Graphene is a proven supermaterial, but manufacturing the versatile form of carbon at usable scales remains a challenge

By Kevin Wyss, Rice University “Future chips may be 10 times faster, all thanks to graphene”; “Graphene may be used in COVID-19 detection”; and “Graphene allows batteries to charge 5x faster” – those are just a handful of recent dramatic headlines lauding the possibilities of graphene. Graphene is an incredibly light, strong and durable material…

Australia’s place in the semiconductor world: A case for connectedness

A recently-launched semiconductor service bureau is part of the NSW government’s attempts to grow the local sector. In this edition of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Dr Nadia Court explains why the bureau exists and what it hopes to do.   The Semiconductor Sector Service Bureau (S3B) was established in July 2022 to make it…

Australia’s place in the semiconductor world — Barriers to bringing wafer production home

Today in Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Andrew McLellan illustrates a case where local innovation requires overseas fabrication, and why the situation is unlikely to change.  While improvements in technology and knowledge have driven significant advances in life sciences and healthcare industries in recent decades, methods for identifying and tracking important biological samples stored…

Australia’s place in the semiconductor world: repositioning Australia’s chip industry

Today’s edition of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world takes a look at the growing importance of compound semiconductors. Stef Winwood argues that if Australia invests strategically, with a view to the future, it could carve out a logical niche and realise compound returns The global semiconductor industry is currently a $US 600 billion a…

Australia’s place in the semiconductor world — tech wars and factory floors

Beginning week three of Australia’s place in the semiconductor world, Sercan Altun considers the role of chips in enabling a nation’s self-sufficiency goals in manufacturing, and the implications for Australia. The seeds of the current “Cold War 2.0” discussions were laid due to a rising China on the global stage, with massive economic and military…