The most important thing technology of the year is not by Mark Zuckerberg Metaverse, Jack Dorsey’s blockchainor by Elon Musk, err, dancing robot.
Most likely it’s the same thing that has driven advancement in the tech industry for decades. One that allows machines to juggle and process information, faster and more efficiently every year. Of course, it is silicon chip.
The importance of semiconductors may have dwindled over the past decade as the web, social media, and apps took precedence. Silicon Valley is now said to be more synonymous with GoogleThe inevitable web search, Amazone-commerce empire of, or FacebookFOMO’s feed over with Intellatest chips. But the past year has provided plenty of evidence that chips are, in fact, more important than ever.
The demand for chips is increasing from new types of customers combined with Disease and geopolitical tension put great pressure on the delivery of both simple and advanced computer microprocessors by 2021, leading to shortages of everything from cars to game consoles. Control of advanced silicon production is shaping up to be the rivalry and conflict between the two world-ruling superpowers. And many governments are prepared to pour huge sums of money to bolster their productive capacity.
Custom chip designs are rapidly becoming increasingly important for emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence, self-driving car, and 5G. These specialized architectures, rather than general-purpose chips, will help shape the innovation process.
“There is really nothing humbling about silicon chips,” says Jesus del Alamo, a professor at MIT who teaches courses in advanced microelectronics. “They are at the heart of everything, and do a lot of important things in a lot of places of value, with incredible benefits to society.”
Del Alamo notes that chips are now found in a wide range of products, making kitchen appliances, industrial machinery and even mundane objects like light bulbs connected and programmed.
The Disease was quick to reveal how important chips are to the economy. As automakers closed factories in early 2020, in anticipation of an economic downturn, they canceled orders for low-cost chips increasingly needed in engines, safety systems and screens. infotainment. Even the most basic gas-powered car today has more than 100 chips, while the newest electric car can hold more than 1,000 chips. When auto purchases unexpectedly rebound, manufacturers don’t have enough silicon and forced to stop production, hampering economic recovery in many countries.
The computerization of everything from industrial robots to medical equipment means chip shortages are on the rise. Meanwhile, the enormous costs of building new chip factories, and the cyclical nature of the industry, have prolong the drought…and continue. “Companies that used to see chips as just another item on the bill of materials are now realizing the relevance of semiconductors,” says Gaurav Gupta, vice president of Gartner, a research firm who specializes in tracking electronic devices. “Now everyone has to focus on, and strategize, the procurement of semiconductors.”
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The chip crisis was exacerbated by tensions between the US and China. The Trump administration has banned the sale of the most advanced computer chips — the ones that power the latest smartphones or cloud servers — to Chinese companies. accused of having close ties to the government or of support human rights violations of Muslims in Xinjiang Province.
The blockade, which the Biden administration has kept in place, also reflects a perception that these chips are crucial to progress in areas like AI, 5G and robotics, which are increasingly considered the key of economic and military competition. And because China lacks the ability to produce its own cutting-edge chips, leading tech companies like Huawei, once the world leader in smartphone sales, have see part of their business crippled. Some Chinese companies are reported stock up on french fries In case of ban, continue to prolong the available supply.
