What are semiconductors?
Semiconductors represent a distinct class of materials that possess some of the electrical properties of both conductors and insulators.
Like a faucet which can be used to control the flow of water, semiconductors can be used to control the flow of electric currents, and with exquisite precision.
The most important type of semiconductor is the transistor.
At the dawn of the era of modern electronics, the first integrated circuits featured four transistors.
Together, they controlled the flow of currents in such a way that the circuits could perform simple arithmetic operations.
Today, we have single chips boasting billions of transistors.
Fitting so many transistors on a tiny chip no bigger than a fingernail requires extreme precision and a microscopic eye for detail.
For instance, the accuracy required is equivalent to dividing a strand of human hair into a thousand segments each of specific width, and further subdividing each segment into a hundred parts.
How are semiconductors made?
The process starts with an engineer carefully selecting a silicon wafer as the foundation on which the semiconductor will be built.
A team puts silicon, sourced from sand, through a meticulous purification process to separate it from other substances, until they have an ultra-pure wafer with impurity levels as low as a few parts per billion.
Next is the photolithography process — a crucial step that carves the circuit pattern on the wafer.
The wafer is coated with a light-sensitive material called a photoresist.
Then, a mask is held in front of the wafer and light is shined on it.
The mask contains small gaps in the shape of the circuit pattern.
The light passes through these gaps and erodes the underlying parts of the photoresist.
As a result, the photoresist on the wafer ‘acquires’ the pattern of the transistor circuits.
Following photolithography, engineers use chemical and/or physical techniques to remove the uncarved parts of the photoresist, leaving behind the circuit’s structure on the silicon substrate.
Then they dope the semiconductor, that is, deliberately add impurities to specific parts of the semiconductor to alter its electrical properties.
It’s deposit thin layers of materials such as metals or insulators to the wafer’s surface to form electrical connections or insulate components.
Then the resulting product is packaged — individual chips are separated, encapsulated, and tested to make sure they’re functional and reliable — and integrated into electronic devices.
How do semiconductors benefit us?
Smartphones and computers showcase the pinnacle of semiconductor technology but semiconductors influence nearly every facet of our lives.
Semiconductors also power ‘smart’ air-conditioners’ ability to regulate the temperature as well as space telescopes.
The ability to capture both awe-inspiring and scientifically interesting images in the depths of the universe, and many other technologies in between.
Many of the solutions to the 21st century’s most important crises — including artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, space exploration, robotics, personalised healthcare, and environmental monitoring.
Such semiconductor technology facilities foster innovation, create high-paying jobs, nurture the potential for deep-tech start-ups, and both draw from and feed into advances in materials science, computer engineering, big data, optics, chemical engineering, and chip design, to name a few.
Owing to their role in sectors like defence and automotives, semiconductors have also emerged as a focal point of geopolitical interest,.
The U.S. also imposed sanctions on Chinese tech companies, including bans on the acquisition of cutting-edge ASML equipment and high-end design software, for the same reason. In response, China has intensified efforts to bolster its domestic semiconductor production capabilities to meet local demand.
India, meanwhile, has been trying to use its expertise in design to establish semiconductor manufacturing plants.
One hopes this strategic push plus the potential of our youth will translate to numerous opportunities for the country to seize the international semiconductor industry.
COMMENTS