Semiconductors:
Circuit Talk

In Episode 1 of MITRE Engenuity Circuit Talk, co-hosts Dr. Nadia Schadlow, Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute, visiting fellow at MITRE and visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, and Pavneet Singh, nonresident fellow at the Brookings Institution, begin our speaker series with a conversation about the physics of semiconductors.

Their first guest, Dr. Edlyn Levine, Chief Technologist at MITRE Engenuity, explains the scientific challenges behind creating smaller and smaller chips and then talks about the impact that has on the semiconductor ecosystem. Dr. Levine makes it clear that US Leadership and thoughtful investment in translational R&D are critical.

In Episode 2, hosts Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pav Singh talk with Dr. Victoria Coleman, Chief Scientist at the U.S. Air Force, and former Director of DARPA, as she explains why the U.S. needs a thriving domestic semiconductor market that ensures availability, price, trust, and performance.

Episode 3 introduces Willy Shih, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School. He joins Nadia and Pav to discuss the links between manufacturing and innovation. As the past can often teach us about the future, Prof. Shih gives a brief historical perspective on the growth of Taiwan’s successful semiconductor foundry capacity and the vulnerabilities that history may pose for the US today.

In Episode 4, Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pavneet Singh welcome Dan Armbrust, the Co-founder and Director of Silicon Catalyst. Mr. Armbrust explains the launch of Sematech and the critical collaboration between the US Government and the semiconductor industry that led to its creation. Using this successful collaboration as a window into the future, Mr. Armbrust provides insight about how federal funds can be utilized to spur the semiconductor innovation.

In episode 5, Ken Hansen, President & CEO, HTKH LLC joins Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pavneet Singh to speak about why the Semiconductor Research Corporation was created, as well as the role that it played in the industry in its early years. Hansen speaks about how companies are working to bridge the “lab to fab challenge” and how the private sector and policy officials can work together to solve those challenges facing the industry. We’ll also hear about the Decadal Plan, the role the USG might play in advancing its research agenda, and recent legislation such as the CHIPS Act.

In episode 6, Prof. Zak Holman from Arizona State University joins Dr. Nadia Schadlow and Pavneet Singh to pose questions and unpack the challenges and opportunities in the University setting for discovering future semiconductor technologies. Where is the Academy in uncovering future materials and processes for semiconductor technology? What does University need from Government and Industry to make their work more fruitful? What are the gaps in STEM talent or federal funding that can be alleviated? How should we create safe and productive collaborative environments with international partners? Listen in to hear these answers and more.

In Episode 7, the finale of MITRE Engenuity’s Circuit Talk, Dr. Nadia Scahdlow and Pavneet Singh welcome Susie Armstrong, Senior Vice President at Qualcomm. A veteran of the technology industry, she is uniquely placed to provide her current assessment on the real engineering and financial challenges that the U.S. chip industry faces. We will learn how the U.S. fares in the global market, as well as what lessons we can learn from other countries as the U.S. orients itself to compete over the coming decades.