Technological innovations have changed our lives drastically, making it increasingly difficult to envision life without technology. The usage of devices like smartphones, laptops, televisions, washing machines, refrigerators and LED bulbs has become a necessity. All these electrical appliances use semiconductors, and it would be impossible to imagine life without them. With this intensity semiconductors determine the quality of our daily lives.
Semiconductors are materials with an electrical conductivity that fits between a conductor and an insulator. In certain circumstances, the semiconductor has the potential to function as a conductor but works better than an actual conductor. Semiconductors have made everything more convenient, faster and more reliable.
At first, industries used bulky-sized structures and vacuum tubes to regulate the work, but due to their multiple limitations, they proved to be unreliable. Semiconductors replaced the usage of vacuum tubes with incredible benefits. Its property of controlling and managing the conductivity of electric current makes it a revolutionary invention in the industrial revolution. Fossil fuels were the backbone of the 1st industrial revolution, similarly, semiconductors are the backbone of the 4th Industrial Revolution.
Revolution by Semiconductor
The revolution brought by semiconductors can be imagined by comparing the difference between first-generation computers and the one we have now. The first-generation computers were 1,800 sq ft (170 m2) in size and consumed 150 kW of electricity. The size of computers and the high voltage they consume have tremendously reduced due to semiconductors.
Semiconductors are the building blocks of high-tech, modern electrical systems and will be the basis for more advanced technological creations. Integrated circuits have enabled advanced computing, communication, transportation, and medical diagnostics, and also served as the foundation for aerospace development.
Semiconductor Industries and Recent technological Developments
In the 1950s, semiconductors became widespread, and Craig Barrett, the former CEO of Intel Corporation, claims Microprocessors are the most complicated invention ever created by man. The ease that it provides in electronic settings is apparent. The Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence, automobiles, wireless connections, Customer Electronics, Virtual Reality, and high-tech industries and medical devices are also based on Semiconductors. The reach that it has made is massive but the semiconductor industries are limited to a few countries.
Challenges in the Ssemiconductor Industry
The sudden increase in demand for semiconductors is one of the significant challenges. The demand was already high before the pandemic, but the pandemic pushed remote settings to greater heights overnight.
Supply demand pressure is not the most important challenge; the necessity to tune innovations to meet requirements is. In addition, semiconductor waste is not recycled enough. A staggering 70 percent of e-waste is not recycled, making it unsustainable. The process of recycling is complex, expensive and mostly restricted to developed countries.
The US, China, and Taiwan are monopolies in the semiconductor industry. India is largely dependent on imports for it. However, the cabinet approved a comprehensive program of $10 billion to build India’s stance as the global hub for semiconductors in the future. The program aims to support a sustainable semiconductor and display fab ecosystem in India.
Future and Opportunity of the Semiconductor Industry
It is a proven fact that artificial intelligence, the internet of things, automobiles, and virtual reality is the future. Therefore, when it comes to the future of semiconductors, it is evident that there are plenty of opportunities ahead. With its ever-growing market, semiconductors have a lot to explore in the upcoming years.
Glomore electro-tech Solutions caters to the ever-expanding spectrum of semiconductors, with e-waste management, future-oriented products, and a wide variety of industrial components and components of high quality. With over 40 years of experience in this field, we are confident to be your reliable source.