NSF Future of Semiconductors and Beyond Workshop: Materials, Devices, and Integration, March 2021

This workshop convenes leaders in electronic materials, devices, and systems to discuss emerging opportunities in semiconductors and related materials and their integration within electronic and photonic systems. Semiconductors have long been at the core of electronic systems and permeate modern life. The versatility of semiconductor materials and devices has led to continuous opportunities for innovation and technology development.

Semiconductors constitute a broad range of devices in computers, cell phones, lasers, lighting, solar cells, medical diagnostics, and the internet. Continued American leadership in semiconductor technology is essential to maintain national security and defense, and foster economic growth. This workshop is aimed to develop a vision for directed research in future innovations in semiconductors and related materials to promote continued U.S. leadership in this critical sector.

The Future of Semiconductors and Beyond Workshop will promote discussion around four topical areas with significant potential for innovation and future applications. These are: (1) Harnessing electronic phases and phase transitions, (2) Engineering heterogeneous semiconductor structures, (3) Extending device frontiers, and (4) Advancing organic/biodevices.

Topic (1) builds on our increased understanding of how to control “phase transitions” in semiconductors that lend them new functionality such as superconductor or ferroelectric behavior, thus enabling new applications, and improvement in speed and energy efficiency. Topic (2) will explore new insights into forming heterogeneous semiconductor materials in ways that are not compromised by the traditional challenges of material defects, interfaces and surfaces.

Topic (3) will address unsolved problems in signal transduction and optoelectronic devices in the far infrared and ultraviolet spectral regions. This is a space with broad applications extending from defense to medical diagnostics. Finally, Topic (4) will focus on the intersection of semiconductor devices and biological sensing and control.

Themes of interest include flexible semiconductor form-factors and bio-compatibility. The topical sessions will address both future visions and grand challenges, as these can serve to generate innovation and collaborations leading to rapid advances in science and engineering. The virtual workshop format will enable wide participation and stimulation of ideas across a diverse community and these will be summarized in a final report of the workshop findings.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.