It is truly a modern marvel, a feat of human ingenuity and engineering unmatched by any other industry. Semiconductor firms generally organize their activities around the two main stages of semiconductor production: design and manufacturing. Without semiconductors, the technology that we count on every day would not be possible.
Semiconductors are all around us. They control the computers we use to conduct business, the phones and mobile devices we use to communicate, the cars and planes that get us from place to place, the machines that diagnose and treat illnesses, the military systems that protect us, and the electronic gadgets we use to listen to music, watch movies, and play games, just to name a few. And not only does semiconductor technology make these devices possible, it also makes them more compact, less expensive, and more powerful.
For example, in , mobile phones weighed about 2 lbs. At SIA, a common theme of the initiatives we support — policies to drive innovation, research programs of our affiliated organizations, etc.
Working together, we can ensure that semiconductors continue to improve our lives. And our greatest potential still lies ahead. From aerospace and consumer electronics to energy and medicine, entire industries will be transformed. The semiconductor industry has a longstanding tradition of partnering with government to spur innovation and build a bridge to the future. In the s, the industry teamed with the government to establish SEMATECH, which sponsors advanced semiconductor manufacturing research and is now recognized by many as the ideal model of public-private collaboration.
SRC has launched hugely successful government-industry-university research partnerships that are unmatched in size and scope by programs in other industries.
The federal government should maintain its share of the partnership and fund scientific research at sustainable levels. Through collaboration, and effective government policies, America will continue to lead the world and the semiconductor industry will continue to create jobs, drive economic growth, and develop the technologies needed to build our future.
Semiconductors are a foundational technology for virtually all areas of our economy. Semiconductors were invented in America, and the U. The semiconductor industry directly employs about , workers in the United States, and for every direct job there are 4.
That equals more than 1 million additional jobs as a result of a thriving U. Even more impressive is that a job in the semiconductor industry pays on average 2. Contrary to the popular perception that most high-tech manufacturing has been offshored to Asia, advanced semiconductor manufacturing remains strong in the U.
The number of car-mounted semiconductor devices has been increasing steadily. There are many types of car-mounted semiconductors. In this way, semiconductors help us to live comfortable lives. Semiconductors in everyday life. What are semiconductors? Etch System - What is an Etch System? When times are good, profit margins can run very high for chipmakers; when demand falls through, however, chip prices can fall dramatically and have a major effect on many industries' supply chains.
Demand typically tracks end-market demand for personal computers, cell phones, and other electronic equipment. When times are good, companies like Intel and Toshiba can't produce microchips quickly enough to meet demand. When times are tough, they can be downright brutal. Slow PC sales, for instance, can send the industry—and its share prices—into a tailspin.
At the same time, it doesn't make sense to speak of the "chip cycle" as if it were an event of singular nature. While semiconductors is still a commodity business at heart, its end markets are so numerous—PCs, communications infrastructure, automotive, consumer products, etc. Surprisingly, the cyclicality of the industry can provide a degree of comfort for investors.
In some other technology sectors, like telecom equipment, one can never be entirely sure whether fortunes are cyclical or secular. By contrast, investors can be almost certain that the market will turn at some point in the not-so-distant future. While cyclicality offers some comfort, it also creates a risk for investors. Chipmakers must routinely take part in high-stakes gambling. The big risk comes from the fact that it can take many months, or even years, after a major development project for companies to find out whether they've hit the jackpot, or blown it all.
One cause of the delay is the intertwined but fragmented structure of the industry: Different sectors peak and bottom out at different times.
For instance, the low point for foundries frequently arrives much sooner than it does for chip designers. Another reason is the industry's long lead time : It takes years to develop a chip or build a foundry, and even longer before the products make money. Semiconductor companies are faced with the classic conundrum of whether it's the technology that drives the market or the market that drives the technology.
Investors should recognize that both have validity for the semiconductor industry. Because companies spend a large amount of revenue on research and development that can take several months or even years to pay off—and sometimes not even then if the technology is faulty—investors should be wary of statements made by companies who claim to have the latest and greatest technology in the semiconductor industry.
A semiconductor essentially functions as a hybrid of a conductor and an insulator. Whereas conductors are materials with high conductivity that allow the flow of charge when applied with a voltage, and insulators do not allow current flow, semiconductors alternately act as an insulator and conductor where necessary.
An n-type semiconductor is an impurity mixed semiconductor that uses pentavalent impure atoms like phosphorus, arsenic, antimony, bismuth. A p-type semiconductor is a type of extrinsic semiconductor that contains trivalent impurities such as boron and aluminum which increases the level of conductivity of a normal semiconductor made purely of silicon.
An intrinsic or pure semiconductor is a semiconductor that does not have any impurities or dopants added to it, as in the case of p-type and n-type semiconductors. IC Insights. Tech Stocks. Company Profiles.
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