The 10 Most Disruptive Companies in Semiconductor Industry November2021

Editor’s Desk

Thesemiconductorindustryplaysaheroicnarrative,

Achieving Leading-Edge Capabilities

carryinginnovativetechnologicaldevelopmentson itsbackwhiletacklingthecurrentchallenges.It playsavitalrolebyprovidingvariouschipsthatarethe absolutepinnaclepillarofalltechnologicaldevelopments intheever-evolvingdigitalworld.

Pioneeringcompaniesinthesemiconductorindustryare constantlytryingtoachieveleading-edgecapabilitiesby creatingadvancedsemiconductorchipswithincreased memorycapacityandmoreincrediblecomputational abilitiesthatwillhelptaketherevolutionofdigitalizationto thenextlevel.Thevastapplicationsofthesechipsare widespreadinvariousindustries,upscalingtheutilizationto assistvariouscomponentsmaximizingthecapabilitiesto speeduptheprocessesataneverbeforeseenpace.

Semiconductorchipspowertechnologiestoenrichpeople's livesbyassistingseveralbusinessesinrunningfaster, smarter,andwithincreasedoperationalefficiencies.With thepandemicdisruptingthesemiconductorindustry globally,creatingasignificantshortageofchips, semiconductorcompaniesprioritizeachievingdesignand manufacturingcapacitiestotacklethisissuehead-on.These companiesintendtodevelopsolidcapabilitieschipstoaid thesupplychain,research,intellectualpropertyprotection, andnavigatingpoliciesfordesigningandmanufacturing highlycapablesemiconductorchips.

Resolvingconstructionissues,moderatingequipmentcosts, andenhancinginternalcapabilitiescanhelpsemiconductor companiesattainmanufacturingexcellenceforbuilding chipsthatgiveastrongperformancewithlowpower consumptioncancreatethemaximumimpactinthe industry.Theadvancedsemiconductorchipsarethebrain behindmodernelectronics,andallthemodernsystemruns withtheseadvancedchips.

Whatoxygenistohumansiswhatsemiconductoris tomodernelectronicproducts.Themoreadvanced thesemiconductorchips,themorecapabilitiesthey canprovide.Thesemiconductorcompaniescan createmoremodernproductswithadvanced semiconductorchipsthatconsumerswillenjoywith greatercomputationalabilitiesandenhanced memoryintocontemporaryelectronicproducts.Such companiescandisruptthesemiconductorindustryto agreatextentbycreatingproductswithleading-edge capacities.

Semiconductorchipsaretheessentialthingthatthe worldhaseverknownsincetheyarethebrainbehind poweringmoderntechnologies.Semiconductor companiesarecreatingworld-changingdisruptions byprovidingvariousindustriesfromArtificial Intelligence,automation,spacetourism,genomics medicine,electronicsbydesigningand manufacturingthemostadvancedsemiconductor chips.

InsightsSuccessstartedavoyagetofind "The 10 Most Disruptive Companies in Semiconductor Industry." Thiseditionwilltakeyouthroughthe impeccabletestamentsthesecompanieshave achievedovertheyearsandboldlyengravetheir nameintheindustry.

Whileflippingthroughpages,haveaglanceatthe articleswrittenbyourin-houseeditorialteam.

Enjoytheread!

sharad@insightssuccess.com

Sharad Chitalkar

CompanyName

AgileAnalog agileanalog.com

AmbiqMicro ambiq.com

FeaturedPerson

Brief

PeteHutton ExecutiveChairman

AgileAnalogismissionedtotransformthelandscapeofthe AnalogIPmarketspace.

FumihideEsaka ChairmanandCEO

AppliedMaterials appliedmaterials.com

Diakopto diakopto.com

MichaelSullivan CorporateVP

MaximErshovCEO CTO,andCo-founder

Ambiqwasfoundedonthesimpleyetpowerfulnotionthat extremelylow-powersemiconductorsarethekeytothefuture ofelectronics.

AppliedMaterialsistheleaderinmaterialsengineering solutions.

Diakoptoisarapidlygrowingstartupdevelopingrevolutionary EDAsoftwareplatform,toolsandmethodologies.

Efinix efinixinc.com

NEOSemiconductor neosemic.com

SammyCheung Co-Founder,President andCEO.

AndyHsu FounderandCEO

JensenHuang Founder NVIDIA nvidia.com

Nova novami.com

OmegaOptics omegaoptics.com

SEMINEX seminex.com

ZoharGil ChiefMarketing andBusiness DevelopmentOfficer

Efinix'missionistodrivethefutureofedgecomputingwithits FPGAsiliconplatforms.

NEOSemiconductorisastartupcompanyfocusedon3D NANDflashmemorytechnology

NVIDIA’sinventionoftheGPUin1999sparkedthegrowthof thePCgamingmarket,redefinedmoderncomputergraphics, andrevolutionizedparallelcomputing.

Novadeliverscontinuousinnovationbyprovidingadvanced metrologysolutionsforthesemiconductormanufacturing industry

RayChen Founder

DanielChu VPofMarketingand BusinessDevelopment

OmegaOpticshasdevelopedafamilyofhighperformance, reliable,low-costandportableproductsforvariousapplications inopticalsensing,bio-sensing,andopticalcommunications.

SemiNexCorporationmanufactureshighpower,infraredlaser diodesformilitary,industrial,cosmeticandmedical applications.

Asabusinessleader,onemightscoffatthethought

ofinspirationinleadership.Somebusinessleaders maydismissthevisionasover-the-top,and perhapsevenpretentious.But,theworldofinnovation, creatingwealth,greatprofessionalbondscanallbealittle jarring.Withoutinspirationtodriveanaturalsenseof curiosityandaspiration–therailofproductivitycan quicklylosesteam.Ontheotherhand,thereisaconcrete waytostepforward,tobuild,andtodeliverinspiration.A companythatencapsulatesthespiritofinspirationatevery stepisNEOSemiconductor

AGame-ChangingInnovation

SoonafteritsbeginninginSanJose,Californiain2012,the companydedicatedin3DNANDflashmemorytechnology and,aftersixyearsofdevelopment,deviseditssignatureXNANDarchitectureforsemiconductorchips.The

architecturehasbecomeabenchmarkforexcellenceinthe semiconductorindustry.Theaward-winningarchitecture solvesthekeyissueofspeedandlackofadaptationinold semiconductorchips.Today,theX-NANDarchitecture improvesrandomreadandwritespeedsby3times, sequentialwritespeedsby15times,andsequentialread speedsby30times.Thisisthebenchmarkofexcellenceat NEOSemiconductorinanutshell.

NEOSemiconductorcreatessolutionstosomeofthemost pressingtechnologyissuesofourtime.NEO Semiconductorfocusesondevelopingfundamentallygamechangingtechnology.Onceithasachievedthisgoal,it offersthetechnologytotheworldatlarge.Itsclientsstand towinbyapplyingtheirIPpatentstosomeremarkable challengesthatareattheforefrontofcommercial investments.However,itisn’tjustthecommercialpromise ofitsapplicationthatmakesthecompanystandoutamong itscompetitors.

