Panel on Semiconductors
Speakers:
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Andreas Andreou, Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University; the co-founder of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Language and Speech Processing
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Ling Chen, Assistant Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and associate in research at the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard University
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Paulette Clancy, Edward J. Schaefer Professor in Engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, director of research for the AI-X Foundry, associate director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Integrated Structure-Mechanical Modeling and Simulation (CISMMS), and fellow of the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute (HEMI)
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Melissa Griffith, Lecturer in Technology and National Security at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) with the Alperovitch Institute as well as a Non-Resident Research Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC)
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Miyeon Oh, Director and Senior Faculty Lead, Korea Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), senior advisor and senior fellow in the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security
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Moderated by: Mitra Taheri, Professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, director of the Materials Characterization and Processing facility, and a member of the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute
Key Takeaways
The panel focused on the evolving nexus of challenges and opportunities in semiconductor technology, highlighting key aspects such as geopolitical needs and tensions, critical materials, design and integration, AI integration, and supply chain resilience. Dr. Andreas Andreou emphasized the crucial role of materials and their thermal properties for semiconductor manufacturing and packaging. Dr. Paulette Clancy emphasized the transformative role of AI in cutting down the parameter space to enable faster and more efficient material discovery.
The discussion also covered the geopolitical dimensions of semiconductor manufacturing. Dr. Ling Chen spoke about the state-business dynamics in the U.S. and China, emphasizing how government policies, such as the CHIPS Act and export controls, influence global supply chains and innovation. The question about the US expanding its domestic manufacturing capabilities and securing skilled labor is not whether it is possible, but rather how to provide the right incentives. China experiences difference challenges, but it has a longer history of industrial policy than the US. Furthermore, Dr. Melissa Griffith outlined the three problems the US is trying to address simultaneously with the China problem; namely supply chain resilience, chips as inputs for war, and American competitiveness. Elaborating on the geopolitical dimension of semiconductors, Dr. Miyeon Oh examined the implications of US-China dynamics on international relations and business incentives, highlighting the need for comprehensive and cohesive policies that align state and business goals in the US and its allies and partners.
Finally, the conversation turned to the future of semiconductor innovation and its broader implications. Andreas Andreou detailed advancements in 3D integrated circuits and neuromorphic computing, which attempts to mimic the human brain's function and form. Dr. Mitra Taheri and the panelists emphasized the environmental impacts of semiconductor manufacturing, including its high energy and water consumption, and Melissa Griffith discussed how innovations in chips, material science and AI can drive the development of greener technologies. The speakers discussed the workforce limitations and called for a collaboration between academia and industry for more incentives and training programs to revive interest in the field of semiconductors.