Semiconductors-the digital machinery that runs smartphones and computers, and helps run everything from cars and doorbells to water and power supplies and military systems-are ubiquitous.
Also called chips or integrated circuits, they are usually pieces of silicon with transistors etched in them-transistors keep track of the 1s and 0s that run all digital systems. Back in the late 1950s, getting four transistors to work on a small piece of silicon was a big accomplishment. The latest iPhone14’s processor has 16 billion transistors.
While the United States has led the development of chips, most are now fabricated outside the country. Taiwan and South Korea have cornered the market on building the most advanced chips-though the U.S. and China are trying to change that. Having the world’s leading makers in political hotspots is a concern, too.
In his new book Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology, Chris Miller, an assistant professor of international history at The Fletcher School, tells the story of semiconductors and their crucial role today.
He covers the creation of the technology, the fierce competition in the industry, the astounding scientific advances that propel chips into every aspect of our lives, and why the U.S. and China both view them as critical to national security.
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“There’s a substantial risk that a lot of the money China’s putting into its chip industry will end up being not commercially viable,” says Chris Miller.
Photo: Paul Rutherford
“Policymakers in Washington and Beijing increasingly realize that chips are fundamental to military power, as well as crucial to driving the civilian economy,” says Miller, who is also Jeane Kirkpatrick Visiting Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute this year.
