Semiconductors

Semiconductors: Heart of Modern Tech

Published December 5, 2025
Semiconductors: Heart of Modern Tech

Semiconductors: Heart of Every Modern Technology

Semiconductors are materials (like Si, GaAs) with conductivity between conductors and insulators. Often referred to as the "Brains of Modern Electronics", they find a versatile range of applications in various domains.

  • Computing: Used in making microprocessors and memory chips, they are the primary components in computers, servers, and data centres.
  • Communication: Used to produce cell phones, satellite systems, wireless communications, and other communication devices.
  • Healthcare: Medical imaging, monitoring, and diagnostic equipment, as well as medical implants and devices, use semiconductors.

Manufacturing of Semiconductors

  • Wafer Fabrication: Silicon wafers are made by slicing pure silicon crystals, coating them with conductive or semiconductive materials.
  • Photoresist Coating: The surface of the wafer is coated with a photoresist, a light-sensitive material that makes the wafer's surface suitable for circuit printing.
  • Lithography: The process of drawing a circuit design onto a wafer is called 'photolithography'.
  • Etching: Process of removing any excess materials from the surface of the wafer.
  • Ion Implantation: Impurities (such as arsenic or phosphorous ions) are embedded through ion implantation to give silicon wafers semiconducting properties.
  • Assembly & Packaging: Involves dicing the wafer into individual chips, placing them onto a substrate, and attaching a protective metal container.

Future Prospects of Semiconductor Technology in India

Prospects of the Semiconductor Industry in India:

  • Government Support and Funds (India Semiconductor Mission - ISM, Semicon India)
  • Rising Domestic Demand (EVs, 5G/6G etc.)
  • A vast R&D talent pool
  • Diversification of the global supply chain

Prospects for Future ECE Engineers:

  • Semiconductors Industry: Chip Design (VLSI), Device Testing
  • Telecommunications: 5G/6G Networks, RF Engineering, Optical Fiber Systems
  • IT & Software: Embedded Systems, AI
  • Automotive: EVs and Autonomous Vehicles, Sensor Design
  • Aerospace & Defence: Avionics, Satellite Communication, Radar Systems

India's Current Position in the Semiconductor Industry

Core Strengths:

  • Design Talent Hub: India contributes a significant share, estimated at about 20% of the global semiconductor design workforce.
  • Global R&D Centres: India hosts major R&D centres for global semiconductor giants like Intel, NVIDIA, Qualcomm, AMD, and Texas Instruments.
  • Integrated Circuit (IC) Design: India has a strong base in IC design, Electronic Design Automation (EDA), and Intellectual Property (IP) development, with a growing number of chip design startups.

Emerging Manufacturing Hub:

  • Focus on ATMP/OSAT: India is rapidly establishing itself in the Assembly, Testing, Marking, and Packaging (ATMP) segment.
  • Focus on Design, Fabrication: Several manufacturing units for packaging, testing, design, fabrication, etc. are planned or under development.

Major Challenges in India's Semiconductor Dream

  • Infrastructure Challenges: India's vast geographical area and uneven development is a major challenge for setting up semiconductor industries.
  • Talent Gap: Despite having many engineers, India lacks enough specialized experts in chip design, manufacturing, and testing.
  • High Manufacturing Costs: Semiconductor manufacturing is a capital-intensive industry with high operational costs.
  • Environmental Concerns: The semiconductor industry is energy-intensive and can have environmental impacts, such as water consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Competition: India faces competition from other emerging markets, such as Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Government Initiatives to Boost the Industry

INDIAN SEMICONDUCTOR MISSION (ISM): Launched in 2021 with a total financial outlay of Rs 76,000 crore under the aegis of the Ministry of Electronics and IT, it has the following objectives:

  • Semiconductor Fabs: Aims to establish large-scale manufacturing of chips, particularly on advanced technology nodes (e.g., 28nm and below).
  • Display Fabs: Aims to create an indigenous supply of display panels for electronics like smartphones and TVs.
  • Compound Semiconductors/ATMP/OSAT: Aims to build capacity for specialized chips (used in EVs, 5G, defence) and reduce reliance on overseas packaging facilities.
  • Design Linked Incentive (DLI): Aims to encourage the design of Indian-made chips (IP Cores, SoCs) for domestic and global markets.

Contributors

S
Shubh Bajaj
S
Srija Dey
#Semiconductors#Manufacturing#Tech#India