Perspectives on the semiconductor ecosystem—the solar route
the ISA (India Semiconductor specific to this industry: 3. Will there be a preference to
Association), which became the be two to three technology
• High precision processes and
nodal agency for all semiconductor nodes behind, and address the
equipments,
aspects in India and played relevant lucrative markets such as
• Gases, water, power,
a role in the formulation automotive, white-goods, etc?
• Supply chain of materials and
the Government of India 4. Should one concentrate on
chemicals,
semiconductor policy. associated analog, mixed-signal, RF,
• Government subsidies,
5. Multinational industry etc which do not need the latest
• Large capital investments,
organizations like SEMI technology nodes?
• Environmental health and safety,
(Semiconductor Equipment and 5. Does one stay with CMOS, or look
• Proximity to air and seaports and
Materials International), which at other semiconductor processes
related transportation,
studies aspects of wafer processing, like GaAS, etc?
• Closer integration into the
packaging, test, materials, 6. Will the Indian fabs able to provide
semiconductor food chain,
standards, supply chain, public the necessary differentiation and
• Growing demand for the
policies, IP, etc., have recently set value-add to the customers as
semiconductor and electronic
up operations in India, focusing on compared to the more established
products in the Asia-Pacific region,
photovoltaics. fabs?
etc.
6. Venture capitalists have begun to 7. What is the strategy to wean away
look at start-ups in India favorably. Most importantly, the Government the potential customers from the
7. IPR (intellectual property rights) of India has recently brought out existing fabs/foundries?
and their policy formulations have semiconductor policy that gives incentives 8. Does the necessary infrastructure—
gotten a new shot in the arm. and subsidies to manufacturing units. This transportation, logistics,
8. Increasing secondary and tertiary has started to attract various companies power, chemicals, water, waste
employment has generated to keep to announce their manufacturing plans. management, supply chain,
pace with the growth, leading Indian, and multinational, companies secondary and tertiary suppliers/
to prolific growth in the hotel have evinced keen interest. Many state vendors exist?
industry to cater to increasing governments are enabling ease of 9. Are there plans to identify the steps
business travelers, travel agencies to investments. All this will further enable the to become profitable in reasonable
provide the fleet of vehicles to help growth and consolidation of the associated time, and thus have a good Return-
employees commute, restaurant ecosystem. on-Investments?
industry to provide food to the
A detailed study of such questions would
24x7 employees, real estate to Semiconductor manufacturing:
be important to any player considering
cater to the growing office space pros & cons
demand, etc. In the semiconductor industry food chain,
entering the semiconductor manufacturing
India has architects, design, software, prod-
space.
The next growth factor: ucts, end customers, and OEMs (original
manufacturing
Solar industry: an equivalent, vi-
equipment manufacturers)—along with
able semiconductor manufacturing
With this as the recent scenario as of the targeted verticals like consumer, wireless,
ecosystem
beginning of the new millennium, what automotive, medical, etc. What is missing
One very important aspect of the semi-
can fuel the next growth? is the semiconductor manufacturing, along
conductor ecosystem needs to be kept in
Various aspects need to be kept in with very minimal presence and capabili-
mind, especially since it is very relevant in
mind, such as the proven talent base ties in ATMP (assembly, test, marking and
the Indian context and can help seed the
in India, the growing customer base packaging). Setting up of fabs by IDMs,
semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem:
for semiconductors and electronics as well as foundries, will help set up an
The solar industry will help to grow this
products, an increasing band of middle- important missing link in semiconductor
ecosystem, and is interdependent with the
class population with increasing capacity industry food chain.
semiconductor manufacturing industry.
to purchase, aggressive investor-friendly While this will bring India onto the
The types of equipments used (CVD,
policies by various governments (central world map of manufacturing and also
PVD, etch, etc) in solar manufacturing are
and state), increasing product ownership help reduce the supply chain logistics/
similar to those used in semiconductor
in India, and automotive, pharmaceutical, costs for local markets, certain important
manufacturing. There could be a few
wireless and other industries setting up factors need to be addressed to help set the
minor changes depending on whether one
their manufacturing plants in India. strategy right:
is in the crystalline-silicon (c-Si), or the
All this has helped create a mindset
that has made the industry and the
1. Are the manufacturing setups likely thin-film (TF), arena. (the TF line could be
government look favorably towards
to plan to be at the leading edge amorphous-silicon, organic, CdTe, CIGS,
semiconductor manufacturing in India.
technology? Will they be able to etc), but the investments are much less
Given the above, as well as the success
fund the increasing R&D costs for (about US $300 million for a 100 MW
of the semiconductor design and services
materials, processes, etc? line) as compared to the semiconductor
industry, it is but natural to think of
2. If yes—is there a defined plan to fabs (which run into US $2.5-3.0 billion).
semiconductor manufacturing as the next
stay on the leading technology Since solar is clean energy, this could
big step. The parameters involved in setting
nodes every 18-24 months, with attract further investments—especially if the
up fabs and foundries for semiconductor
regular investments, at a minimal government provides the subsidies. And
manufacturing are quite unique and
cost $1billion and more? given the varying oil prices and a finite
www.globalsolartechnology.com
Global Solar Technology – May/June 2009 – 11
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