Disruptive Technologies Transforming Semiconductor Engineering – EPS News
Advertisement
Advertisement
Semiconductor product development is growing increasingly expensive and complex as key players in the global electronics manufacturing sector fight to be the first to secure a competitive edge. How will disruptive technologies impact their current strategies and transform today’s engineering approaches?
In the face of labor shortages, supply chain delays and material scarcity, chipmakers are rushing to develop new and improved semiconductor products. While smaller companies work to gain a foothold in the industry, market leaders such as Intel, Samsung, Apple and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) seek a competitive edge.
Glass substrate test units at Intel’s Assembly and Test Technology Development factory. Source: Intel
According to recent reports, TSMC remains the pick among industry analysts to maintain the market lead in the sector. However, its competitors are quickly closing the gap. As technological limitations catch up to innovation potential, their commercially viable options diminish.
If any of these companies make a substantial development in semiconductor engineering, they could disrupt the entire global electronics manufacturing industry — meaning they’ll either propel it toward a new niche or prompt an explosion of unconventional research and development as each market leader scrambles for a new foothold.
It is growing increasingly expensive for organizations to play a part in the semiconductor market. From 2019 to 2022, manufacturing costs increased by 7 percent and import prices rose by 5.7 percent. Disruptive technologies may give companies a way to navigate the heightened demand and logistics strain impacting their bottom lines.
A handful of novel technologies are poised to disrupt semiconductor product design, production and distribution, with major implications for the electronics manufacturing industry.
A research team at Carnegie Mellon University has developed a novel soft composite material with high electrical and thermal conductivity by combining liquid elastomers and microscopic droplets of a gallium indium alloy. They’ve dubbed their creation “Thubber.”
Thubber performs similarly to liquid silicone rubber — which has a broad working temperature range of negative 175 degrees Celcius to 205 degrees Celcius — by retaining its flexibility at a range of negative 80 degrees Celcius to 200 degrees Celcius.
Passing an electrical current through Thubber induces internal heating, initiating a phase change response — eliminating the need for external heat sources. It can be made into an ultra-flexible thin film when utilizing thermal grease or aluminum plates poses a challenge.
A nano-CT scan of “thubber,” showing the liquid metal microdroplets inside the rubber material. Source: Carnegie Mellon University
Researchers at Duke University recently unveiled a novel development method for carbon-based semiconductors. Their microscopic cylinder of carbon atoms is stronger than steel but a fraction of the width of a human hair, which has major implications for electronics manufacturing.
Previously, microscopic cylinders of carbon atoms weren’t commercially viable because they couldn’t be switched off, limiting their applications in electronics. The research team navigated this issue by wrapping a spiral of special polymers around a metallic nanotube, changing its electronic properties from a conductor to a semiconductor.
Glass is cheap, has superior thermal properties and shares physical characteristics similar to those of silicon. It also maintains its form over time with little warping or degradation, improving the longevity and performance of electronics.
Glass substrates have the potential for higher signal performance than today’s organic substrates, which is why they are steadily gaining popularity in advanced semiconductor packaging solutions. They’re ideal for emerging applications requiring dense, high-performance interconnects in next-generation electronics.
The emerging trend of chipmakers racing to leverage artificial intelligence technology for microchips poses challenges for semiconductor engineering because of its high energy consumption costs related to its resource-intensive nature. The development of the two-dimensional ferroelectric field-effect transistor may help address this issue.
This technology leverages hafnium oxide and tin sulfide for their electrical characteristics. Their ability to gradually switch ferroelectric domains lets them operate 10,000 times faster than human synapses while consuming minimal energy — breaking ground for the development of ultralow-power, high-precision artificial neuromorphic networks at the nanoscale level.
Like any disruptor, these novel approaches to semiconductor engineering must have long-term commercial viability to generate meaningful interest or remain competitive in the face of longstanding market leaders. For the most part, these emerging technologies will have a lengthy time to market, as they’re designed for the next generation of electronics.
In the case of the polymer-wrapped carbon nanotubes, the researchers admit the practical applications of their novel development method are likely far off. The story is the same for the glass substrate for semiconductor packaging — issues like stress and build-up limitations restrict its commercial viability.
While the lengthy time to market for these disruptive technologies may seem disheartening to some industry insiders, they should instead be seen as promising. After all, growing pains are a natural part of advancing semiconductor engineering. As these technologies continue generating interest, the possibility of development acceleration is highly likely.
Ellie is a writer and associate editor for Revolutionized living in Raleigh, NC. She’s passionate about keeping up with the latest innovations and advancements in tech and science and covering how they’re impacting the world we live and work in.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Post comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Advertisement
Advertisement
EPS NEWS
HOME ABOUT MEDIA KIT EPS PURCHASING SURVEY CONTACT US SITE MAP PRIVACY POLICY TERMS OF SERVICE CALIFORNIA DO NOT SELL
Copyright © 2024 by AspenCore, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
