Picture a world where smartphones stop working, cars don’t operate, artificial intelligence shuts down, and factories around the world come to a halt. As our modern world constantly develops new technologies, it has rapidly integrated into many aspects of our society. Yet, behind many of these technologies is something that most users rarely consider; semiconductors. These chips are often considered the “brain” of modern technologies that we use today, such as smartphones, computers, medical devices, and AI systems. But beyond technology, semiconductors now play a more prominent role in our world, becoming increasingly important not just for technological advancements, but also shaping our global economy.
A semiconductor is a material that conducts electricity. It lies in between a conductor, such as copper, that flows electricity easily, and an insulator, like copper, that blocks it. Semiconductors serve as a solution to controlling electrical currents. Most semiconductors in modern technologies are predominantly made of silicon primarily due to natural abundance, thermal stability, and its natural advantages that allow engineers to control how they behave by adding tiny amounts of other elements. Semiconductors can be described as tiny electronic switches that can control the flow of electricity inside many electronic devices. It allows electrical signals to be turned on and off extremely quickly, allowing devices to process information. These switches are called transistors, and with billions of them combined, they make up modern chips. These transistors work together to control electrical signals, which allows modern devices to perform essential tasks. Since many electronics rely on this process to function, semiconductors have become a core technology behind operating many modern technologies.
In today’s world, semiconductors are used in nearly every industry. For instance, mobile phones rely on these chips to run apps, process information, and connect to networks. Many dominant technological industries also require semiconductors, such as artificial intelligence systems that depend on these chips to process massive amounts of data. The use of the internet, such as cloud computing and online services, heavily depend on semiconductor technology. Semiconductors are also important to power technologies that are used to save lives. Modern medical devices such as heart monitors and MRI machines rely on semiconductors to function. They have quickly evolved to become one of the core technologies for modern healthcare. Since so many technologies depend on chips, semiconductors have evolved to become a driving force of innovation and economic growth.
Now, semiconductors have become one of the foundations to our world’s modern economy. Since various products and industries that drive our modern world depend on chips, semiconductors have begun to play a profound role in businesses and global supply chains. To illustrate, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the world suffered through a shortage of semiconductors, resulting in manufacturing delays, supply chain problems, and shortages of products of various forms of electronics. This shows how semiconductors have become the most important technologies for both modern life and the global economy. Thus, many countries and companies have been recently investing heavily in semiconductor development due to its impact on technological innovation and economic growth. In Taiwan, the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) accounts for roughly 15 to 20% of the nation’s total GDP and contributes to around 60% of their GDP growth. Moreover, in South Korea, companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix make up 10-12% of Korea’s GDP and drive roughly 30% of its economic growth. Despite its size, semiconductors have become one of the most significant technologies that shape our modern economies and future technological evolutions.
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