Feasibility analysis of opening a semiconductor fabrication unit in India

Abstract

The semiconductor industry has changed society in uncountable ways. Semiconductors are installed in virtually all technical equipment, ranging from dishwashers, microwave ovens and flat screens to machine tools. The use of semiconductors in cars, trains, aircraft and ships is constantly expanding. Mobile telephones consist mainly of chips. PCs, servers and pocket calculators owe their existence to the development of semiconductors. The world would be different without semiconductors and would surely be slower. And semiconductors have also laid the foundation for worldwide networking through the Internet. The development process continues to move ahead. Gordon Moore, a co-founder of Intel, formulated what came to be known as Moore s law in the late 1960s: the number of transistors that can be placed on a standard processor will double every 18 to 24 months. This law remains valid today and helps explain the tremendous pace of innovation. However, progress is expensive, particularly in the semiconductor industry. Manufacturing processes and product development are based on the latest technologies, which require substantial levels of investment. Continuous research and development work is necessary, and the capital needs of the industry are accordingly high.