription to continue reading.

Thank you for signing in! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Thank you for reading! We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.

Checking back? Since you viewed this item previously you can read it again.

Scattered thunderstorms in the morning becoming more widespread in the afternoon. High 83F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 60%..

Scattered thunderstorms. Low around 70F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.

ALBANY (TNS) — As U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer was at Albany Nanotech on Monday celebrating the passage of the $52 billion CHIPS Act, the elephant in the room was poised behind him encased in glass and bathed in yellow light — an ultra-violet lithography machine.

The massive spending bill, which Congress has sent to President Joe Biden for his signature, is designed to jump-start the domestic computer chip manufacturing sector, providing billions of dollars in incentives to computer chip companies to build new factories in the U.S., which has been losing market share in recent decades to the rest of the world, especially China.

The bill would also set aside $11 billion to create a national chip manufacturing lab, which could have significant operations in Albany.

But the global race for chip dominance could hinge on the $150 million extreme ultra-violet lithography machine that Schumer was standing in front of Monday.

The machine, which is about the size of city bus, is made by a Dutch company called ASML. And it holds the key to making today’s most advanced chips, capable of etching components onto a chip as small as 7 nanometers.

And while the U.S. is doing its best to prevent China from obtaining one of these EUV machines, it was recently discovered that China has indeed started making such cutting edge chips, perhaps after stealing the technology from Taiwan or developing new manufacturing tricks to get there.

Either way, passage of the CHIPS Act couldn’t come soon enough, Schumer said Monday when asked about China’s new advances in chip tech, which could someday surpass the U.S.

“If they become a leader in chips, it will hurt both our national security and our economic security, they will have a vice-grip on it,” Schumer said. “So we have to get ahead of China.”

Albany Nanotech is in a unique position because IBM has one of ASML’s EUV machines used in research. There are no such EUV machines used in volume commercial production in the U.S. currently, although the CHIPS Act will change that quickly.

Schumer said the key to stopping China from winning the chips race is two fold: stop them from obtaining tech like EUV technology, and then growing the U.S. chip industry so that the world comes to the U.S. for chips first.

“Dollar-for-dollar, we do better than the Chinese. Person-for-person, we do better than the Chinese,” Schumer said. “We will stay ahead of China once this bill is signed.”

Please help local businesses by taking an online survey to help us navigate through these unprecedented times. None of the responses will be shared or used for any other purpose except to better serve our community. The survey is at: www.pulsepoll.com $1,000 is being awarded. Everyone completing the survey will be able to enter a contest to Win as our way of saying, "Thank You" for your time. Thank You!

Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Would you like to receive our ads to go? Sign Up Today!

Would you like to receive our breaking news? Sign up today!

Want to receive notice about our circulation promotions and contests?  Sign Up Today!

Get the latest local and national news.

Would you like to receive our daily headlines? Sign Up Today!

Would you like to receive our lifestyle headlines about food and wine, Olean living, local history and more? Sign Up Today!

Get our expert short-term forecast, summary of the weather details and news of any severe weather.

Would you like to receive our latest obituaries? Sign Up Today!

Would you like to receive our sports news? Sign Up Today!

Includes our e-Edition at no extra cost!