Scientists have achieved substantial advances in semiconductor innovation in recent decades. Researchers have adhered to Moore's Law, which states that the number of circuits on a microchip doubles every two years.
FREMONT, CA: In the near future, semiconductor technology will focus heavily on data processing and machine learning capabilities. Additionally, there will be a focus on the development of energy-efficient devices, as well as faster and more reliable communication networks. Finally, increased demand for smaller and more powerful devices will continue to drive innovation in the semiconductor industry—a concise assessment of the most significant trends that will impact the future evolution of semiconductor technology.
Moore's Law remains valid
Stay ahead of the industry with exclusive feature stories on the top companies, expert insights and the latest news delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe today.
In the coming years, CMOS transistor density will continue to increase following Moore's Law. This is made possible primarily by advancements in EUV patterning and introduction of new chip designs. With scaling beyond five nanometers, FinFET technology has reached its limit. Nanosheet or gate-all-around transistors provide a solution; this is a modified transistor structure in which the gate is in contact with the channel on all sides, allowing for continuous scaling. They guarantee an increase in power of over 25 percent and a decrease in electricity consumption of over 50 percent.
New chip architectures enter the market
For nearly 50 years, the x86 architecture has dominated the microprocessor industry. However, this is changing as the ARM architecture's performance and low power consumption continues to impress. ARM licenses its intellectual property to chip manufacturers, who then build their chips and have them manufactured in foundries. Moreover, the RISC-V architecture has gained prominence in IoT devices and other applications because of its open-source nature and reduced power consumption.
Novel substances to complement silicon
Silicon, as a microprocessor basis material, is gradually reaching its limits. The drive for ever-smaller and faster-integrated circuits has pushed material efficiency to its limit. Many promising future materials are the subject of an ongoing investigation. Because of its high critical energy field, high-performance gallium nitride can be utilized in power grids for more efficient and faster power conversion. Semiconductors based on antimony and bismuth are used in better medical and military infrared sensors. Graphene can surpass silicon as a semiconductor material for all purposes, although mass commercialization could take 25 years. Pyrite could serve as an alternative for the scarce rare earth element cadmium telluride, which is widely utilized in solar cells but in short supply. Pyrite is plentiful, inexpensive, and non-toxic.
Artificial intelligence is superior
Edge AI is one of the largest developments in the chip industry, with a projected growth rate of significantly more than 100 percent over the next five years. In edge AI, the application of learned "knowledge" (inference) is integrated into the Internet of Things endpoints. Edge AI processors now available on the market offer an efficiency of 1 to 100 Tera operations per second per watt (TOPS/W). For these calculations, GPUs and ASICs are utilized. IoT adoption requires a significantly higher level of efficiency. Efforts are being made to find solutions with an efficiency of 10,000 TOPS/W.
