Silicon photonics is not just a buzzword—it's the future of the semiconductor industry, and we're here to uncover its secrets with Dr. Lee Chee Wai.

Dr. Lee Chee Wei is a distinguished expert in silicon photonics integration, boasting an extensive career spanning over 18 years. Holding a PhD in Photonics Integration from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) Singapore and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge, Dr. Lee has honed his skills both in academia and the industry. His academic journey was supported by prestigious awards, including the ASEAN Scholarship, ASTAR Graduate Scholarship, and ASTAR Overseas Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Currently, Dr. Lee is pivotal in advancing the commercialization of data center silicon photonics. His technical acumen extends to the design of photonic integrating circuits, and the development and design of advanced fabrication and packaging technologies. Dr. Lee's contributions to the field are highlighted by his extensive portfolio of more than 30 internationally filed patents and over 50 peer-reviewed journal publications. His work bridges the gap between east and west, showcasing a global impact in Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) Technology.

Discover how the convergence of light and silicon is about to shatter the limitations of traditional CMOS technology, unlocking unparalleled data speeds and efficiency, crucial for the demands of Gen AI and modern data centers. Dr. Lee guides us through the transformative potential of merging photonic and electronic components on a single chip with EPIC Electronics.

Our conversation takes a serious look at the nuts and bolts of integrating silicon photonics with CMOS. We confront the challenges head-on—material incompatibilities, efficient signal conversion, and heat dissipation—and discuss cutting-edge solutions like co-packaged optics and heterogeneous integration that are setting the stage for future advancements. With a focus on scaling these innovations for commercial viability since 2017, we discuss how these developments could redefine the semiconductor landscape. Tune in to grasp how silicon photonics stands as a beacon of promise, ready to reshape data centers and elevate the semiconductor industry with unprecedented speed and efficiency.

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Unlock the secrets of AI innovation with our esteemed guest, Jem Davies, non-executive director at Literal Labs. Jem shares his transition from Arm to Literal Labs, revealing how the revolutionary Tsetlin machine sets new benchmarks in efficiency, power usage, and processing speed. 

Jem is a highly experienced business leader and technologist having previously served 18 years at Arm. He is an engineer and was an Arm Fellow holding multiple patents on CPU and GPU design. Latterly, Jem's career moved into business management and he became a General Manager first in Arm's Media Processing Groups, then the founding General Manager of their Machine Learning group. In addition to setting future technology roadmaps, he also worked on several acquisitions leading to building new businesses inside Arm, including the Mali GPU (the world's #1-shipping GPU) and Arm's AI processors. Jem left Arm in 2021 and currently is chair of NAG and a non-executive director of Literal Labs, BOW, CamAI, and Cambridge Future Tech.

Explore the crucial role of explainable AI and why it matters more than ever in today's regulated industries like healthcare and finance. Jem discusses Lietral Labs' Tsetlin Machine, which offers an intuitive audit trail of AI decision-making through propositional logic. This approach is breaking new ground by enhancing model efficiency without compromising on performance. We also tackle the challenge of unbiased training data and how tailored levels of explainability can make AI accessible to everyone, from everyday users to industry experts.

As we gaze into the future of AI, we tackle the pressing issues of bias, energy consumption, and the potential impact of quantum computing. Jem provides insight into how Literal Labs is pioneering tools to promote ethical AI development, mitigate biases, and democratize AI innovation. From practical applications like water leak monitoring to the potential for AI to evolve into a tool of unimaginable uses, we reflect on how the intersection of explainability, energy efficiency, and bias shapes a responsible AI future. Join us for an episode that promises to broaden your understanding of AI's profound societal impact.

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Transform your understanding of semiconductor design and testing with the latest episode of Advantest Talks Semi. We are thrilled to introduce our new co-host, Don Ong, and welcome Ron Press, and Marc Hutner,  from Siemens as they share groundbreaking insights into Electronic Design Automation (EDA).

Ron Press is the Senior Director for Technology Enablement at Siemens, where he leads a team dedicated to ensuring the successful implementation and use of Siemens' Tessent DFT and test product capabilities. His responsibilities include enabling application engineers, developing reference flows, and supporting customers in utilizing Siemens' released products effectively.

Ron began his career at Raytheon, working on AI and neural networks, and in 1993, he co-authored a paper on using neural networks to address built-in self-test (BIST) false alarms, highlighting his early contributions to AI in semiconductor testing. He worked as a Design for Test (DFT) architect at Raytheon before moving to Harris RF, where he focused on communication systems. Ron later joined Mentor Graphics, which was subsequently acquired by Siemens. Throughout his career, he has integrated AI and machine learning into semiconductor testing and design, significantly advancing the field.

Marc Hutner is the Director of Product Management for Yield Learning Products at Siemens. In his role, Marc focuses on yield learning and silicon debugging, aiming to identify yield limiters and improve semiconductor testing processes.

Marc joined Siemens over a year ago, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the semiconductor test industry. Before joining Siemens, he spent two years at proteanTecs as the Senior Director of Product Marketing for IP and Analytics for silicon health. Marc’s background includes working as an architect for test equipment and developing innovative concepts in semiconductor testing. His extensive experience positions him as a key figure in advancing Siemens' yield learning and debug capabilities.

