As the demand for semiconductors increases worldwide due to the progress of digitalization, an exhibition will be held in Tokyo from the 15th to showcase various technologies that make full use of advanced semiconductors, introducing next-generation computers and high-speed, large-capacity communications. It has been.

More than 450 companies and organizations, including semiconductor-related manufacturers in Japan and overseas, are exhibiting at the exhibition held by SEMI Japan, an industry group created by semiconductor-related companies, from the 15th.



Of these, in the field of communication, many semiconductors are being used for high speed and large capacity, and at the venue, Softbank and others will use communication equipment incorporating advanced semiconductors, and construction will be about 40 km away. We demonstrated how to operate the machine remotely.



In addition, Hitachi has introduced a technology that can dramatically improve the information processing capability of advanced semiconductors and make images look clearer. Based on this technology, complex calculations can be processed at high speed. We will lead to the development of "quantum computers" that have computing power far exceeding that of systems and supercomputers.



On the other hand, Japan has strengths in the fields of materials such as "silicon wafers" that are indispensable for semiconductors and manufacturing equipment that makes semiconductors. Robots are also on display.



A person in charge of a semiconductor manufacturing equipment manufacturer said, "We have received tremendous orders over the past few years. We want to respond as much as possible."



Masahiko Hamashima, representative of SEMI Japan, said, "Everything does not work without semiconductors. Japan's global share of semiconductors is about 10%, which is not necessarily high, but manufacturing equipment and materials are very strong, and without such things, semiconductors in the world Is not born. I hope that further technological development will progress through the exhibition. "



The exhibition is open until the 17th at Tokyo Big Sight in Koto-ku, Tokyo.

Global semiconductor market Will it be 100 trillion yen in 2030?

With the progress of digitalization, the demand for semiconductors has increased and the market size has expanded.



According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the global semiconductor market was about 5 trillion yen around 1990, but exceeded 20 trillion yen in 2000 when personal computers and mobile phones became widespread.



Furthermore, in 2010, when smartphones became widespread, it exceeded 30 trillion yen, and last year it expanded to 50 trillion yen due to the spread of IoT and AI = artificial intelligence that connect all devices via the Internet.



In the future, with the addition of electrification and autonomous driving of cars and online demand triggered by the new corona, it is expected that the development of data centers will progress, and it is expected to reach 100 trillion yen by 2030.



Under these circumstances, it is important from the viewpoint of economic security to have a stable domestic semiconductor production base, and the government has decided to pay for the cost of a new factory to be built by TSMC, a major semiconductor company, in Kumamoto Prefecture. The government is also embarking on support, such as deciding on subsidies.

Japan's semiconductor industry is also highly competitive in specific fields

According to British research firm Omdia, the Japanese semiconductor industry remains highly competitive in certain areas.



For example,


▽ The Sony Group holds the top share in the world market for "CMOS image sensors" used in smartphone cameras.



▽ Renesas Electronics is the second largest in the world for "microcomputers" for automobiles and industrial machinery, and


▽ Kioxia, the former Toshiba Memory, is the second largest in the world for "NAND flash memory" that records data.



In addition,


"power semiconductor" that converts electricity to efficiently power ▽ is, Mitsubishi Electric is the world's third place, Fuji Electric is 5, and Toshiba is the 6-position, Japan urged accounted for a high share.



However, looking at semiconductors as a whole, Japan's global share was 50% in 1988, but it has fallen to 10% for adults, which is a big difference from the United States and South Korea.



In particular, demand is increasing in fields such as data centers and autonomous driving, and Japan is lagging behind in the field of "logic semiconductors" that perform advanced arithmetic processing.



On the other hand, Japan has strengths in the fields of semiconductor materials and manufacturing equipment, and according to "Omdia", the world share is 56% for materials and 32% for manufacturing equipment at the time of adulthood.



For Japan, the challenge is how to secure international competitiveness by promoting domestic attraction of semiconductor factories while making the best use of these strengths.