TheX-NANDarchitecturesolvesthecoreissueof flexibilityandadaptabilityinsemiconductorchips.Major technologygiantslikeMicrosoft,Amazon,Googleare pushingchipmanufacturerstocreateAI-enabledchips. ThesechipsneedtoaccessmassivedataandAIalgorithm storedinhigh-speedemergingmemorychips.These memorychipsarelikelytobetremendouslyexpensive,and theirpotentialadaptationtomillionsofupcomingAI functionremainsaworry.Ontheotherhand,theX-NAND simplyoffersnewarchitecturetodrasticallyincreasethe performanceofNANDflashmemoryforsingle-levelcell, multi-levelcell,triple-levelcell,andquad-levelcells.Its adaptationtovariousdifferentcelllevelsenablesittooffer datastoragesystemsinkeyfuturistapplicationslikeAI, IoT,andcloud.AccordingtoAndyHsu,theFounderand CEOofNEOSemiconductor,“thearchitectureoffersa high-speed,high-density,lowcost,lowrisk,fast-turnaround solutionforNANDflashmemory”.

AProspectofStabilityinGlobalSupplyChains

Thesemiconductorindustryisonthevergeofamajorleap intermsoftechnology.Ontheonehand,theissueswith speed,adaptability,andupcomingAIapplicationsremain keychallengesforthesemiconductorbusiness.Thishas resultedinmajorsupplychaindelaysacrosstheglobe, resultinginincreasedcostsanddisruptionsincrossindustrycollaboration.Ontheotherhand,AIapplications promiseanewarenaofopportunitiesforthesemiconductor whichtranscendbeyondsomewildtheoriesoncommercial prospects.Forexample,semiconductorchipsarelikelyto beintroducedinnewautomatedvehicles,andeveryother AI-drivenfutureapplication,includingrefrigerators, smartphones,IoT,virtualpersonalassistants,andmore. Theseallrelyonhigh-speedprocessingofhugeamountof datastoredinmemorychips.However,thetechnologyto maketheleapismissing.

NEOSemiconductor’ssignatureX-NANDarchitecture promisestosolvethesupplydisruptioninthehigh-speed

datastorageindustry Thesupplychaindisruptionhas partiallycometotheforeduetoincreaseddemandfrom clientstoupgradeNANDflashmemory Thisiscriticalfor thegrowingneedtoimprovedatastorageforawiderange ofmachinelearning,andAIapplications.

However,solvingthischallengeisnotstraightforward.For example,whileupgradingtraditionalmemorymodulesto emergingmemorieslikeFRAM,PCM,RRAM,requires newprocesses,andnewmaterials.Ontheotherhand,the X-NANDarchitecturedoesnotrequireclientstoinvestin newtechnology,andcanbedirectlyappliedtotheold technology.Hence,companiescanintegrateX-NAND technologyintheirexistingAI-enabledNANDflash memoryframeworktobuildthenextproductwithoutany additionalcosts,research,ordelays.

AnInspirationalJourney

In2020,NEOSemiconductorwasawardedthe‘Most InnovativeFlashMemoryStartup’AwardattheFlash MemorySummit.ItsCEObelievesNEOSemiconductor willcontinuetoscalenewheights,thankstothegrowing backboneofitsexpertiseinthe3Dflashchiparena.Today, thecompanyissolvingawiderangeofchallengesinthe semiconductorindustry,includingresistivememory,AI chiptechnology,ultra-lowpowerCMOS-basedIoT memory,andphase-changememory.Andynotesthatthese arekeytoembracinganincreasinglymobileworkforce. “Asthepandemicragedon,everythingin-between working,education,gaming,socialinteractionsbecame virtual”.

Thishassparkedatremendousdemandforfaster,and higherdensityNANDflashmemorysystems”.NEO Semiconductorisreadytotacklethegrowingchallengeof competitionhead-onwithitssignaturetechnology.The companyplanstoofferacustomizedsolutiontokey businessarenaslikecloud,anddatacenterswithspecialized solutions.NEOSemiconductorwillprovideTLC-QLC

productsfordatacenters,andcloud providers.Moreover,itwillofferSLCMLCproductsformid-stream applicationssuchasStorageClass MemoryorSCM.Fordown-stream applicationssuchasembedded systems,thecompanywillofferserial NANDflashmemory.Thestrategic andwiseplanningwilllikelyensurea speedyscalingupofentiredatastorage hierarchicalsystemtomeettheneeds ofmoststakeholdersintheindustry

Everyorganizationaimstoinstillan inspiredworkforceattheheartofits operation.Suchoperationiscriticalfor thesuccessofmostbutessentialfor enterprisesinvestinginbreakthrough R&D.Knowledgeisoftenacquiredas buildingblockstobuildsomething bigger,andbetter.Suchacquisitioncan takeyearsinefforts,andinvestment. Furthermore,suchinvestmentsreside inthemurkywatersofuncertainty.For example,acompanyseekingtofinda replacementforlithium-ionmaterial forelectricbatteriesmayneverfind one.Hence,acompanyculturegeared tofindthenextbigthingintheR&D arenamustfindwaystoinspireitself everyday.Somesay,inspirationin essenceisdevotionpersonified,andthe leadershipatNEOSemiconductor seemstoagree.AccordingtoAndy, “The persistence, confidence, and the relentless efforts of my team have inspired our successful journey”.

ACommittedPathtoSuccess

AndyHsu,andtheco-founderofNEO Semiconductor,RayTsayarewitnesses tomanytechnologicalchallengesevery day.Raynotes,“We plan to advance semiconductor technology to everyone’s benefit with our IP solutions”. NEOSemiconductorhas optedforauniquepathtobusiness growth.Nearlyeverycompanyinthe businessbuildstechnologytomakea fortuneforitself.Whilethereis

nothingwrongwithit,veryfew understandthetroublethatcomeswith it.Especiallyforastartupcompany,it isahugechallengeformarket competition.NEOSemiconductorhas chosenanoff-beatbutwisepathto growth.ThecompanyprovidesIPtoits clients,andremainscommittedtoits coreareaofresearch,bysacrificing potentialofsales,andtheburdenof marketingoperationsamongothers.

APreciousInvestment

Inrecentyears,NEOSemiconductor hastakenefforttothemedialaneto informthepublicaboutits breakthroughtechnology.Sinceits inception,thecompanyhaswalkeda clearpathtoworkbehindcloseddoors, andremainstoicinpursuitof innovation.However,initseffortto givebacktothecommunity,the companyplanstoinvestineducation ofscienceandtechnologyinvarious ways.Thecompanyfoundersnow frequentlyattendconferences,media events,andvirtualseminarstospread positivityaboutinnovationinscience andtechnology.,NEOSemiconductor hasbeenscheduledtobefeaturedon CNBCAdvancementTVseries educationalprogram.Theprogramwill goonairinNovember2021.

Onlytimecantellwhethercompany’s investmentineducationpaysoff. However,withacommittedand devotedteameffort,thereisverylittle tostopNEOSemiconductortoreach thepinnacleofsuccess.