Don Ong is the Director and Head of Innovation for the Advantest Field Service Business Group, a division of Advantest Inc. In his role, Don is responsible for driving the strategic development and implementation of innovative solutions that enhance Advantest’s Field Service business and operations. His responsibilities include identifying emerging technologies, leading cross-functional innovation projects, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement to optimize service efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business growth. Don works closely with internal teams and external partners, including startups, universities, and third parties, to ensure the successful integration of new technologies that meet the evolving needs of the semiconductor industry.

With over 20 years of experience in the semiconductor industry, Don has held multiple roles, including program management, product, application, and test engineering in both Silicon Valley and Asia. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and a Master’s of Studies from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.

In this episode we will discover how scan technology and automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) have revolutionized the testing process, significantly boosting defect detection rates. Mark delves into digital twins, explaining their pivotal role in creating virtual representations for real-time system optimization.

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How is the semiconductor industry evolving in the face of global market trends and technological advancements? 

Today, we are thrilled to welcome Pierre Cambou to our podcast. Pierre serves as the Principal Analyst for Global Semiconductors at Yole Group. With a rich background that includes founding a semiconductor startup and roles at notable companies like Thomson TCS and e2v Semiconductors, Pierre brings a wealth of industry knowledge. He is recognized as an expert in the semiconductor field, often cited by international media for his market and technology insights. Pierre holds an engineering degree, an MSc from Virginia Tech, and an MBA from Grenoble Ecole de Management. 

Together we'll explore the industry's impressive annual growth rate of 6-7% and delve into the mobile market's fascinating journey from the late 90s to today. Discover how AI chips are revolutionizing smartphones and potentially transforming the sector. 

We'll also uncover the cultural and practical reasons behind the persistence of feature phones in regions like India and Europe while they're nearly extinct in the US. We'll compare this trend to the automotive industry's ADAS level zero vehicles and assess how AI and edge technologies might shape future smartphone production. Moreover, we'll discuss the nuanced role of embedded AI in advancing mobile technology, predicting a slow but steady growth aligned with the global GDP.

Finally, we'll examine the global semiconductor manufacturing landscape, touching on government incentives, reshoring efforts, and strategic joint ventures like the TSMC and Sony collaboration in Japan. Pierre provides insights into the competitive dynamics among countries like Japan, Taiwan, and Korea, and the significant investments by China. We wrap up by discussing the industry's future, considering challenges such as managing energy consumption and the importance of green energy in mitigating environmental impacts. Tune in for a compelling dialogue packed with valuable perspectives and forward-looking predictions.

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Unlock the secrets behind Global Foundries' ascent to semiconductor supremacy and find out how a colossal $1.5 billion boost from the US CHIPS Act is setting the stage for technological innovation. Our guests, John Carulli, Ken Butler, and Shinji Hioki, join us from the frontlines of chip manufacturing to share their expertise on what it takes to be a pure-play foundry in today's competitive market. 

John holds 7 US Patents. He has over 50 publications in the areas of reliability, test, and process development. He is co-recipient of two Best Paper Awards and two Best Paper Nominations working in close collaboration with university partners. John serves on the organizing or program committees of several conferences including the International Test Conference, VLSI Test Symposium, and European Test Symposium. He is a Senior Member of IEEE. His research interests include product reliability, outlier analysis, machine learning, performance modeling, logic diagnosis, and security.

Ken Butler is a Senior Director of Business Development in the Advantest Cloud Solutions (ACS) data analytics platform group at Advantest.  Prior to that, he worked for more than 36 years at Texas Instruments in DFT and test generation, semiconductor reliability, analog product and test engineering, and data analytics.  Ken has a BS from Oklahoma State University and an MS and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, all in electrical engineering.  He is a Fellow of the IEEE, a Golden Core member of the IEEE Computer Society, and a Senior Member of the ACM.

Shinji Hioki joined Advantest ACS in 2022, focusing on developing the ACS business in Japan. Prior to Advantest, he served as the ASIC Commodity Manager / Technologist at Tektronix for over five years, where he managed foundries and OSATs for ASIC production. Before his time at Tektronix, Shinji had a substantial 31-year tenure at Intel, where he held various roles in the Quality & Reliability organization, spanning development, high-volume manufacturing production, and supply chain management 

In this vibrant episode we track the transformation of silicon wafer dreams into the tangible powerhouse chips that energize our daily devices, dissecting the interplay of design, production, and the crucial customer relationships that drive the industry forward.

Feel the pulse of the semiconductor world as we tackle the elephant in the room: the pressures of Moore's law and the herculean task of safeguarding tech's most sensitive data. This episode is a call to arms for more transparent collaborations between foundries, assembly, and test operations, with an eye on the future where open data flow might just be the magic ingredient for enhanced yield management and efficiency.

