Common Earth Project Aims to End Chip Supply Chain Bottlenecks

Supply chains in many industries are full of tangles, but for semiconductor tech, that’s putting it lightly. Many chip components are location-constrained and can easily be throttled by geopolitical factors. Chipmaking is also tied up with social and environmental concerns, and if any seemingly small strand gives way, the whole thing could fall apart. Researchers at the University of Michigan , in Ann Arbor, are working with nanoelectronics research giant Imec to find ways around material bottlenecks, dubbing their project “Common Earth” to contrast with the semiconductor industry’s reliance on rare earths . They’re looking for clever solutions to replace critical elements and forever chemicals in the semiconductor supply chain. IEEE Spectrum spoke with two researchers leading the effort a