Review of the semiconductor industry and technology roadmap

The semiconductor industry operates in a constant state of deflation. It is vital to our survival and progress in this knowledge era. The industry is extremely competitive and requires ongoing technological advances to improve performance while reducing costs to remain competitive. Gaining an understanding of important facets of this industry is essential. Besides knowing about semiconductor history, other aspects of interest include types of semiconductor products in the marketplace and their uses, typical semiconductor-chip making process, overall industry review and trends. One critical tool used by the industry to direct product and technology development is a technology roadmap. Review of the initial and current semi-conductor technology roadmap would further enhance our understanding of semiconductor industry. © 2002 Plenum Publishing Corporation.