ChinaTalk CHIPS Act + The Future of Microelectronics
Aug 13, 2022
Eric Breckenfeld, Director of Technology Policy at the Semiconductor Industry Association, and Hassan Khan, a PhD in engineering and public policy, dive into the recent CHIPS Act. They discuss the National Semiconductor Technology Center, which aims to propel domestic semiconductor innovation. The conversation digs into the commercialization challenges facing the semiconductor industry, the shift beyond silicon, and the future of chip packaging. Together, they explore how U.S. startups can stay competitive, especially against China's growing influence in microelectronics.
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Valley of Death
- The government's historical reluctance to interfere in later-stage tech development created a "valley of death".
- This valley of death describes the scale-up and piloting stages where companies face unaffordable risks.
Copper Interconnects
- IBM's stock saw a 5% jump after announcing copper interconnects, a major innovation they'd invested decades in.
- But within years, the knowledge spread, minimizing their competitive advantage, demonstrating the quick diffusion of innovation in the semiconductor field.
NSTC Vision
- The NSTC aims to bring U.S.-innovated semiconductor technologies to commercial relevance by 2040.
- This will include heterogeneous systems with conventional chips, quantum computing, and neuromorphic modules, significantly boosting computing efficiency.