semiconductors

What’s a sextillion? It’s the number one followed by 21 zeros — outnumbering the stars in the Milky Way. Industry analyst Jim Handy estimates that 13 sextillion transistors have been manufactured by the chip industry since the first one sprang to life in late 1947. 

The new cooperation between Taiwan and the U.S. on cybersecurity standards promises to elevate the profile of Taiwan’s suppliers in the global semiconductor supply chain. The two regions’ collaboration on international cybersecurity policy is an important step forward.

With the emergence of consolidation as a potent engine of semiconductor industry growth, global mergers and acquisitions are sweeping the industry as companies look to accelerate advances across segments including data centers, AI, IoT and automotive chips.

The SEMI European Machinery Directive Working Group, which consists of volunteers from SEMI member companies, is compiling member feedback on the Cyber Resilience Act legislation to ensure that the industry’s perspective is understood by EU legislators.

SEMI spoke with Anja Maria Muesch and Dr. Philip Matthes at Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany about the challenges and opportunities of generational diversity in the electronics industry workforce.

Charles Shi, Principal, Senior Analyst, Needham & Company, LLC., recently offered an upbeat assessment of the electronic design automation (EDA), silicon intellectual property (IP) and services industries, or what SEMI refers to as the electronic system design (ESD) ecosystem.

Jens Fabrowsky, executive VP of Automotive Electronics at Robert Bosch GmbH, spoke about changes in the European electronics industry necessary for the region to become more resilient, sharing his views during the panel discussion at SEMI ISS Europe on May 30 2022 in Brussels, Belgium.

A steel mill and a 200mm semiconductor fab face a similar challenge: How to improve output, whether in Tons Per Year (TPY) or Wafer Starts Per Month (WSPM), while saddled with a capital equipment footprint that cannot be readily replaced or easily expanded.

In this article, several experts weigh in on considerations for developing the smart manufacturing workforce that will help to alleviate the U.S. semiconductor manufacturing talent shortage, even as multiple, data-intensive $1 billion to $10 billion fabrication facilities come online.

“Virtual platform environments that combine the verification capabilities of emulation with the pre-silicon functionality insights available through verification intellectual property (VIP) are an increasingly popular way to get designs verified ahead of the curve of new standards,” Browy says.