China hopes for post-Moore ‘fresh start’ for semiconductors

In 1965, American engineer Gordon Moore predicted that the number of transistors on a microchip doubles approximately every two years. This rule of thumb has largely held, and defined the state of the art of computer technology for decades. But as increasingly microscopic transistors run into fundamental physical difficulties and increasing costs, people have started to talk about a "post-Moore" industry.

For the semiconductor world, this is a huge challenge. But senior Chinese officials see opportunities. 

Moore’s law has been a sore spot for China’s semiconductor industry. The country has plenty of good chip design and “packaging” companies. But as chips grow smaller, Chinese-owned chip fabrication plants are a consistent generation or two behind the cutting edge. 

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