Explosive Rise of Moore’s Law: Process Technology Evolution

Explore the journey of process technology evolution during the Moore's Law era, where innovation redefined the boundaries of semiconductor manufacturing.

Introduction:

During the era of Moore’s Law, which spanned several decades, the semiconductor industry witnessed a remarkable evolution in process technology. This period, characterized by the exponential growth of computing power and transistor density, marked a pivotal juncture in the history of semiconductor manufacturing.

In this introduction, we’ll explore the key advancements and innovations that defined the evolution of process technology during the Moore’s Law period, shaping the landscape of modern electronics.

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1. The Pure-Play Foundry Model:

Taking a moment to reflect on the business innovation within the semiconductor industry, there’s a notable mention of the Pure Play Foundry model, pioneered by Dr. Morris Chang over three decades ago.

This innovation has fundamentally reshaped the industry landscape by shifting the complex and costly technology manufacturing aspect out of the traditional Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM) model.

Instead, it allows Integrated Circuit (IC) companies to focus squarely on product development and innovation by collaborating with foundries. This collaborative approach has significantly accelerated innovation within the industry.

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As a result of the introduction of the Foundry model, numerous new players have entered the semiconductor market, leading to the flourishing of fab-less companies.

Looking ahead to 2030, it’s projected that over 50% of semiconductor revenue will be generated by these fab-less companies, as well as system companies or cloud providers.

This transformation is primarily attributed to the business innovation brought about by the emergence of foundries.

2. Process Technology Evolution:

3. Design-Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO):

An integral aspect of the semiconductor industry’s evolution is the concept of Design-Technology Co-Optimization (DTCO).

However,Dr. Zhang shed light on how this approach optimizes the interplay between design and technology, resulting in significant improvements in performance, density, and power consumption of semiconductor devices.

This symbiotic relationship is crucial for pushing the boundaries of what semiconductors can achieve.

4. Energy efficient Computing:

The discussion on technology scaling underscores the ultimate objective: energy-efficient computing.

Over the past decade, the industry has made remarkable strides, achieving over an 80x improvement in energy efficiency.

These advancements have played a pivotal role in enabling the emergence of AI technologies, a testament to the collective progress of the industry.

Exploring the technological platforms for High-Performance Computing (HPC) or AI, it’s evident that current AI accelerators, whether GPUs, TPUs, or customized ASICs, share a common integration scheme.

This involves leveraging advanced silicon, typically at 5 nanometers, alongside high-bandwidth memory on a substrate or chip-on-wafer configuration.

However, addressing future HPC needs requires significant enhancements to this platform. At its core lies the imperative for higher density, low-energy computing.

Achieving this necessitates vertical stacking of multiple advanced silicon pieces to boost computation density.

Additionally, increasing memory bandwidth entails incorporating more High-Performance Memory (HPM) into the package, leading to further expansion of the interposer or chip-on-substrate.

Despite these advancements, challenges persist, particularly in power delivery. Resolving this issue requires innovative solutions to ensure the continued evolution of energy-efficient computing platforms for future HPC and AI applications.

Read More: Super Micro Computer Joins S&P 500 Riding AI Wave : +223% in Last 6 Months – techovedas

Conclusion:

The evolution of Process Technology in Semiconductor Moore’s Law periods been nothing short of extraordinary, propelling the semiconductor industry to unprecedented heights of innovation and efficiency.

From the miniaturization of transistors to the development of advanced lithography techniques, each advancement has played a crucial role in driving Moore’s Law forward.

As we reflect on this transformative era, it’s evident that the relentless pursuit of technological progress has paved the way for a future filled with limitless possibilities in computing and beyond.

Kumar Priyadarshi
Kumar Priyadarshi

Kumar Joined IISER Pune after qualifying IIT-JEE in 2012. In his 5th year, he travelled to Singapore for his master’s thesis which yielded a Research Paper in ACS Nano. Kumar Joined Global Foundries as a process Engineer in Singapore working at 40 nm Process node. Working as a scientist at IIT Bombay as Senior Scientist, Kumar Led the team which built India’s 1st Memory Chip with Semiconductor Lab (SCL).

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