The 10 Most Disruptive Companies in Semiconductor Industry

Agile Analog

Analog IP the way you want it

Untilnow,buyersofanalogIPhavehadtosettlefor theleastbadoptionfromalimitedportfolioof standardIPproducts.

AgileAnalogisthecompanybehindanewapproach:to givethedesignersofASICsandSoCstheanalogIPthat theyreallywant.Andtoenablethisnewapproach,they developedtheveryuniqueCOMPOSA™methodologyfor thegenerationofcustomer-specifiedIPfreshforeverynew chipdesignfromanyfoundryonanynode.

WithamissiontotransformthelandscapeoftheAnalogIP marketspace,AgileAnaloghasexpandedtheportfoliofor standardIPproducts.ExecutiveChairmanPeteHutton bringsavastamountofIPexperiencetotheteamfromhis timeatArmandhasaggressiveplansforthecompany’s growth

WeatInsightsSuccesscaughtupwithPeteHuttoninour endeavortofind“The10MostDisruptiveCompaniesin SemiconductorIndustry.”WetalkedwithPeteto understandhowAgileAnalogischangingthelandscapeof AnalogIP

Below are the highlights of the interview.

Giveusabriefoverviewofyourcompany,itsmission, andthekeyaspectsofitsstrongfootholdinthe Semiconductorindustry.

AgileAnalogbringsfreedomofchoicetoICdesignersin theiruseofanalogcircuits(analogIP).Fortoolong, designershavebeenrestrictedintermsoftimescales, processchoice,orfunctionalityoftheanalogcircuitsthey wanttouse.Inmanycases,theanalogtailwagstheSoC dog.

AgileAnalogprovidesexactlytheanalogIPthatcustomers wantbychangingtheexistingmanualdesignparadigminto afullyautomatedend-to-endflow.

Describeyourtop-notchofferingsthataddresstheneed ofyourcustomers.

Wehaveinternalautomationtechnologywhichcaptures analogIPdesignsandthenenablesthosedesignstobe quicklyandreliabilitygeneratedonnewsiliconprocesses sothatitpreciselymatchesthecustomer’srequirements.

Whatmakesyourcompanyapreferredchoiceamong yourclienteleoverothercompetitors?

We’retheonlysupplierwhogivescustomerstheanalogIP thattheywantontheprocesstheywant.Ourapproachis completelysiliconprocessindependentandcangenerate thesamedesignon180nmorFinFET,andwilltailorthe designfortheprocess.

Noothervendorcandothiswithoutundertakinga long,expensive,andpotentiallybug-ridden manualprocess.

Analog IP the way you want it.

Pete Hutton Executive Chairman Agile Analog

Howisyourcompanyimplyingthelatestinnovative technologiestostreamlineyourworkprocess?

Wehavecreatedourowndesignflowbyinterfacingtoand drivingleading-edgeEDAtoolsfromCadence,Mentor,and Synopsys.Allourdesignanddataiscloud-hosted,andour engineerscanaccesstheirdesignsandtoolsanywherein theworld.

Communicationsinternallyandwithcustomersuseallthe latesttechnologies.

Describethevaluesthatdriveyourorganization.

PartnerandQuality-focusedtomakesurethatwealwaysdo thebestforthepeoplewe’resupplying,andwegoabove andbeyondtomakethemsuccessfulwiththeirdesigns. Anopen,transparent,andcollaborativeEngineering organizationwithpeopleatalllevelsofthecompany empoweredtomaketherightdecisions.

Inyouropinion,whatcouldbethefutureofthe SemiconductormarketposttheCOVID-19pandemic? Andhowareyoustrategizingyourcompany’s operationsforthatfuture?

Covidhasmadetwomassivechangestothetechnology world.Thefirstisthatwe’veseen15yearsoftechnological changeacceleratedoverthelast18months.Thesecondis

thatremoteworkingandvideocallshavebecome commonplace.

We’vealreadyseenthetechnicalchangeripplethroughinto semiconductordemand,andthatwillcontinue,aswillthe dynamicthatpushesmosttechnologycompaniestodesign theirownsilicon.SinceallICsuseanalogIP,thenthat’s justatailwindaccelerationofwhatwe’realreadydoing. Remoteworkingmeansthatpeopleneedsecuritymorethan eversincetheyhavedistributedworkingenvironments,and we’reallnowmixinghomeandofficeworking,andsoour focusonthatareaisbeneficial.

Inwhatwayshaveyouoryourcompanycontributedto thecommunity?

Wesupportstartupsthroughpartnershipswithpeoplelike SiliconCatalystanddirecttrainingandguidancefor companiesdoingtheirfirstsilicon.We’reengagingwith industryactivitiesaroundsecuritytodrivestandardization andsecureourcustomer’sproducts.

Whatareyourfutureaspirations?Wheredoyousee yourcompanyinthenextfiveyears?

Inthenextfiveyears,wewillhaveourtechnology,both analogIPandperhapsalsomethodology,outinmostofthe newICsbeingdesigned.

Key Growth Drivers of the Semiconductor Industry Semiconductor Industry

Enhancing Capabilities

Semiconductorsarethemostimportantdriving instrumentsofalltheprogressintechnological developments.Thesemiconductorindustrythat manufacturessemiconductororsuppliesmaterialsis experiencingcontinuousgrowthduetocontinuouslyrising technologicaldevelopments.Theglobalsemiconductor marketisgrowingrapidlywiththeincreasingnecessityof semiconductormaterialsinArtificial-Intelligencedriven electronics.Itisgrowingextensivelywithneedslikelong batterylife,biometricverificationnecessitiesinmaximum places,andmaximizingAIcapabilities.

Theongoinginnovations,datacenters,increasinguseof electroniccomponents,andadvancedsoftwareinthe semiconductorindustrycontributetothesemiconductor industry'sgrowth.Developingsecuredchipsisoneofthe mostimportantpartsinthesemiconductorindustryfor enhancedsecurityoftheproducts.Thesemiconductor industryneedstoconstantlyinnovateproductstomeetthe evolvingtechnologyneeds.

Smallerchipsareinmoredemandbecausetheyrequireless powerandbettersupportwirelessconnectivity

Semiconductorchipspowertechnologiesforenrichingthe livesofcustomersandformakingbusinessesrunfaster, smarter,andwithenhancedfunctionalitiesandoperational efficiency Thekeydriversthatplaythemostsignificant roleinthegrowthofthesemiconductorindustryare:

• TheincreasinguseoftechnologiessuchasAI,IoT,and cloudcomputing

•

Theincreasingneedforautonomousandelectric vehicles

• Thegrowthof5GandAR/VRtechnology,

• Transitionto10nmnodeandbeyond,andalso

• Reductionincorporatetaxes

Fromadvanceddataanalytics,facialrecognitionsoftware, militaryequipment,andself-drivingcars,AIapplications arepracticallypresentinmostofthefields.The continuouslygrowingneedforAI-basedapplicationsin differentindustriesiscreatingnewgrowthopportunitiesfor suppliersandmanufacturersinthesemiconductorindustry ArtificialIntelligencetechnologyisalsobringing improvementsinthemanufacturingofthesemiconductor industry.Itishelpingtospeeduptheprocessesinthe semiconductorindustry,increasingtheperformance capabilitiesofthesemiconductorchips,improving productionefficiency,reducingproductioncostsandtime, andincreasingoutput.

