Semiconductors: The Brains of Modern Electronics
Written by Nidhi Kulkarni
Semiconductors are components of electronic devices, used in a variety of industries, including healthcare, computing, communications, transportation, energy, agriculture and military systems. America has grown to depend on modern technologies fostered by these semiconductors, supporting 2 million jobs, as well as generating 300,000 additional jobs in the wider U.S. economy.
The United States semiconductor industry has grown to become the worldwide leader, making these chips one of its top exports and generating approximately $264 billion in 2023.
Semiconductors are generally made from pure elements such as silicon or germanium. Through a process called doping, impurities are added to modify certain properties of these elements to fit additional requirements.
Speaking of which, how exactly are these elements compacted together to create a finished product? Well, let’s walk through the steps of semiconductor production:
⦁ Step 1: Research- Scientists must answer questions such as which electronic product will this chip be used in, and how to make the production and usage of this product easier.
⦁ Step 2: Design- Researchers must draw/create a vision of their semiconductor chip and make modifications before selecting the final design.
⦁ Step 3: Raw materials- Materials that contain the necessary pure elements (usually sand) in the chip are gathered.
⦁ Step 4: Ingot- The sand is processed into solid cylinders called ingots, which weight more than 200lbs.
⦁ Step 5: Blank Wafer- The ingot is sliced into thin, polished silicon dishes.
⦁ Step 6: Finish Wafer- These thinly sliced pieces of silicon, called wafers, are printed along with the coded circuit.
⦁ Step 7: Cut Wafer- The silicon wafer, which contains thousands of semiconductors, is cut precisely into individual pieces called dies.
⦁ Step 8: Package chip- The dies are packaged into finished semiconductors and placed in products.
How do semiconductors improve our lives? Well, for starters, we would not have any of the technology around us if it wasn’t for these chips. They surround our daily lives and control almost all aspects of it, including our mobile and computer usage, transportation systems, entertainment (movies, music and games), and healthcare diagnosis. Semiconductors have transformed our phones into lightweight, efficient objects. An article by the SIA states, “…in 1984, mobile phones weighed about 2 lbs., cost around $4,000, and held a charge for only about 30 minutes of talk time.”
How do semiconductors build our future? This industry is of high importance in today’s modern technology. These chips have predicted to completely transform industries such as medicine, aerospace, electronics and energy within the next few decades. The industry collaborated with the government to create SEMATECH in the 1980s, which was a partnership that allowed further research of the chip. Additionally, the industry funds most costs of research at universities through the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). U.S. semiconductor companies invest about one-fifth of their revenue in R&D annually, prioritizing it even during economic downturns. As daily efforts to increase research and awareness of the semiconductor chips are on the rise, the future looks very promising.
References:
Dcadmin. “What Is a Semiconductor?” Semiconductor Industry Association, 16 Apr. 2024, www.semiconductors.org/semiconductors-101/what-is-a-semiconductor/.
Written by Nidhi Kulkarni from MEDILOQUY