Accelerated flow of innovation

摘要

If the industry is to reach the 45nm node by decade's end, it will be due, in large part, to a continuing acceleration of the flow of innovation, mostly from the bottom up. While the industry faces unprecedented technical challenges, it has also seen significant consolidation and domination by a relatively few large companies. Though these "mega-companies" compete well in a-' market where cost reduction through economy of scale is a primary consideration, historically, they have not been a strong source of innovation. Hidden within the trend to consolidate, however, is a vital flow of innovation from small companies to large.