Semiconductors’ Exciting Future:
Sanjay Jha emphasizes the changing use cases and design targets, from integration to application-specific optimization. John Smee highlights the evolution of RF, optical computing, and the emergence of gallium nitride micro LEDs. Smee also sees digital control of motors and the potential of solid-state batteries impacting various aspects of life.

Concerns and Innovations:
Smee addresses the concern about lack of scaling, assuring that semiconductor innovation continues despite scaling limitations.

Reviving Efficient Silicon Usage:
Carver Mead notes the shift back to efficient silicon usage due to the diminishing effectiveness of relying solely on process node advancements. Mead emphasizes the importance of integrated optics on CMOS and the inherent advantages of light waves over electrons.

Optical Components:
Integration of optical components, such as resonators with extremely high Q-factors, offers exciting possibilities in computing.

Potential for Light Generation:
There have been hints of clever ways to generate light in the context of integrated optics, though coherent light generation remains a challenge. Non-coherent light generation has been demonstrated.

Complexity and Long-Term Prospects:
Integrating optics into computing is a complex endeavor that may not yield immediate results, but there is potential for breakthroughs in the long term.

Circuit Fabrication Paradox:
From an outsider’s perspective, the current approach of fabricating circuits and then connecting them with wires seems inefficient.

Alternative Approaches:
There may be more efficient ways to integrate circuits and optical components, such as fabricating them simultaneously or using different materials.

Accidental Single Electron Transistors:
In the 1960s, bipolar transistors sometimes exhibited popcorn noise due to a recombination center and a trap in the depletion layer. This created a single electron transistor digitally in the silicon, not through circuit design.

Single Flux Quantum Technology:
Ivan Sutherland’s research involves using one flux quantum in a superconductor as a natural digital element. This technology has potential for logic operations and signal transmission. Non-volatile digital elements in the physics, but require low-temperature operation.

Refrigeration Advances and Potential Applications:
Modern refrigerators used in the MRI industry can maintain temperatures around 4 Kelvin for extended periods. This makes it feasible to explore superconducting technologies at practical temperatures.

Power Considerations:
Power consumption at 4 Kelvin is significantly higher compared to room temperature. Careful analysis of power usage is crucial when considering low-temperature technologies.

Challenges and Opportunities:
Fabricating single electron transistors is challenging, especially for long-distance signal transmission. However, superconducting flux quantum bits may offer a solution to this problem.

Long-Term Research Prospects:
Further investigation into single flux quantum technology could lead to breakthroughs in digital systems beyond traditional transistors. Energy efficiency remains a critical factor to consider in the development of these technologies.

New Developments in AI:
The recent surge in AI, particularly neural networks and backpropagation, draws upon a 30-year-old foundation of research, with significant contributions from Jeffrey Hinton and the San Diego region.

Energy Efficiency Concerns:
Current AI models, despite their impressive capabilities, are characterized by excessive power consumption and computational inefficiency.

The Brain as an Inspiration:
The brain serves as a compelling example of highly efficient computation, operating on a mere 20 watts despite its remarkable complexity and capabilities.

Dendritic Trees and Analog Logic:
Carver Mead emphasizes the significance of dendritic trees in neurons, which allow for intricate signal processing and sorting of information in an analog space. This enables the brain to process vast amounts of data with remarkable energy efficiency.

Challenges in Emulating the Brain:
Mead’s attempts to create artificial neurons using existing technology in the early 1990s proved unsuccessful, highlighting the challenges in replicating the brain’s efficiency with current approaches.

The Need for Novel Computing Structures:
Mead stresses the importance of exploring alternative computing structures that exploit physical phenomena and principles beyond conventional transistors.

Von Neumann Architecture and Energy Inefficiency:
John Smee criticizes the use of Von Neumann architecture in implementing neural networks, citing its inherent energy inefficiency due to the constant data fetching and storing processes.

Magnetic Effects and Dendrite Imitation:
Smee highlights the potential of magnetic effects in imitating dendrite behavior, enabling energy-efficient computation inspired by Ivan Sutherland’s work.

Hardware Design for Power-Efficient AI:
Sanjay Jha emphasizes the ongoing efforts in hardware design to optimize AI architectures for power efficiency, focusing on quantization techniques and critical time pass optimization.

Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration:
Jha emphasizes the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration among mathematicians, semiconductor teams, and algorithm PhDs to address the challenges of AI power consumption.

The Need for a Holistic Approach:
Mead highlights the need for a holistic approach that considers the entire system, from training to deployment, to achieve meaningful improvements in AI energy efficiency.

Analog Computation and Energy Savings:
Mead suggests that directly implementing AI models in analog hardware could lead to significant energy savings compared to digital implementations.

The Future of Microelectronics:
The evolution of microelectronics beyond Moore’s Law presents both opportunities and challenges. There is a need to rethink traditional approaches and explore new technologies and materials. The gap between digital and analog devices needs to be addressed, and the potential of quantum and 2D materials should be explored.

Challenges in the Industry:
Lack of focus on foundational research and long-term investments in the industry. Difficulty in attracting and retaining young talent in the field of semiconductor research. The business model for semiconductor companies needs to be adjusted to reward foundational research and development.

