International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS)

The International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (ITRS) was a globally collaborative effort to chart the future of semiconductor technology. For decades, it guided the industry by providing a structured vision for advancements, addressing both the opportunities and challenges in a rapidly evolving field.

Purpose of the ITRS

The ITRS aimed to forecast the direction of semiconductor technology over a 15-year horizon, serving as a guide for researchers, manufacturers, and policymakers.

Its scope was broad, encompassing a variety of domains, including:

1. Design and systems integration: Envisioning how system drivers and test equipment would evolve to meet the demands of future applications.
2. Processes and materials: Exploring front-end processes, emerging research devices, and materials critical for continued innovation.
3. Manufacturing and metrology: Defining requirements for:
   1. photolithography (a process used in making microchips where light is used to transfer patterns onto a silicon wafer, creating the tiny circuits that make a chip work);
   2. IC interconnects (the tiny connections inside a microchip that link different parts of the chip so they can communicate and work together); and
   3. yield enhancement (the process of improving how many usable chips are made during manufacturing by reducing defects and improving production quality).
4. Emerging technologies: Addressing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), analog or mixed-signal technologies, and factory integration.
5. Environmental considerations: Ensuring sustainability through research on environment, safety, and health.

This framework offered a consensus-based view of the industry’s research and development needs, influencing both academic research priorities and commercial strategies.

Historical context

The ITRS evolved from national initiatives to a global endeavour:

• 1992: The US Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) introduced the National Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (NTRS), a precursor to the ITRS, to provide a 15-year outlook on technological progress.
• 1998: Recognising the need for a worldwide perspective, the SIA collaborated with counterparts in Europe, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan to establish the ITRS.
• 2001-2007: Over the years, the roadmap expanded its scope:
  • 2001: Introduced system drivers to reflect a holistic view of semiconductor advancements.
  • 2005: Incorporated emerging research devices, anticipating the importance of novel technologies.
  • 2007: Added emerging research materials to emphasise the role of advanced materials in innovation.

Updates to the roadmap occurred every two years, with major revisions in odd-numbered years, ensuring that it remained relevant and forward-thinking.

Impact on the semiconductor industry

In essence, the ITRS enabled the industry to anticipate disruptive changes and prepare for them proactively, ensuring steady and strategic advancement in semiconductor innovation.

The ITRS had a transformative impact on the semiconductor industry by serving as a crucial guide for innovation and development. It helped stakeholders prioritise research and development efforts by identifying future challenges and opportunities. Through this foresight, companies and researchers could align their goals, ensuring that resources were effectively allocated to address the most pressing technological needs.

The roadmap also standardised progress metrics, introducing benchmarks such as technology nodes (e.g., 90nm, 65nm), which provided a common framework for measuring advancements across the industry. This standardisation not only facilitated comparison and evaluation but also fostered consistency in development efforts worldwide.

Moreover, the ITRS played a vital role in fostering collaboration across the global semiconductor ecosystem. By bringing together industry leaders, academic institutions, and governments, the roadmap united diverse stakeholders under shared objectives. This collaborative approach streamlined efforts, promoted the exchange of ideas, and accelerated progress in semiconductor technology.

Transition to the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS)

By 2016, the ITRS had fulfilled its mission, but the semiconductor landscape was changing. Traditional scaling under Moore’s Law was no longer the sole focus, and emerging technologies required a broader framework. This led to the creation of the IRDS, under the IEEE’s Rebooting Computing initiative.

The IRDS goes beyond traditional CMOS scaling (the process of making the tiny parts (transistors) inside a computer chip smaller so the chip can work faster, use less power, and fit more parts into the same space), focusing on:

1. Emerging device architectures
2. System-level integration
3. New applications of semiconductors in diverse fields

The IRDS continues the ITRS legacy, adapting to the evolving demands of a dynamic and interconnected technological ecosystem.

End thoughts

The ITRS was a visionary effort that helped shape the modern semiconductor industry. By providing a clear and collaborative roadmap, it facilitated unprecedented levels of innovation and cooperation. Its successor, the IRDS, builds on this foundation, ensuring the industry remains at the forefront of global technological progress.

Whether you are an industry professional, academic, or enthusiast, understanding the ITRS and its impact provides valuable insight into the challenges and triumphs of semiconductor development—key to many of the technologies we rely on today.