The Semiconductor Major Selection Guide For Undergraduate In India

I have been getting a lot of emails and messages (on social media) regarding how a student (mainly in India) can wisely decide which specific undergraduate engineering majors to select to ensure the coursework-based training aligns with the semiconductor industry's requirements. Thus, it also offers a better career perspective, more so when there are so many engineering majors to opt for, and therefore needs more explicit guidance on how and when one of many bridges the path towards a career as a semiconductor engineer. 

Read more.

THREAD

Published my thoughts on AI and the silicon opportunities it presents in major segments like memory, storage, compute and networking. Read more about it here.

India's GDP is set to surpass $4 trillion and in the long-term semiconductor industry will play a crucial role. Learn more about why invest in India's semiconductor dream.

Data Centers Have Been The Core Part Of The Computing World For Decades. And, Soon, Data Centers Will Have To Make Way For AI Centers. These will be specialized centers designed only for AI's compute requirement and are bound to change the future course of data centers and turn them into AI centers. Learn more about AI centers.

I finally was able to revamp my website. It looks much cleaner and better now. Please do visit and reach out to me in case of any possible questions and speaking opportunities.

Integrating Large Language Models (LLMs) In chip design is a cutting-edge development that could significantly transform the semiconductor industry. Thus, it is important to learn how LLMs will transform chip design.

UBS has released AI revenue forecast. And I have to agree that semiconductors will be the driving force. Mainly due to the AI infrastructure that is needed. Which will require: “AI Remote Infra” and “AI Edge Infra”. Check out the summary of UBS report here.

VLOG

In leading research institutions and tech giants, neuromorphic computing is more than a concept. It is a field of intense study. Pioneers in the industry are exploring advanced materials and architectures to develop chips that mimic the brain and surpass traditional computing in efficiency and capability.

Watch this video to learn more about neuro computing and how it is changing the world.

GOVERNMENT

Malaysia to focus on semiconductor manufacturing for EV growth. The country’s International Trade and Industry Minister, Zafrul Aziz, unveiled a strategy yesterday focused on boosting Malaysia’s production of chips critical for powering EVs and autonomous vehicles. Aziz stated the global pivot towards EVs represents a “tremendous opportunity” for Malaysia to excel as a major chip supplier.

India is set to domestically manufactured memory chip by 2024-end. The development comes at a time when the Indian government has left no stone unturned to attract semiconductor companies to set up manufacturing operations in India. From a $10 Bn commitment to the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) to the design-linked incentive scheme, the Centre has taken a number of steps to develop a semiconductor ecosystem in the country.

INDUSTRY

Japan's Renesas is set to acquire U.S. power semiconductor firm Transphorm Inc. for $339 million. This strategic move aims to enhance Renesas' capabilities in gallium nitride technology, crucial for next-generation materials. The acquisition, which values Transphorm at about $339 million, will extend Renesas' reach into burgeoning markets like electric vehicles, computing, renewable energy, and industrial power conversion. Renesas plans to integrate Transphorm's advanced technology, enhancing their power solutions portfolio, crucial for future growth in various high-demand sectors​​​​​​.

Infineon Technologies has established a formal partnership with SK Siltron CSS, a provider of silicon carbide (SiC). SK Siltron CSS will supply Infineon with 150-millimeter SiC wafers of superior quality and competitiveness, which will aid in the manufacturing of SiC semiconductors. SK Siltron CSS will have a significant role in helping Infineon shift to a 200-millimeter wafer diameter in a later stage.

ACADEMIA

Purdue offers free foundational course in semiconductor fabrication. The self-paced course, suitable for students and professionals alike, is designed to provide a basic understanding of semiconductor fabrication. The course, which takes three to five hours to complete, features engaging material on an array of industry-standard semiconductor fabrication processes. Those who complete the course receive a certificate issued jointly by Purdue, the University of Texas at Austin and Intel.

University of Texas at Arlington electrical engineering researchers are maximizing the power of light in the operations of semiconductor chips to make them more efficient, powerful and bright. Weidong Zhou, a Distinguished University Professor in the Department of Electric Engineering, is leading the $2.7 million U.S. Department of Defense grant investigating high brightness semiconductor photonic crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL) chip technology. Yuze “Alice” Sun, a UTA electrical engineering associate professor, is a co-principal investigator.

University of Buffalo has launched its Center for Advanced Semiconductor Technologies to cement its position nationally and globally as a leader in microelectronics and research innovation for the semiconductor industry. In October, the Buffalo-Rochester-Syracuse region was designated a federal tech hub following the passing of the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 — a $280 billion effort to boost microchip research and production in the United States. The National Science Foundation followed with a $45 million investment, including funding from the CHIPS Act, in the semiconductor industry.

RESEARCH

The China Academy of Sciences has reported on a chiplet-based architecture of “Big Chip” as a means of exploring the challenges and options for scaling processor performance. The research team reports on a 16-chiplet based 256 core RISC-V processor system named the Zheijiang Big Chip. The chiplets are made using a 22nm CMOS manufacturing process.

TOOLS

Ginkgo is a high-performance C++ framework for sparse linear algebra on many core systems. It is implemented using modern C++ (The C/C++ Compiler used must be at least C++14-compliant), with GPU kernels implemented in CUDA, HIP, and oneAPI-compliant Data Parallel C++ with SYCL.

Ginkgo was developed by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), the University of Tennessee, and Universitat Jaume I. It is an open-source and community-driven project under the modified BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution) license.

JOBS

NVIDIA is hiring Senior AI and Machine Learning Engineer. 

Micron is hiring Senior Process Engineer (Diffusion/Implant).

NVIDIA is also hiring AI leaders, engineers, and architects.

CONNECT

Whether you are a student with the goal to enter semiconductor industry (or even academia) or a semiconductor professional or someone looking to learn more about the ins and outs of the semiconductor industry, please do reach out to me.

Let us together explore the world of semiconductor and the endless opportunities:

• Website: https://www.ChetanPatil.in

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/iChetanPatil

• Threads: https://threads.net/ChetanArvindPatil

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChetanArvindPatil

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ChetanArvindPatil

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iChetanArvindPatil

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ChetanArvindPatil