Faculty Drive Conference on Future of Semiconductor Industry
FuseNano 2024 conference attendees discuss the domestic industry of semiconductors.
Muhammed Yusufoglu, a graduate student studying materials science and engineering, shows his research at the FuseNano 2024 conference.
About 150 national leaders from higher education, government, nonprofits and industry gathered at a conference sponsored by the University of Arizona’s Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing on Feb. 19 and 20 to strategize around how to shore up the domestic semiconductor industry. Participants at the first FuseNano Future of Semiconductors conference not only tackled the need for technological advancements but also discussed partnerships to improve educational outreach and workforce development.
“This is a great platform to bring together all the people specializing in semiconductors,” said Zafer Mutlu, the event’s organizer and an assistant professor of ECE and materials science and engineering. “The discussion is giving a roadmap to all aspects of the field.”
Soheil Salehi was also co-organizer, and Pratik Satam was co-chair for the conference's poster session; both are ECE assistant professors. ECE professor Janet Roveda and associate professor Weigang Wang served as session chairs.
Advancements in semiconductor technologies are indispensable to today’s standard of living. Smart phones, cameras, autonomous vehicles, health care devices and homeland security, for example, all rely on computer chips. “Applications are exploding with every new generation of semiconductors as they become more and more specialized for particular needs and get smaller and smaller,” said Liesl Folks, director of the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing, which provides regional industry with expertise in manufacturing processes.
Arizona, which exported $4.2 billion in semiconductors in 2022, already is experiencing an acute shortage of workers in the state’s fast-growing computer chips industry, said Folks, also the university’s vice president for semiconductor strategy and ECE professor.
“This moment is particularly important because universities are being called on to play a much stronger role in helping the U.S. semiconductor sector become more effective and efficient in manufacturing, not just in the design and development of new materials,” said Folks, adding that the manufacturing process and global distribution channels are complex. "We want to make sure every piece of that value chain is more resilient than it is today.”
Learn more about how FuseNano 2024 approached the growth of the semiconductor industry here.