The Five Priority Topics of Microelectronics Training to Meet Future Societal Challenges
Résumé
Microelectronics is at the heart of all digital developments, including connected objects and industry 4.0., giving it a leading role in the evolution of our connected societies with several types of challenges. The first is technical, leading to an exponential growth of all circuits and systems. The second is related to the energy consumption. The latter is also growing exponentially, generating a problem that will eventually become an impassable wall within a decade. It is therefore necessary to revisit the main areas of microelectronics, namely: - the design of new circuit architectures, - the creation of new elementary components at the nanoscale and less energy consuming, - a higher conversion efficiency of power electronics and integrated electronics, - a rise in frequency in order to increase the flow of data while not affecting consumption, - the introduction of a three-dimensional assembly for components, circuits and boards. All these approaches should contribute to increasing performance while decreasing energy consumption. For this purpose, it is necessary to increase the quality and quantity of skills. Companies worldwide find themselves at the limit of their recruitment needs, with jobs in shortage in the five areas mentioned. The training structures must produce engineers, technicians and doctors capable of facing these challenges by providing the necessary skills including knowledge and know-how. This paper deals with these needs and challenges and presents an approach carried out at the level of the French microelectronics and nanotechnology network within the framework of a proactive policy.