Semiconductorchipsplayavitalroleintheinnovationand growthofautomotivetechnologiesusedforelectric vehiclesandconnectedcars.Withtherisinguseofelectric vehiclesandautonomousvehicles,theneedfor semiconductorchipswillbehuge.Thecompaniesinthe semiconductorindustryhavetomeettherisingneedfor semiconductorchips.Theautomotivemarketisevolving andgrowingrapidlyandwillcontinuetogrowmoreinthe future.Tomeetthisincreasingdemand,manufacturing processesintheindustryshouldevolve.

Arapidlygrowingmarketgivesanopportunityfor automotivesemiconductorstoenhancebatteryperformance inelectricvehicles,forsupportingincreasedconnectivityin cars,enhancingthecapabilityofsensorsandother technologies.Thefascinationformoreandmorenano productswithmaximumfunctionalitiesisincreasingvery significantly.Theshifttosmallernodesgivescompaniesin thesemiconductorindustryacompetitiveedgeasthese smallernodeshelpinlesspowerconsumptionand increasedperformanceofproducts.

Thesemiconductorindustryalsobenefitsfromthe increasinguseof5Gtechnologyinsocietyandthe acceptanceofaugmentedrealityandvirtualrealityin industrialbusinessesandgamingcompanies.Theuseof semiconductorsinmanyindustriesiscreatingincreasing businessopportunitiesforsemiconductorcompaniesinthe semiconductorindustry Thereductioninthecorporatetax isalsodevelopingafavorableandaffordablebusiness atmosphereforcompaniesintheUSAsemiconductor industry.Thisattractsinvestmentsinthecountryandin turn,makessemiconductorsolutioncompaniesmore competitiveintheresearch,design,andmanufacturing processes.Thiscanleadtomaximumprofitabilityand revenueforthesemiconductorcompaniesinthe semiconductorindustry

Morebusinessesaremovingtowardsdigitalization,smart home,smartgamingtechnologies,andmore.Thenecessity ofremoteworkfunctionalities,increasingdemandforsmart electronicproductsarealsodrivingthegrowthinthe semiconductorindustry Thosecompanieswhowillsucceed increatingsmaller,faster,andaffordablesemiconductor productswillbecomethemostsignificantplayerinthe semiconductorindustryandcanavailacompetitive advantageoverothers.Drivenbyautomotivesectors,AI applications, IoT,communicationtechnologies,anddata processingfields,thesemiconductorindustry'sfutureis highlybrightastheneedofthisindustryisgoingtobehuge inthefuture.

TounlockthefullpotentialoftheInternetofThings (IoT)devices,itisessentialtofindenergy-efficient semiconductorsthatcanassistthemagnitudeof theirgrowthinthenearfuture.However,companies workinginthisnichefacevariousproblemssuchas inadequatesecurity,limitedcustomerdemands,and technologybarriers.Toresolvetheseissues,Ambiqis committedtoimprovingthequalityoflifebyenablingthe intelligenceofendpointswhilefurtherreducingcarbon footprints.

Withovertwodecadesofexperienceinsenior management,FumihideEsaka,theChairmanandCEO ofAmbiq,overseestheoperationswithhismeticulous attentionandaccuracy.Underhisleadership,Ambiqhasa

“Ambiq – your partner in endpoint intelligence.”

diversespectrumofexperiencesandskillset;wecame togetherandunitedwithonegoaltoenablethetrueInternet ofThingswherethebattery-poweredendpointdevicescan trulybeconnectedintuitivelyandintelligently24/7.

WecameacrossAmbiqinourquesttofind "The 10 Most Disruptive Companies in Semiconductor Industry." We talkedwithFumihidetounderstandhowAmbiqis maximizingindustrialdesignflexibility.

Below are the highlights of the interview

Giveusabriefoverviewofyourcompany,itsmission, andthekeyaspectsofitsstrongfootholdinthe Semiconductorindustry.

Ambiqhasbeenonasingularmissiontoputintelligence everywherebycreatingthemostenergy-efficient semiconductorsolutionsforbattery-poweredIoTendpoint devicessince2010.Ambiqhashelpedmanyleading manufacturersworldwidedevelopproductsthatcanoperate fordays,months,andsometimesyearsonabatteryand evendoawaywiththebatteryentirelybyharvesting energy.

Ambiq'spatentedSubthresholdPowerOptimized Technology(SPOT™)platformhasrevolutionizedthe equationbetweenoperationsandpowerconsumptionto supportproductstorunmorefunctionsformuchlonger OurultimategoalistoenableArtificialIntelligence(AI)on mobileandportabledevicesthatarenotpossiblewithout Ambiq'sadvancedultra-low-powermicrocontroller(MCU) andSystem-on-Chip(SoC)solutions.Withover100million unitsshippedin2020,andareontracktomeetourgoalto enableintelligenceonmorethan100billionIoTendpoint devicesinthenearfuture.Formoreinformation,visit www.ambiq.com

Describeyourtop-notchofferingsthataddresstheneed ofyourcustomers.

IoTdevicestoday,suchaswearables,hearables,game consoles,remotecontrols,etc.,demandmorefeaturesand functionalitiesthaneverbefore,especiallywhenthe COVID-19pandemichappened.Peopleareconcerned abouttheirownhealthandthewelfareandhealthoftheir lovedones.Oursolutionaimstoenablethedevelopmentof newfeaturesandfunctionalitiesonnewproductswithout sacrificingpowerusage.

The 10 Most Disruptive Companies in Semiconductor Industry

Fumihide Esaka Chairman & CEO Ambiq

Thereareafewreasonswhy9outofthetop10wearable companiesareworkingwithAmbiq.WhatsetsAmbiqapart fromtherestofthesemiconductorcompaniesfirstand foremostisourproprietarytechnologyplatform,SPOT Ratherthanusingtransistorsthatareturnedalltheway "on,"subthresholdcircuitsusetheleakageof"off" transistorstocomputeinboththedigitalandanalog domains.

Withmostcomputationshandledbyusingonlyleakage current,totalsystempowerconsumptionontheorderof nanoampsiseasilyachieved.Operationatsuchlow voltagesisverychallengingduetosusceptibilitytonoise, highsensitivitytotemperature,andvariabilitydueto processdrift.IndevelopingtheSPOT™platform,Ambiq hasaddressedallofthesechallengesbyredesigningevery analoganddigitalcircuitinthechiptoadapttothe temperature,voltage,andmanufacturingvariationsatthese voltagelevels.

FromcustomerservicerepresentativestoourChairmanand CEO,everyoneatAmbiqiscommittedtosupportingour customersandchannelpartnerstoachievetheirgoals.

entirepowersemiconductorecosystemtofollowby demonstratingwhatwasunattainablebyother semiconductormanufacturers.

