Most innovated semiconductor company - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / projects

author: perfect_disturbance
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 03:45:04 pm
content: So who does everyone think is the most innovative semi conductor company? Both digital and analog.

author: casper.bang
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 04:12:42 pm
content: Intel! But they also have a research budget that dwarfs some countries GPP.

author: Shenandoah
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 05:25:39 pm
content: Tektronix or Agilents? They create mysterious RF ADC and uPs.Intel is a digital design normal speed uPs which is I think not that complex at all.

author: roli_bark
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 05:28:52 pm
content: Fairchild! . The fathers of all silicon industry leaders that we know today.

author: casper.bang
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 06:03:24 pm
content: Quote from: Shenandoah on July 09, 2013, 05:25:39 pmDesign is one aspect, manufacturing another. Intel has been so consistent in following through on their tick-tock process roadmap (strained silicon, high-K metal gate, tri-gate etc.) that nobody can really compete with them.

author: Shenandoah
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 06:44:10 pm
content: QuoteAMD

author: Alexei.Polkhanov
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 07:04:03 pm
content: Definitely none of the big ones. Innovation in hitech, at least in Americas, mostly go this way - 1. Someone at large company has an idea and a. proposes it to management and sees no interest or b. leaves a company and creates a startup based on the idea. 2. Good ideas attract investment and company makes new product. 3. Large monster like Intel or AMD buys successful or potentially successful startup. 4. Go back to step 1.

author: KJDS
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 08:12:05 pm
content: Hititte have been the one company consistently coming out with a lot of new products in the RF field for the last few years.

author: lgbeno
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 08:23:51 pm
content: Quote from: roli_bark on July 09, 2013, 05:28:52 pmRead the acquisition history on Fairchild on Wikipedia, the only thing that is the same as the founding company is the name.

author: perfect_disturbance
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 09:49:38 pm
content: I watched the PBS documentary on Fairchild and their role in starting a lot of the action in silicon valley. Then I started looking at what they have done internally (excluding acquisitions) over the last 5 years I didn't see that much that was really innovative. It seems to me like some other semiconductor companies for example TI or Maxim are releasing more interesting chips lately.

author: Shenandoah
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 09, 2013, 10:05:14 pm
content: Do they make potato chips?

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2013, 11:02:33 pm
content: For my line of work it would be either Cree or Analog Devices because they make the components that (over the years) have most defined the performance boundaries of the RF products I design. Hittite are pretty good too and also MicroSemi.

author: Spikee
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2013, 11:06:47 pm
content: Analog devices has some awesome analog parts. And also Cree has been coming out whit some nice high power led's.

author: G0HZU
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 13, 2013, 11:16:14 pm
content: The Cree products I've used have been from their SiC and GaN RF power transistor range. They also produce some awesomely accurate non linear models for these devices for use with AWR software.The AD stuff that has impressed the most over the years has been their line of DDS products. Also PLL/VCO chips like the ADF4350 and 4351 have been very useful to me

author: Fluxed Matter
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 14, 2013, 08:17:05 pm
content: While Fairchild may not be the leading or current innovator. Fairchild was one of the first innovators of the semiconductor industry. They basically started everything. From them came the others such as intel, nat semi, amd, intersil, linear, maxim, and many more. Not only did they help create the semiconductor industry but also they were involved in the equipment needed to manufacture and test their integrated circuits.To answer the question of who is leading innovation I think companies like linear, maxim, and ti.

author: cthree
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 15, 2013, 08:45:44 pm
content: The most innovative semiconductor company is likely one nobody has ever heard of and won't until we read about them being bought by some large semi company.Funny, technology acquisition in the semi space seems far less pronounced than in the software space. Maybe that's why the semi business has been limping along for more than a decade while software has dominated. Semi fabs seem to function more like big drug companies, all making the same super low margin copies of the same molecules (or chips) and variations of them.If I had to pick a name everyone knows I'd have to say IBM.

author: casper.bang
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2013, 11:00:03 am
content: Quote from: cthree on July 15, 2013, 08:45:44 pmThat's because two pimpled teens in a garage can push new boundaries when it comes to software, whereas every time a large semiconductor or pharmaceutical manufacturer is finally ready to go into production after 5-10 years of research and testing, they often need to build a brand new multi-billion process factory first.

author: deephaven
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 16, 2013, 12:51:16 pm
content: IBM