Chapter 15. Microelectronics

The microelectronics industry has steadily improved the speed and efficiency of computing while simultaneously lowering costs in a highly predictable road map. This steady progression is popularly known as Moore's Law, after Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel. Moore observed in 1965 that the number of transistors on a chip roughly doubles every two years.

Moore's Law has been the metronome of the microelectronics industry: The predictability of "faster-better-cheaper" allows the industry to precisely plan for the future in areas from engineering to capital expenditures to marketing. It has benefited everyone who is in the industry or purchases its products.

However, the physical limits of the current paradigm in computing are approaching, and the S-curve transition to the next stage is looming. The industry is driven by large companies that have a clear corporate focus and high equipment costs. They will not experiment with innovations from nanotechnology unless a clear, compelling case for their profitability can be made.

This chapter outlines manufacturing strategy, gives an overview of current technologies, and examines future devices we are likely to see. It concludes by examining photonics as a candidate for the technology that will enable continued progress at the lower limits of Moore's Law.