Inyouropinion,whatcouldbethefutureofthe SemiconductormarketposttheCOVID-19pandemic? Andhowareyoustrategizingyourcompany's operationsforthatfuture?

WeenvisiontheIoTtocontinuetorapidlyexpandtoenable everythingconnectedandpossiblyautomatedto communicatewitheachotheranddeliverdecision-making insights;theneedforsemiconductorswillgrow exponentially AstheCOVIDinterruptedtheentiresupply chain,thegrowingdemandforchipswillcontinuetobea challengetomostmanufacturersasthedemandandneed forbetterproductswithnewfeatureswillalwaysbethere.

Inwhatwayshaveyouoryourcompanycontributedto thecommunity?

Ambiqopenedofficesinsixcountries,theUSA,Taiwan, China,Singapore,Japan,andIndia,tosupportthelocal economicsandbecomemoreembeddedintothedaily fabricsofthecommunitiesweserve.Weproactivelyreach outtolocalacademicinstitutionstoofferfreelecturesand paidinternships.OurgoalofputtingintelligenceattheIoT endpointistoultimatelycontributetoabetter,cleaner,and moresustainableenvironmentwherebatteryusecanbe extendedoreliminated.

Weareconstantlylookingintowaystoimproveourtools andprocessestobemoreefficientandcompetitive.With thatinmind,wekeepanopenenvironmentwhereour employeesfeelfreetocommunicatetheirthoughtsand concernsaboutourexistingtoolsandprocesses.Inthelast twoyearsalone,we'veadoptednewmartechservicesto helpwithPRdistribution,mediamonitoring,email automation,CRM,MicrosoftSharePointforinternaland externalcollaborations,andinventoryaccessmanagement tohelpstreamlinevariousprocesses.

Describethevaluesthatdriveyourorganization.

Ourmissionistoputintelligenceeverywhere.Ourvisionis todelivertheworld'smostenergy-efficientsolutionsto enableartificialintelligencetotheendpoint.Wevalue collaboration,creativity,innovation,openness,andmost importantly,trustandintegrity.Withadiversehardware portfolioandafullsuiteofsoftwaresolutions,Ambiqis poisedtounleashEndpointAIandbringtrueintelligenceto devicesbeyondtheEdge.Ambiqhassetahigherbarforthe

Ambiq'scontinuouscooperationonSonyenvironmental qualityassuranceactivitiesisnowacertifiedSonyGreen Partner.

Whatareyourfutureaspirations?Wheredoyousee yourcompanyinthenextfiveyears?

Ambiqstrivestoputintelligenceeverywhere.Artificial intelligence(AI)andmachinelearning(ML)arecurrently executedeitherintheCloudorattheedgeastheyrequirea massiveamountofenergyforcomputation.Ourpatented SubthresholdPowerOptimizedTechnology(SPOT™) platformwill,forthefirsttime,extendtheAIandMLtothe endpointwheredevicesrelyonbatteriestooperate.We envisionthefutureofaninterconnectedworldwhere mobileandportabledevicescanruncomplexoperationsfor optimumuserexperiencefordays,weeks,ormonthswitha singlecharge.

Whatmakesyourcompanyapreferredchoiceamong yourclienteleoverothercompetitors?

Howisyourcompanyapplyingthelatestinnovative technologiestostreamlineyourworkprocess?

Maxim Ershov CEO, CTO, & Co-founder Diakopto

Game-changing EDA Solutions

“We offer a unique EDA methodology that dramatically accelerates IC design debugging and optimization by helping engineers analyze, visualize and debug a broad range of problems caused by layout parasitics.”

Whilethesemiconductorindustryhasbeenfacing thechip-shortageforaboutayearnow,one majorissuethathasbeenlurkinginthe shadowsforyearsbuthasn'tgotmuchconsiderationis debugginglayoutparasitics.Todealwiththeproblem, Diakoptowasfoundedontherecognitionthatparasiticsare nowafirst-orderproblem.Thesemiconductorindustry demandsaradicalchangeinmethodologyandtoolstomeet thechallenge.

Committedtoresolvingthisissue,Co-founderMaxim Ershovpioneeredanewmethodologythatattacksthe problemfromtheperspectiveoftheengineerstaskedwith ICdesignandlayoutoptimization.AstheCEOandCTO ofthecompany,heisdrivingthedevelopmentofanew breedofEDAtools-easytouse,intuitive,ordersof magnitudefaster,visual,andprovidingactionableinsights.

Letushavearundownoftheirinnovativeapproach.

TheOverview

Expressinghisview,Maximstatesthattheindustry migrationtoadvancedFinFETnodes(16nmandbelow)coupledwiththedemandforhigherspeedandhigher precisioncircuits-hasledtoaparadigmshift:parasitics fromon-chipwiresandinterconnectsarenowmore problematicthantransistors.Theincreasedcomplexity–moremetallayers,thinner,narrower,proximitytoeach other–hasdrivenanexponentialriseinthenumber, magnitude,andseverityofparasiticsimpactingon-chip performance,power,andtime-to-market;atthesametime, marketwindowsareshrinking.

MaximcontinuesthatexistingEDAtoolsand methodologieshavenotadaptedtothisnewreality,and becauseofthistheindustryhasexperiencedaperfectstorm. Engineersspendcountlessdaysandweekstryingtoresolve numerousproblemscausedbylayoutparasitics.MostEDA toolstreatparasiticsanalysisasa"blackbox,"deliveringno insightsintothecausesofproblems,forcingengineersto adoptatrial-and-errorapproach.

Diakoptoisdisruptingtheindustrybyofferingunique productstofillavoidtoendthefrustratingandtimeconsumingdebuggingprocess.Itsproductsaredesigned aroundanewapproachtohelpengineersdevelopnextgenerationchipsmoreeffectivelyandefficiently The methodologyisbasedonthreeprinciples:

1)Findthesourcesofmajordesignproblemstofocus resourcesonthemostcriticalissuesthatimpacttheoverall circuit(anddon'tspendtimeoninsignificantissues).

2)Speedtheanalysis,soresultscomebacksignificantly faster

3)Providevisualcontextsoengineerscanseewhere problemsoccurandhowtheyimpactoverallcircuit performance.

Andanoverridingthemeistomakethecompany's solutionsintuitive,easy,andenjoyabletouse.

Best-in-Class

Diakopto'sfirstproduct,ParagonX™,wasannouncedthis yearandisprovingtofillthegapunmetbyother

approachestodebugginganddesignoptimization.

ParagonXdeliversintelligenceandinsightsthathelp designersexploreandfindsolutionstofixproblemsand improvedesignsmorequickly

MaximstatesthatICdebuggingandoptimizationtimeis reducedtominutesorhoursbyenablingengineerstofocus effortonthemostproblematicparasiticelements(ignoring thousands,evenbillionsofinsignificantones).Hesays, "ParagonX delivers a comprehensive set of rapid analyses integrated with visualization, which helps users analyze, visualize, and debug a broad range of problems caused by layout parasitics. The acceleration of the design process is aided by the capability to visualize parasitic effects over the layout.”

WhyDiakopto?