Importance of Academic Research:
Iterative collaboration between science and engineering is crucial for innovation. The golden age of neuromorphic circuits and systems provided valuable lessons in the importance of real-world experimentation. Current challenges in accessing fabrication facilities hinder innovation.

The Role of Integrated Optics:
Integrated optics is experiencing a golden age similar to that of neuromorphic circuits in the 70s. The ability to actualize physical devices from concepts is invaluable for educating students and driving innovation. The close connection between concept and physical implementation fosters innovation and minimizes reliance on complex simulators.

Investment and Education:
Investment in foundational research and long-term projects is essential for the future of the industry. The teaching of young students and the ability to hold physical devices in their hands are critical for inspiring innovation.

Advice for Young Professionals:
Embrace the challenges and opportunities presented by the evolution of microelectronics. Be willing to explore new technologies and approaches to problem-solving. Collaborate with others from different disciplines to drive innovation.

Key Takeaways:
Embrace lifelong learning and adaptability to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Develop a broad skill set that encompasses both deep technical knowledge and an understanding of business opportunities. Resilience and risk-taking are essential for overcoming challenges and achieving success in the tech industry. Encourage and support unconventional thinking and innovation, even if it means challenging the status quo. Prioritize real-world application and practicality in technological advancements to drive meaningful change.

Skills and Knowledge Development:
Cultivate a mindset of continuous learning to stay updated with technological advancements and emerging trends. Broaden your knowledge beyond technical expertise to include business acumen and an understanding of market demands.

Resilience and Adaptability:
Embrace challenges as opportunities for growth and learning. Be willing to take calculated risks and step outside of your comfort zone to achieve success. Develop resilience to overcome setbacks and persist in the face of adversity.

Innovation and Unconventional Thinking:
Encourage and support unconventional thinking and innovative approaches to problem-solving. Recognize that challenging the status quo and pushing boundaries can lead to groundbreaking discoveries and advancements. Create an environment that fosters creativity and experimentation.

Practical Application and Real-World Impact:
Prioritize real-world application and practicality in technological advancements. Focus on developing solutions that address real-world problems and have a tangible impact on society. Seek opportunities to collaborate with industry partners and end-users to ensure that innovations meet actual needs.

EDA Industry:
EDA industry has consolidated, with Cadence and Synopsys holding a significant market share. The duopoly has resulted in a pricing model where they capture 3% of the semiconductor industry revenue.

Foundries and Prototyping Centers:
Foundries for integrated optics have emerged, offering fast turnaround and quality production. Prototype centers can enable low-cost innovation and experimentation in various areas beyond scaling lithography.

Challenges in Semiconductor Industry Structure:
Hyper-consolidation in fabs and VDA companies creates obstacles for IP, export control, and cost. The current structure may stifle innovation and hinder the health of semiconductor design and manufacturing companies.

Importance of Long-Term Perspective:
Recognizing the long timeframe of semiconductor advancements is crucial for sustainable growth. Balancing short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term goals is essential for success.

Multiple Parallel Timelines:
Different industries and applications have varying timelines for innovation and technology adoption. VLSI and hardware advancements need to align with the periodicity of target markets.

Diverse Device Types and Software Design:
There will be a plurality of device types, from virtual reality to lightweight augmented reality glasses. Software design needs to adapt to distributed compute capabilities and dynamic hardware functionality partitioning.

International Recognition of Semiconductor Importance:
Globally, there is an acknowledgment of the importance of semiconductor independence for national security, technology independence, and economic growth. Lessons learned from past challenges are being reexamined to ensure long-term success in the semiconductor industry.

EDA Tools and Revenue:
EDA tool companies have volume purchase agreements with chip companies, which means they receive a percentage (currently 3%) of the chip company’s annual revenue. This gives EDA tool companies a steady source of income and a higher market cap. EDA tool companies don’t care if the chips sell or not, which makes their business less risky.

EDA Tools and Software:
EDA tool companies have not made significant progress in improving the speed and quality of software development. VLSI design, on the other hand, has seen much more progress. The lack of innovation in EDA tools has hindered the growth of small companies in the industry. Small companies still have to pay millions of dollars to buy EDA tools.

Open Source EDA:
DARPA-funded project on open source EDA tools involving Qualcomm and UCSD. Open source EDA tools could potentially lower the cost of EDA tools and make them more accessible to small companies.

Conclusion:
The EDA industry has matured and consolidated over the past 60 years, with a shift from 2% to 3% revenue share for EDA tool companies. EDA tool companies have not kept pace with the advancements in VLSI design and software development. Open source EDA tools could potentially revolutionize the industry by making EDA tools more affordable and accessible to small companies.

Parting Thoughts:
No simple solution to the complex interplay between technology, applications, government, and public-private partnerships. Focus on solving hard and interesting problems to train problem-solving skills. Computing is moving towards solving unstructured problems with real-time decision-making at the edge.

New Evolution of Sensors:
Magnetics, RF, and the entire spectrum are important for new sensor development. Sensors can distinguish different frequencies, enabling more precise surgeries. Explosion in sensors expected as we interact with a more complex world and automate processes.

Von Neumann vs. AI Structures:
Von Neumann architecture may not be suitable for processing large amounts of sensor data. AI structures may be necessary for efficient processing and power usage.

Panel Appreciation:
Gratitude expressed to the panelists for their time and insights. Andrew recognized for successfully coordinating the panel discussion.