Source: Finance Association
① Nippon Telecom operator NTT is reported to be jointly developing a semiconductor using “optoelectronic fusion” technology with US chip giant Intel; ② NTT and Intel will cooperate with semiconductor manufacturers to conduct technical cooperation for mass production of next-generation “optoelectronic fusion” semiconductors; ③ Agencies under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan are expected to support three research projects, totaling 45 billion yen (about 300 million US dollars).
Nippon Telecom operator NTT is reportedly working with US chip giants$Intel (INTC.US)$Jointly develop a semiconductor using “optoelectronic fusion” technology.
“Optoelectronic fusion” is a technology that uses light instead of electronic processing, and if it can be introduced into semiconductors, power consumption can be drastically reduced. With the refinement of semiconductors nearing physical limits, this technology is considered a “game-changing technology.” Optical computation using light waves as carriers for information processing has become a hot topic of research in the scientific community due to its advantages such as high speed and low power consumption.
NTT is a world leader in research on “photoelectric fusion”. The company successfully developed the first basic technology for transistor circuits using light worldwide, and published it in the online edition of the British scientific journal “Nature Photonics” in 2019.
Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry positions this technology as a world-leading future technology in its semiconductor industry revival strategy. Furthermore, with the popularity of generative artificial intelligence (AI) projects, such chips capable of processing huge data are expected to be quite in demand in the future.
Three projects received aid
With the spread of artificial intelligence, the power consumption of the world's data centers is increasing dramatically. The Japan Science and Technology Agency predicts that power consumption will reach 2,600 terawatt-hours in 2030, which is more than 14 times that of 2018.
In order to reduce ever-expanding electricity consumption, mass production of semiconductors based on optical technology is essential.
According to reports on Monday (January 29), NTT and Intel will cooperate with semiconductor manufacturers to carry out technical cooperation for mass production of a new generation of “optoelectronic fusion” semiconductors.
Furthermore, the New Energy Industry Technology Comprehensive Development Organization (NEDO) under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan has adopted a total of 3 research projects, which are expected to support a total of 45 billion yen (about 300 million US dollars). In addition to the NTT project, semiconductor substrate company Shinko Electric Industries (Shinko Electric Industries) and semiconductor memory company Kioxia will also launch research on similar technologies.
This time, NTT and other companies aim to establish equipment production technology for introducing light into semiconductors and memory technology that can store terabyte-level data by 2027. The goal is to reduce electricity consumption by 30% to 40% compared to before, and Intel will provide consulting on production technology development.
editor/tolk