Diakopto'ssolutionshavealreadybeenadoptedbyover35 industry-leadingcustomers,includingsomeofthelargest semiconductorcompanies,systemOEMs,andhyper-scale datacentercorporations.

Maximbelievestherearenumerousreasonsfortherapid adoptionofthecompany'sproducts.Withtoday'sdesign complexityanditerativenatureofthedesignflow, designersandlayoutengineersneedatooltohelpthem analyzeandvisualizeRCeffectstounderstandanddebug circuitsthroughoutthedesignprocess.BeforeParagonX, nosuchtoolexisted.ParagonXspotsRCweaknessesinthe circuitlayoutwithoutrequiringlengthysimulations.

ParagonXprovidesICdesign,CAD,andlayoutengineers anunderstandingofparasiticeffectstomoreintelligently identifythemainsourcesofcircuitproblemscausedby interconnectsandfocustheireffortsonresolvingthosethat willyieldthegreatestbenefitsfortheoverallcircuit.This resultsinfeweriterationsduringsimulationbecauseofthe analysesandoptimizationsenabledbyParagonXatthe designphase.

Sharinghisinsights,Maximsays, "ParagonX compliments existing design flows and doesn't replace any existing tools. The disruption it is causing is that it enhances existing design processes, and for the first time, puts a targeted tool

in the hands of those engineers tasked with parasitics debugging. Elevating their endeavors from a "whack-amole" approach to one that facilitates design optimization with insight as a key part of the process.”

ThePillarsofDiakopto

Talkingaboutthevaluesoftheorganization,Maximsays, "As engineers and scientists focused on EDA, we are committed to helping engineers engaged in solving the increasingly critical and often frustrating problem of parasitics debugging.”

Headds,"Parasiticsdebuggingisoftenviewedasdirty work,somethingthateveryoneknowsisanenormous issue”,butpointsoutthattodate,there'sbeennoglamour inhavingtodealwithitandnotoolsspecificallydesigned toaddressthis. "We are passionate about delivering solutions that elevate parasitics debugging, design verification, and optimization to their rightful place in the IC design process. We help accelerate time-to-tapeout – and even make dealing with parasitics an enjoyable endeavor for our customers," assertsMaxim.

HelpingHandtotheDesignCommunity

DiakoptosolutionsarebeingwelcomedbytheICdesign communityitserves.Forthefirsttime,theparasitics debuggingprocessempowersengineerstoleveragetheir experienceandintellectmorehighlytoimpactthequality oftheoveralldesignandmakesignificantcontributionsto PPA.

EnvisioningFuture

Asexpected,Diakoptowillcontinuetoaddresstheneedsof ICdesignverificationandoptimizationusingthesame methodologyasembodiedinParagonX.Thedemandfor additionalsolutionshasdrivenDiakoptotoexpandits developmentteamin2021,withahighlyexperiencedteam ofengineersandscientists.Thecompanyrecentlyreleased asecondproducttoearlycustomersandplansadditional productintroductionsin2022.

Thedigitalrevolutionhaspoweredallthethingswe do,andtodayevenabasicsmartphoneismore powerfulthancomputers.Thisparadigmshifthas comewiththebeliefintechnology.Lookatthischainradio,television,film,computer,andtheinternethavemade usallbelieveintechnology Theshifttointegratedchips andtransistorsintheelectronicsindustryisonesuch example,asitcanbeusedforamplifiers,videoprocessors, computermemory,switches,andmicroprocessors.The semiconductorindustryhassetthisbaseofchipsand transistors,andithastunedthemanufacturingandthe electronicsindustry

Today,semiconductorshavebecomethebackboneofthe digitaleconomy;withmostelectronicdevicesoftenusing chips,itstrengthensthemanufacturingbaseacrossthe industries.So,whatarethetoolsandmethodologiesthatare solvingtheproblems?

TheEnergyAspect

Thecurrentworlddemandsadditionalenergy,andthatis wherethesemiconductorindustryiskeepingupbybeing efficientaboutenergyusage.Thisincludesmanufacturing forelectronificationvehicles,powermanagement,and chargingstations.Additionally,tocombattheheatwastage fromcomputerprocesses,anewsemiconductormaterialfor thermalmanagementistheanswer.Itsuniqueapproachof eco-friendlydevicescanuseamagneto-mechano-electric device,whichconvertsweakmagneticfieldsinto electricity.

Semiconductorcompanieshavestartedfollowingecofriendlypractices.Theendgoalistobuildsolutionsfora sustainableplanetwiththeusageofitsbatteries.Its productsaresmallerinsize,occupylessspace,consume lesspower,andareextremelysensitivetotemperatureand radiation.Reducingwasteandevaluatingmaterialsin manufacturingandfindinggeothermalenergyalternatives aresomewaystobecomeenvironmentallyconscious.

StandingTallinUnprecedentedTimes

Inthetimesofthepandemic,thesemiconductorindustry lookedverymuchreadyforthechallenge,rightfrom protectingemployees,securingsupplychains,and addressingotherconcerns.Thedemandcouldincreasefor semiconductorsinthecomingtime,enablingservers, connectivity,andcloudusagewiththeincreasingdemand foritsproductsandservices.Itworkscontactlesswith touchscreensandelevatorbuttons,sensorsthatwouldhelp

Unders Semiconduct

smarthomesandillpatients,anddeliverysolutionssuchas robotsanddrones.

KeytoallAnswers

Thesemiconductorindustryisconstantlylookingforways toimproveitstoolsandmethodologiestobemoreefficient andcompetitive.Ithasalreadyproveditsworthsincethe lastfewmonthsandcontinuestodosoacrossthe industries.Itisthemostsuitedandisthefuture-ready solutionprovidertodescribeitinafewwords.So,ifwe wanttounleashitstruepower,weneedtoenable everythingthatcanbeconnectedwiththeelectronicsand manufacturingcompanies.Thiswillensurethegrowthof thesemiconductorindustryfromthesupplychain,tochips, totheday-to-dayworkingofourlife.

Asthedemandforelectronicservicescontinuestogrow, realizingafuture-acombinationofsensors,datacenters, andcomputingcapabilities,therewillbemuchmorefurther developmentsinthesemiconductorindustry The semiconductorindustrywillinspiremoreinnovativeand morepowerfulsemiconductor-basedcompanies.Itwill drivealargeportionofthefor-datacentersandtheedge. Thus,itiscrucialtokeepaneyeonthesemiconductor marketasitwillaffecttheoverallelectronicsindustryand theotherwayaround.

Withthecontinuousefforts,semiconductorscompanies todayaremorerapidandagilethanevertoremain competitive.Byinvestinginsemiconductors,youwill increaseproductivityanddevelopnewbusinessstrategies, andcompanieswillhavetheopportunitytoovercome barriersindigitalizationwithanewapproachfor development.Ithasalsobecomeanexcellentcareerfor entrepreneursinthedigitalindustryasthesemiconductor fieldisthenextbigthing.