As we wrap up our journey, we turn our attention to the fertile minds of tomorrow's tech leaders. We discuss how acts like the CHIPS Act and mainstream conversations about semiconductors are sparking interest among the youth, encouraging them to pursue careers in this electrifying field. Our conversation weaves through the importance of engaging storytelling in tech education, making semiconductor testing and assembly as thrilling as time travel adventures for the next generation. 

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Prepare to be enthralled by Chris Miller, the esteemed author of "Chip War," as he joins us to unravel the complexities of AI's impact on the semiconductor industry. We tackle the monumental task of rethinking computing efficiency in the face of supercomputers and data centers that gulp power like never before. Chris illuminates the path ahead, where technological advancement must reconcile with environmental imperatives, addressing the thermal hurdles that come with more powerful chips and the revolutionary changes needed to test these energy behemoths.

Venture into the semiconductor saga with us, tracing the arc from the inception of computing to today's digital omnipresence. The vital role of lithography, especially the marvel of Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) technology, comes to the fore as we dissect Intel's early gambles and ASML's exclusive reign in this sphere. It's a tale of triumphs and trials, where the relentless pursuit of progress meets the gradual slowdown of Moore's Law, pushing the industry towards groundbreaking R&D investments and international competitiveness.

Our exploration culminates with a striking contrast between the human brain's efficiency and the voracious power appetite of modern AI models. As we peer into the future, we speculate on the promise of biological computing, like DNA-based systems, and how they might disrupt our silicon foundations. The episode concludes by considering how AI advancements, exemplified by the capabilities of large language models such as ChatGPT, could redefine the workforce and bridge the existing skills gap. Join us for this enlightening journey through the evolution and future innovations of the semiconductor industry with the insightful Chris Miller.

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Prepare to be illuminated by the insights of Risto Puhakka from TechInsights as he joins us to map out the semiconductor industry's explosive growth, driven by the thunderous influence of AI. 

During our adventure through CES 2024, we bear witness to AI's pervasive touch, from robotics and healthcare to the sizzling innovations in micro LED technology. Risto's expert analysis doesn't just skim the surface; it plunges into the economic, political, and competitive undercurrents that are redefining the semiconductor landscape.

Venture further into the conversation as we unravel AI's sprawling web, extending its reach from agriculture to retail, and sculpting the semiconductor market's future. We dissect the burgeoning world of spatial computing, and the surging demand for data streams, processor aptitude, and memory. 

Gaze into the crystal ball with us as we reflect on 2023's rollercoaster ride – spotlighting industry bottlenecks and breakthroughs – and cast our predictions for 2024's market climate. 

It's not just a tech talk; it's a strategic analysis of the global shifts, the CHIPS Act's ripples, and how different nations are vying for supremacy in the AI arena. With Risto's guidance, we're decoding the blueprint of tomorrow's semiconductor industry, where AI reigns supreme.

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Don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends. We appreciate your support!

Thanks for tuning in to "Advantest Talks Semi"!

If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love to hear from you! Please take a moment to leave a rating on Apple Podcast. Your feedback helps us improve and reach new listeners.

Don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends. We appreciate your support!

In this episode of Advantest Talks Semi we demystify the complex interplay of semiconductors and the automotive sector. Buckle up as we navigate this intricate landscape with Malcolm Penn, the CEO of Future Horizons. 

From deep-diving into the cyclical nature of the semiconductor industry to early signs of industry recovery, Malcolm illuminates the market's recent movements. He spotlights the explosive growth of China's EV market and its strategic grip on the low-end market - a move that's not to be underestimated by the established auto industries globally. 

In the second half, Malcolm walks us through the intersection of the EV market and the rising demand for advanced semiconductors. We examine the reverberating effects of sanctions on the industry while underlining the growing importance of decentralized computing. 

Toward the end of this podcast, catch Malcolm's take on the current OpenAI media buzz and how AI chipsets are leaving an indelible impression on memory. We wrap the discussion with a look at how Avantest is riding the wave of innovation with its open solutions ecosystem Advantest ACS. 

Download this episode now for your deep dive into the dynamic world of semiconductors.

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Are you ready to supercharge your knowledge on the electrifying transformation of the automotive semiconductor industry?  
 
Fasten your seat belts for a high-octane conversation with Fabio Marino, managing director at CREA at Advantest in Italy and a trailblazer, as we drive through the accelerating shift towards green energy.  
 
We’ll be zooming in on the rapid growth of the power semiconductor market and how it's turbocharging the EV demand. Get ready to rev up your understanding of power electronics technologies like IGBTs, insulated gate bipolar transistors, silicon carbide, and gallium nitride as we put them head-to-head, comparing their specifications and power capacities. 
 
Also, we’ll shed light on how the semiconductor industry is navigating the switch from package to bare die testing, examining how it challenges the delivery of kiloamps or kilovolts through a probe card whilst maintaining efficiency and reliability.  
 
Lastly, diving into the battery testing arena, we will make sense of the implications of long lead times for probers and handlers and touch down on the maturity of silicon carbide technology and the potential influence of automated tools and the market.  
 
So buckle up, relax, and join us as we journey through the electrifying world of automotive semiconductors. 

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