Iran’s privileged position in science and technology and its rich pool of highly educated talent as the country’s most valuable capital offer bright prospects for the promotion and localization of the semiconductor industry even in the face of brutal sanctions. is promised.
The semiconductor and chip industry is one of the most profitable industries in the world, and its wide application ensures optimal performance of other industries, which is why this industry has become a priority in many countries. This explains why it is there.
A semiconductor is a material that has electrical conductivity between a conductor (usually a metal) and an insulator such as a nonconductor or ceramic.
These revolutionized the electronics industry and led to the development of smaller, more efficient, and more reliable electronic devices. Without these electronic devices, many new technologies such as computers and smartphones would not be possible.
Semiconductors are also essential for manufacturing automobiles, medical devices, and weapons systems. The semiconductor industry has made headlines during the pandemic, as supply shortages have created production bottlenecks in many industries that rely on tiny chips.
Today, the strategic role of this industry can determine a country’s position in the global economy and also determine how much it benefits from the world’s most advanced technologies.
In Iran, the first efforts to build a local electronics industry, albeit sporadic, began in the 1970s, leading to the emergence of Madiran and Shahab in the public sector and Iran Electronics Industries (Sairan) in the military sector. .
With the help of foreign companies, they manufactured a variety of electronic products, some of which were assembled and others with circuit designs based on foreign integrated circuits. These companies are still in operation, but have not yet reached commercial production levels.
Therefore, it is urgent for Iran to fully engage in this strategic industry to meet its military security and commercial industrial needs.
Semiconductors are typically made of multiple materials. By and large, most of them are made of silicone. Other rare materials used in semiconductors include germanium and gallium arsenide. The most commonly used bulk gases in semiconductor manufacturing are nitrogen, helium, hydrogen, and argon.
Other materials used in the semiconductor manufacturing process include ceramics, which have excellent properties such as high strength, high purity, and heat resistance. The main types of semiconductor ceramics include alumina, silicon nitride, aluminum nitride, boron nitride, silicon carbide, etc.
Iran is among the top 10 countries in the world in terms of mineral reserves. Iran’s most important and well-known abiotic resources include coal, chromium, copper, iron ore, lead, manganese, zinc, and sulfur.
The country therefore has great potential in terms of supplying raw materials used in the manufacturing and packaging of products in the semiconductor and chip industry.
The industry giants at the forefront of semiconductor technology are Nvidia, TSMC, Broadcom, Samsung, ASML, and AMD, all based in the United States or in countries allied with the United States.
For example, Netherlands-based ASML is the only manufacturer in the world of extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV) equipment used to print microchips, but it is unlikely to sell to Iran because of sanctions.
Therefore, Iran needs to get serious about semiconductor and chip design and production.
First, we should focus on industries that require less advanced technology and that have suitable domestic markets. The automotive semiconductor and chip industry is a perfect candidate.
This will lay the foundations and provide a suitable foundation for the country to improve and expand economically and technologically and secure its place in the world.
