Semiconductors: Will the U.S. CHIPS Act Speed the Lab-to-Fab Transition?: A Semiconductor Startup's Journey Shows How It Could Work

IF 2.6 4区工程技术 Q2 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

IEEE Spectrum Pub Date : 2024-11-11 DOI:10.1109/MSPEC.2024.10749727

Samuel K. Moore

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

THERE'S A CERTAIN SAMENESS to spaces meant for tech startups: flexible cubicle arrangements, glass-encased executive offices, whiteboard walls awaiting equations and ideas, basement laboratories for the noisier and more dangerous parts of the process. In some ways the home of Ideal Semiconductor on the campus of Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Penn., is just like that. The most noticeable difference is a life-size statue of 18th-century inventor and electricity enthusiast Benjamin Franklin seated on the bench outside. ¶ Ideal cofounder and CEO Mark Granahan admits to having had a quiet moment or two with ole Benny Kite-and-Key, but it takes a lot more than inspiration from a founder of your home country to turn a clever idea into a valuable semiconductor company. Navigating from lightbulb moment to laboratory demo and finally to manufactured reality has always been the defining struggle of hardware startups. But Ideal's journey is particularly illustrative of the state of invention in the U.S. semiconductor industry today and, in particular, how the CHIPS and Science Act, a law the startup's founders personally and exhaustively advocated for, might change things for the better.

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半导体：美国 CHIPS 法案能否加速实验室向工厂的过渡？一家半导体初创企业的发展历程说明了如何实现这一目标

科技初创企业的办公场所有一种独特的气质：灵活的隔间安排、玻璃幕墙的行政办公室、等待方程式和创意的白板墙，地下室实验室则用于处理嘈杂和危险的部分。在某些方面，理想半导体公司位于宾夕法尼亚州伯利恒的利哈伊大学校园内的办公场所就是这样。最明显的不同是，外面的长凳上坐着一座与真人大小相同的雕像，雕像是 18 世纪的发明家和电力爱好者本杰明-富兰克林（Benjamin Franklin）。Ideal 公司的联合创始人兼首席执行官马克-格拉纳汉承认自己曾与本杰明-富兰克林有过一两次安静的交谈，但要把一个聪明的想法变成一家有价值的半导体公司，需要的远不止是来自本国创始人的灵感。从灵光一现到实验室演示，再到最终产品化，这一直是硬件初创企业的奋斗目标。但 Ideal 公司的发展历程特别能说明当今美国半导体行业的发明状况，尤其是《CHIPS 和科学法案》（这是该公司创始人亲自竭力倡导的一项法律）可能会如何改变现状。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

IEEE Spectrum 工程技术-工程：电子与电气

CiteScore

2.50

自引率

0.00%

发文量

254

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： IEEE Spectrum Magazine, the flagship publication of the IEEE, explores the development, applications and implications of new technologies. It anticipates trends in engineering, science, and technology, and provides a forum for understanding, discussion and leadership in these areas. IEEE Spectrum is the world''s leading engineering and scientific magazine. Read by over 300,000 engineers worldwide, Spectrum provides international coverage of all technical issues and advances in computers, communications, and electronics. Written in clear, concise language for the non-specialist, Spectrum''s high editorial standards and worldwide resources ensure technical accuracy and state-of-the-art relevance.