Tapping Into Speed

standing

Semiconductors

Providing High Performance and Reconfigurable FPGAs for Meeting Computing Demands of Mainstream Applications

Therecentsemiconductorchipshortagehasgot

severalindustriesinshambles.Companiesare facingdelaystodelivertheirproductsaccordingto theirtimeline.However,severalcompaniesaretryingto findalternativesolutionstothisshortage.Efinixisonesuch companywiththevaluepropositionofthetechnologythat willcontinuetobemoreandmorecompellingovertime. EfinixisanFPGAcompanydedicatedtoprovidinglow power,highperformance,reconfigurableFPGAplatforms tothemainstreammarket.

AtthehelmofEfinixisSammyCheungwhoisdrivento combinedisruptivetechnologieswithinnovativeideas.He istheCo-founder,PresidentandCEOfocusedon developingEfinix’sdisruptiveQuantumcompute technologytobecometheleadingcompanyinaneweraof lowpowerembeddedAIanddatacomputing.

TheOverviewofEfinix

EfinixisanFPGA(FieldProgrammableGateArray) companydedicatedtoprovidinglowpower,high performance,reconfigurableFPGAplatformstothe mainstreammarket.AttheheartofEfinixFPGAsisa revolutionaryQuantumComputeFabric.Thisefficient fabricdeliversbreakthroughadvantagesinpower consumption,performance,andareaoverconventional FPGAtechnologies.TheresultisafamilyofFPGAdevices thataresmallenoughforthemostspace-constrained applications,lowenoughpowertooperateinpowerconstrainededgeapplicationsandpricedforvolume deployment.

Forthefirsttime,theindustryhasaccesstoatruly reconfigurabledevicedeliveringzerorisk,zeroNREand fasttimetoinnovationformainstreamhighvolume applications.Withdevicedensitiesfrom4Klogicelements

upto1Mlogicelements,Efinixhasadevicetomeetthe specificsofyourmarket,whetheritbeedgecompute,IoT andAIorindustrialautomation.

DeliveringTechAdvantageforRevolutionizingSystem DesignExperience

Ascomputerequirementsofmodernsystemscontinueto increase,designersareforcedtoadoptsmallerandsmaller siliconprocessgeometries.Thesecomeataneverincreasingcost,increasedcomplexity,risk,andtimeto market.Thesetrendsdivergefromtherequirementof lower-costsolutionsdeliveredtoever-shrinkingmarket windowswithvolatilefeaturerequirements.

Efinixtechnologyistrulydisruptiveinthatdesignerscan nowinnovateinreal-timewithouttheyears'longdelaysof customsilicondesignandfabrication.Itsprogramshave zerorisksincetheyareessentiallysoftware-defined,and onceafeaturesetisdefined,thesolutionisinstantlyready formassvolumedeployment,thatwillchangetheway systemsareconceived,developed,anddeployed.Efinixis deliveringatechnologyadvantagethatwillrevolutionize thesystemdesignexperience.

EfinixdevicesincorporatesoftRISC-Vprocessorsthat allowhardware/softwaresystempartitioninginreal-time. Systemfunctionalitycanberapidlyexpressedinsoftware andthenprogressivelyacceleratedincustomhardware acceleratorsonthesamesilicontodeliverhardwarespeed withtheconvenienceandtimetomarketsoftware.

Afreeacceleratorframeworkensuresthatthemajorityofa hardware/softwarepartitioneddesignisreadilyavailableto thedesignerrequiringaminimumofacceleratordesignto achieveunprecedentedhardwareperformance.Theresultis lowprogramriskandrapidtimetomarket.

Sammy Cheung Co-Founder, President and CEO Efinix

The 10 Most Disrupve Companies in The Semiconductor Industry

process

DeliveringUnprecedentedComputingCapability

SammystatesthatthelatestproductfamilyfromEfinixis Titanium.Fabricatedin16nmtechnology,Titaniumdelivers unprecedentedcomputecapabilitywithultra-lowpower consumption.Theexchangeablelogicandrouting(XLR) cellattheheartoftheQuantumComputeFabricensures thatdesignsareefficientlyplacedwithinthefabric eliminatingbottlenecksofcomputeorroutingresources thatplagueconventionalFPGAs.Theresultisefficient designswithhighutilizationratiosandhighmaximum clockfrequencies.

ThesystemperformanceisaugmentedwithTitanium's custom-designeddigitalsignalprocessingblocksspecially designedtoaccelerateAIalgorithms.Theefficiencyofthe Titaniumarchitecturecoupledwiththesmall16nmprocess geometryensuresthattitaniumdeviceshaveanextremely smallfootprint.TheTi60has60,000logicelementsthatcan bepackagedinawaferlevelchipscalepackagemeasuring just3.5mmx3.4mm.SoftRISC-Vprocessorsaugmentthe embeddedDSPsprovidingtraditionalsoftware-based controlplanecapabilitywithdynamicsoftware/hardware partitioningintheFPGAfabric.

OfferingUnmatchedServcies

EfinixFPGAsarethefirsttoexhibitthecomputeandlogic densityfortoday'scomplexsystemsinasmall,lowpower footprintandpricedformassdeployment.Forthefirsttime, customerscandevelopapplicationsinthelabonEfinix devicesanddeploythemincost-effectivemass-produced solutionswithoutredesigningthemintolow-costdesign alternatives.ThelowpowerofEfinixdevicesmeansthat theycanbedeployedattheedgewithoutregardforthermal

control.Lowpoweryethighcomputedensitymeansthat endsystemscontainingEfinixdevicesconsumelesspower, arelessexpensivetorunandhavelongerproductlifecycles withoutcompromisingsystemfeaturesandperformance.

WhileotherFPGAsuppliershaveeithertailoredtheir offeringtowardsthedatacenterwiththecorrespondingly highcostandpowerconsumptionorlackthecompute densitytoabsorbentireedgecomputeapplications.Efinix productsprovidetheperfectmixofcomputingcapabilityin acost-effective,lowpowerfootprint.

EmpoweringDiverseWork-Culture

Efinixispassionateaboutsuccessthroughempowerment andaccountability.Itbelievesthattrustandrespectforthe individualshouldbeafundamentalbeliefandacornerstone ofitsproductivityandsuccess.Sammybelievesthat innovationandsuccesscomefrominclusionanddiversity, anditstrivestomakethosekeyaspectsofitseveryday activities.

InEfinix'sinteractionsoutsideofthecompany,itstrivesto createacultureofservice-orientedcustomerfocusandhold itselfaccountabletouncompromisingintegrityin everythingitdoes.

ContinuingtobeMoreandMoreCompelling

Sammystatesthatinthelargerschemeofthings,the pandemichasbeenashortyetextremelyunfortunateblip. Thesemiconductormarketswillovercometheshort-term supplyshortagesthattheindustryisexperiencing,andthe trendstosmallersiliconprocessgeometriesandmore complexsystemswillresume.Efinixcontinuestoposition

Efinix's high-performance Titanium FPGAs are built on a 16 nm

and feature an enhanced Quantum fabric that is custom-tailored for the computing demands of mainstream applications.

itselffortheinevitablerealizationthatacustomproduct buildfromacost-effective,reprogrammable,standard productistheonlysolutionthatmakessensefor90percent oftheworld'sapplications.

