Silicon has been king for a long time in computer technology. It is the namesake for America’s technology hub, Silicon Valley. However, silicon is nearing its limit as an effective semiconductor material.
As an internationally recognized leader in semiconductor research and development, and as a national leader in the education and development of the semiconductor workforce, Penn State University is deeply committed to promoting a robust national semiconductor industry. Our campus is at the epicenter of booming research and development activities linked to the advancement of semiconductor materials and devices, packaging, optics, thermal management, quantum devices, and computation. Penn State leads several nationally funded research centers where interdisciplinary teams drive innovation by addressing specific semiconductor challenges. We are part of The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania which, thanks to its long industrial tradition and its many world-class universities involved with the manufacturing of semiconductors, is the perfect ecosystem for revitalizing the U.S. semiconductor industry.
While a lot of the focus on fighting climate change lands on things like gasoline vehicles and factory emissions, computers gobble up plenty of carbon-based energy on their own.
“If we could reduce the energy cost of computation, we…
In some ways, Mauricio Terrones is a gardener. An Evan Pugh University Professor and The Penn State Verne M. Willaman Professor of Physics, Terrones does not grow flowers or vegetables, but instead, one- or few-atom-thick two-dimensional (…
By Jamie Oberdick
A key to America's future semiconductor success story will be building a skilled workforce, a well-prepared set of workers to address the needs of the chips industry. Workforce development is an essential part of…
By Jamie Oberdick
Your cellphone probably would not work very well in space. That is because outer space is full of radiation, and radiation causes defects in electronics that can eventually lead to device failure. You and your…