Better start at lower nodes, grow to other tech nodes: S. Uma Mahesh

S. Uma Mahesh happens to be my first-ever contact from the Indian semiconductor industry, from Bangalore! That was back in 2004, when I was at EDN Asia. We met at his office, and clicked immediately. Today, he is Co-founder and Director of Innatera Nanosystems.

Innatera re-imagines what sensors can do. We bring powerful brain-inspired processing closer to the sensor. Process sensor data is blazingly fast for less than 1mW with the spiking neural processor.

Innatera’s ultra-efficient neuromorphic processors mimic the brain’s mechanisms for processing sensory data. Based on a proprietary analog-mixed signal computing architecture, Innatera’s processors leverage the computing capabilities of spiking neural networks to deliver ground-breaking cognition performance within a narrow power envelope. With an unprecedented combination of ultra-low power consumption and short response latency, these chips enable high-performance always-on pattern recognition capabilities for power-limited and latency-critical applications.

Talking about the projections being made about  the Indian semiconductor industry, he said the said projections are not quite accurate. India can't be producing anything by next year.

According to him, China ships majorly at higher nodes (jelly bean parts), at smaller wafer sizes. Also of importance is how much of these capacities are utilized on a regular basis. While China is shown to be about one-third of the global wafer capacity, they are not leading-edge, and high-value devices producing wafer.

But, yes, India can produce about 90k wafers, all at higher technologies, in that sense, in line with China.

As for the role of ATMP/OSAT, while they are linked to wafers produced in a given  place for sure, they can be considered independent of the wafer starts in a way. Though, more wafer starts means automatically more of OSAT/ATMP work.

Mahesh added: "Basically, India supplying about 90k wafers can't be ruled out, at higher nodes (like China). But, they are highly unlikely to be from China and their currently being-built fabs.

"Any ecosystem that is beginning to have its very first semiconductor fab, like in 'all  business cases everywhere' just cannot be in the very latest of nodes. They should grow towards it."

Among the most of semiconductor device volumes, they are at 45nm and 28nm. Now,  28nm is increasingly more, with analog, mixed-signal processes, having an increasingly critical role. So, if one is to start being a participant in the game, to be considered worthy a player/team, one better start at these nodes, and grow down to other technology nodes.

He concluded: "This is the most prudent approach that India has adopted. Actually, it is the approach adopted by the fab makers, and not influenced by the government, as such. So, its apt to say that it is the decision of world ecosystem abided by India, and not the other way round."