Semiconductors, Data Centers & AI

LiDAR has been touted as a solution to the automotive industry's endeavor to build safer and completely driverless cars, working towards a world with zero road fatalities and more accessible transport. So, after a decade of development, testing, trials, funding, partnerships, acquisitions, mergers, where is it? Why are there not more cars on the road running LiDAR?

The use of graphics processing units (GPUs) within high performance computing (HPC) has been increasingly adopted since the introduction of generative AI and large language models, as well as advanced memory, storage, networking, and cooling technologies. A major catalyst for growth has been the integration of AI into HPC workflows, where a convergence of the two unlocks opportunities in various fields by combining the powerful computational power of HPC with the intelligent data processing and "decision-making" of artificial intelligence.

The automotive industry has been using radar for two and a half decades. During that time, it has transformed from enabling luxury features on the most expensive cars, to being used ubiquitously for basic safety features in almost all new cars. This article goes through the three most important takeaways from the report. Starting with the huge growth that will be driven by side radars used in short-range applications.

Wednesday 29 January 2025 - State of the industry update on autonomous cars and factors driving demand for higher-performance radars; State-of-the-art technology from tier ones; Next-generation technologies from start-ups; Longer-term prospects for automotive radar

Quantum computers can be built in many ways. You may be familiar with the competing modalities claiming to offer various advantages over others in terms of quality, scalability, cost, and more. However, it is increasingly apparent across them all that new generations of optics and photonics technologies will be essential. This opens an exciting supply chain opportunity for many players, old and new, in the photonics eco-system.

The HPC hardware market is set for enormous growth driven by the ongoing AI boom, with a market value exceeding half a trillion dollars predicted by 2035. HPC has long been an integral tool across critical industries, from facilitating engineering modeling to predicting the weather. AI has intensified development in the sector, growing the capabilities of hardware technologies, including accelerators, interconnects, and memory, at astounding rates.

Chiplet technology is poised to revolutionize the semiconductor industry by offering a flexible, cost-effective solution that enhances performance while addressing supply chain challenges. As outlined in the IDTechEx report "Chiplet Technology 2025-2035: Technology, Opportunities, Applications," this technology will continue to create opportunities for innovation across various sectors, driving growth and fostering collaboration among industry players.

The data center cooling value chain is long, complicated, and chaotic, consisting of multiple stakeholders. Data center cooling happens on multiple levels including chip and server level, as well as the rack and facility level.

As well as being heroic in many ways, quantum technology could also be a large threat to security over the next 30 years when used to break cryptographic and authentication algorithms that many companies rely upon to keep data safe.

IDTechEx predicts that GPUs with a TDP of over 1500W could be expected over the next year in 2025, with the management of energy costs becoming slightly trickier. Thermal management and cooling systems will therefore need to become a main consideration in data center designs to enable efficient cooling, enhanced thermal efficiency, and reduced energy waste.