EvolvingGround-breakingTechnology

Efinixwillcontinuetoevolveitsground-breaking technologybeyondthecurrentTitaniumline.Itwill continuetoinnovateinitsRISC-VandQuantum

Accelerationinitiativesdrivingeaseofusefordesigners eagertoembracetheEfinixvalueproposition.Itwillseea migrationfromexpensiveandhigh-riskcustomsilicon programstolow-cost,fast-to-marketsolutionsbasedaround Efinixreconfigurablestandardproducts.

“As the world embraces AI technology and needs a high compute performance, adaptable solution for cost-effective edge deployment, we anticipate that Efinix will be at the forefront,” concludesSammy.

Omega Optics Connecting the World

Withactivelybeinginvolvedintheoptical

communications/sensingfield,OmegaOptics hasdevelopedanarrayofproductsby conductingvariousresearchanddevelopmentstogaina vantagepositiontopursueanaggressivecommercialization strategy.

Implementingtechnologiessuchasportablebio-sensing, polymer-basedplanarlightwavecircuitsforEM-wave sensing,chemicalandbiologicalsensing,and nanophotonicsforintegratedphotoniccircuitsarecore technologiesofOmegaOptics.

RayT.Chen,theFounderandCTOofthecompanyanda chairedprofessorattheUniversityofTexas,Austin, demonstrateshisexperiencewithhisextensiveknowledge andskillinPhotolithography,LaserPhysics,Lab-on-chip Sensing,andIntegratedPhotonicCircuits(IPC).Strong informationtechnologyprofessionalwithaDoctorof Philosophy(Ph.D.)focusedinIntegratedPhotonicsand OptoelectronicsfromtheDepartmentofElectrical Engineering,TheUniversityofCalifornia. RayChenisa FellowofIEEE,Optica(OSA)andtheinternationalsociety ofopticalengineering(SPIE).Hehaspublishedover1,000 researcharticleswith76patents.

WeatInsightsSuccesscameacrossOmegaOpticsinour endeavortofind“The10MostDisruptiveCompaniesin SemiconductorIndustry.”WetalkedwithRaytounderstand thepassionatefocusonvariousaspectsofhisbusiness.

Below are the highlights of the interview

Giveusabriefoverviewofyourcompany,itsmission, andthekeyaspectsofitsstrongfootholdinthe Semiconductorindustry.

Omega Opcs isacompanylocatedinAustin,Texas.Itisa high-techresearchfirmfocusingonsiliconandIII-V-based photonicchipsforvariouspolymers,including

Ray T. Chen Founder, and CTO Omega Optics

interconnects,computing,andbiochemicalsensing.Weare asiliconphotonicsICdesignhousewithchipsfabricatedin AIM,IMEC,Globalfoundry,andothers.Ourcompanyhas ~30USpatentscoveringRFphotonics,Siliconlab-on-chip biosensors,spectroscopysensing,andopticalcomputing.

Describeyourtop-notchofferingsthataddresstheneed ofyourcustomers.Wehaveanopenplatform. Wehavealab-on-chipsensingplatformwithTRLlevel6 definedbyNASA.ItcanbeusedforCOVID-19biomarker detectionusingasiliconphotonicchip.Ithasahigher sensitivitywithoutcompromisingspecificity.Itisanopen platformsuitableforvariousbiomarkerdetections, includingbreastcancer,lungcancer,andpancreaticcancer, andvariousantibioticswithsupportingpatientsand publications.

Webuiltaportablebiosensingsystemwhiletheothers, suchasGenalyteandGE,aredesktopsystems.Wecan bringthebio-sensingsystemtotheremoteandprimitive areas.Namely,wecanbringthehospitaltothepatients insteadofbringingthepatientstothehospital.Also,dueto theuniquepatentportfolio,wecanprovidebettersensing sensitivitywithoutcompromisingthespecificity. Finally,it isanlab-on-chipopensensingsystemsuitableforall biomarkerdetections.

Whatmakesyourcompanyapreferredchoiceamong yourclienteleoverothercompetitors?

Describethevaluesthatdriveyourorganization. Wehave~30patentsprotectingourinventions.Andwe willcontinuedoingsotoboostthevaluationofthe company.Ourdreamisthatinthefuture,thedeviceswe inventedinourlabcanappearinyourlivingroomto significantlyimprovethequalityoflife.Weplantoraise privatefundingoralsothroughearly-stageIPOtoraise neededfundingforcommercialization.

Undeniably,technologyisplayingasignificantrolein almosteverysector.Howareyouleveraging technologicaladvancementstomakeyoursolutions resourceful?

Thepatentedlab-on-chipsensoronsiliconplatformhas twoadvantages:

1. ThechipismadeoutofSiliconCMOSwhichismassproduciblewithcost-effectiveness.

2.Thebio-sensingplatformisanopenplatformsuitablefor allkindsofbiomarkerdetections. Wehavepatentsand publicationscoveringmanybiomarkerdetectionsalready.

3. Weareintheprocessofraising10milliondollarsfrom strategicinvestors. Ifyourchannelhasaconnection,help connect.

Inyouropinion,whatcouldbethefutureofthe SemiconductormarketposttheCOVID-19pandemic? Andhowareyoustrategizingyourcompany’s operationsforthatfuture?

Itwillcontinueboomingsincemorestate-of-the-art

systemswillrequiresiliconchips,bothelectronics,and photonics,asthedrivingforce. Andthecurrentshortagein thesupplychainofsiliconchipsforhightechindustryisa clearindicationoftheimportanceofthesemiconductor industry.

Inwhatwayshaveyouoryourcompanycontributedto thecommunity?

Providequalitysiliconchip-baseddevicesforlab-on-chip sensingthatiscapableofimprovingthequalityoflife. Itis ourgoaltoprovidequalityservicetoimprovethelife longevityandsecurityfortheyearstocome.

ReportsonOmegaOpticsCOVID-19detectionon variousmedia:

Texas Local News Paper Daily Texans: Mr.Chensaidthedevice’sabilitytodetectvirusesand cancersintheearlystagesisimportantbecauseitgives patientsandhealthprofessionalstheabilitytofightback beforeitprogressestoalatestage.

In UT university news announcement,RayChensaid, “Insteadofhavingtobringpeopletohospitals,whichisn’t alwaysdoableinremoteareas,wecanbringthehospitalto thepeople.”

Theresearchteamhascreatedaprototypeofthediagnostic platformwiththegoalofbringingittomarket.The researchershaveworkedontheplatformformorethan sevenyears,andtheycomparedtheirapproachwithother cutting-edgetestingtechniquesinanewpaperpublishedin AppliedPhysicsReview,co-writtenwithresearchersat Austin-basedOmegaOptics,astartupfoundedbyDOD, DOE,NASA,NIH,NSF,NIST,EPA,andUTAustinthat makesphotonicscomponents.

Science Daily Opcal techniques offer fast, efficient COVID19 detecon:Withoutrapidpoint-of-caretesting,the pandemicwilllikelycontinuetoevolve-ScienceDaily

News in America Instute of Physics

CBS Evening News TV interview.