Did you know that a single semiconductor chip has as many transistors as all the stones in the Great Pyramid of Giza? Just how many stone blocks did it take to build the iconic ancient Egyptian royal tomb? An estimated 2.3 million, each weighing an average of 2.5 to 15 tons. Now that's heavy lifting!
Here are more fun facts from the SEMI Foundation that help illustrate the central role of chips in our lives:
- Hybrid cars sport up to 3,500 semiconductor chips.
- In 2021, almost 1.14 trillion semiconductor chips were sold around the world. That’s about 140 chips for every person on the planet or 130 million chips produced per hour.
- Autonomous vehicles use semiconductor technology to provide the car with ‘eyes’ in the form of cameras and sensors.
- Features in today’s microchips can be as small as 14 nanometers. That’s thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand.
Do you have a fun fact to share? We invite SEMI members to share fun facts about the industry or their company. We’ll consider the trivia for inclusion in future blog articles and/or posting on social media. Complete our survey form or email semifoundation@semi.org.
Learn more about the SEMI Foundation and its initiatives to promote industry awareness and help provide a path for those interested in rewarding careers in microelectronics.
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Margaret Kindling is Senior Program Manager for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the SEMI Foundation. She promotes inclusion and diversity through managing programming at the annual Women in Semiconductors and the SEMICON West Workforce Development Pavilion. She also manages the Manufacturing Ownership Diversity (MOD) Working Group.