» What significance does the chip industry have for industry as a whole and value creation worldwide? Bösenberg: Chip manufacturing is extremely highly automated and requires innovative automation. Yet automation also constantly needs new and more powerful semiconductor products. The very high degree of automation in German fabs is one of the reasons why they are able to hold their own on the global market. » What role does automation play in chip manufacturing? Bösenberg: The focus on new developments on the one hand and modernization on the other is demanding. The ever-smaller chips are associated with ever-increasing investment costs for fabs. The scaling takes place at all levels and the sums involved are staggering. New fabs often require investments to the tune of many billions of euros with some machines for chip processing costing several hundred million euros. Thanks to technological advances in automation, however, existing plants can also be modernized and continue to operate for many years. » Sustainability is one of the top issues. How important has the carbon footprint in the semiconductor industry become and how do semiconductors contribute to the energy transition? Bösenberg: The chip industry is a driver of the energy transition and, at the same time, sustainability in chip manufacturing is a challenge. For reasons of cost efficiency alone, the chip industry has an intrinsic interest in operating as efficiently as possible. In many areas, digitalization and decarbonization can only be achieved on a large scale by semiconductors. The current carbon footprint of the semiconductor industry is offset by a major increase in sustainability in all the sectors in which chips contribute to reducing emissions. » Mr. Manocha, artificial intelligence is one of the defining topics right now. How will AI change the world of semi- conductors? Ajit Manocha: AI will usher in a great era of growth. We are still benefiting from the era of the Internet of Things – IoT. The IoT has led to major semiconductor growth thanks to its connectivity. This will continue and accelerate with AI. Artificial intelligence has been around for 50 to 60 years, and now people have realized how to take advantage of it. This is in part because it’s only now that the hardware is making it possible. With AI, we will progress towards ever smaller chip sizes, such as five-nanometer technologies and below. AI will be the driver of semiconductor growth in the future. » What are the industries and application areas that stand to gain the most from AI and will therefore continue to fuel semiconductor growth? Manocha: One of the biggest winners was the automotive industry, as its demand for semiconductors was growing. This is closely followed by the life science sectors, and especially the medical industry, as the intersection of medicine and semiconductors is huge. Taken together, automotive and life sciences will create an enormous demand for semiconductors. This is especially true for advanced technologies that are being driven by AI. Though it is still difficult to say what future growth can be expected for legacy and advanced semiconductors. » What dimensions will the semiconductor market reach in the future – keyword 1 trillion mark? Manocha: It is clear to see that on the wafer fab side, around 50% of investment will go towards the development and production of AI-enabled chips or Gen-AI chips. I believe that what we have seen so far in the field of AI is just the tip of the iceberg; there is much more to come. With AI and the subsequent development of quantum computers, we will break through the 2 trillion dollar barrier in global sales in the semiconductor market by 2040 or 2045 at the latest. Interview//Frank Bösenberg ... All the way to Silicon Valley
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