An ETO report from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., on the state of research into next-generation chips paints a bleak picture for the U.S.: China has become the clear leader in the field. While the vast majority of the most cited papers come from Chinese universities, the report makes no mention of any work from U.S. institutions.
Image source: Henry Wong/SCMP
The Emerging Technology Observatory (ETO) report covers the period from 2018 to 2023. It does not cover patents or internal company research. The document analyzes scientific papers devoted to global or fundamental research in the field of next-generation semiconductor manufacturing. In other words, those works that are literally aimed at tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. For example, these are the developments of neural architectures similar to the structure of the human brain and optical computing.
Separately, analysts conclude that the United States has only one option for putting pressure on China – export restrictions. At some point, this may help win the semiconductor race against China, but in the long term, the US position is extremely weak and unstable. In addition, export restrictions from the United States force China to step up efforts in the field of advanced developments.
Specifically, the ETO report found that nine out of the top ten English-language semiconductor papers published during the reporting period were from Chinese institutes and universities, and eight Chinese universities were among the top 10 for papers that were among the top 10% most cited annually during the period.
Only two institutions from other countries made the list: France’s Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ranked third for total articles published and 10th for citations; the National University of Singapore ranked ninth for most-cited research. No institutions from the United States made the top 10 for total articles published or most-cited articles.
The Chinese Academy of Sciences topped the ETO report’s list of leading research organizations. It’s a network of institutes across China and arguably the largest research organization in the world. The academy leads in both the total number of papers published and the number of most-cited papers published from 2018 to 2023. During that period, CAS published more than 14,300 chip-related papers, of which more than 3,400 were included in the most-cited papers list.
One of the teams from Peking University. Image source: Xinhua
One of the hottest areas of research at CAS is neuromorphic computing, which aims to mimic the human brain and could revolutionize chip design by promising more adaptive and efficient data processing. In fact, CAS topped the ETO rankings in the area that includes neuromorphic computing.
The latest achievement under the auspices of CAS is the development of the world’s first carbon-based microchip that can perform artificial intelligence tasks. A January paper published in the journal Science Advances found that chips with carbon nanotube transistors can process data not only in ones and zeros, like most modern electronic devices, but also use a third value. This ternary logic system could enable faster computations with less energy.
The second place in the ETO list for the total number of papers published on chip design and fabrication (around 7,850) was taken by the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). It is a public university in Beijing and part of the CAS. It also came in second for the number of most-cited papers (around 1,750 papers). The institution also made it into the top 10 of the ETO report for research in neuromorphic computing and devices. The fourth place in the list of most-cited papers on chips was taken by a paper by CAS and UCAS on a structural analysis method applied to graphene materials (published in 2018 in Chemical Society Reviews).
Tsinghua University in Beijing, one of the top two universities in China and one of the top 20 universities in the world, ranks fifth in the ETO list for published chip research with nearly 4,650 papers and third in the list of most cited papers with nearly 1,280 papers. Since 2020, Sun Nan, a scientist who returned from the United States and helped create more than 50 cutting-edge chips for transportation and energy in China, has been working at the university. He is also working on localizing chip production in China.
Tsinghua University ranked fourth in ETO’s top 10 for research that includes deep learning and neural network research, and developed a locally developed memristor in 2023.
Located in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, and sponsored by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) ranked fourth on the ETO list in terms of total number of papers, publishing nearly 5,240 papers. In particular, UESTC researchers have made progress in creating a quantum chip, using a conventional semiconductor to create a quantum light source for the first time. The university is also working with Huawei Technologies to improve radar receivers.
Nanjing University, one of China’s oldest universities, ranked sixth on ETO’s list for chip research, publishing about 4,250 papers during the reporting period. It ranked fourth in the list of most cited papers with 930 papers. A paper on chip design and manufacturing published by the university’s scientists in Nature in 2018 became the most cited paper from 2018 to 2023 (2,043 citations). Nanjing University also ranked in ETO’s top 10 for the number of published studies in quantum computing and quantum processors.
Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) in Wuhan ranked eighth on the ETO list for the number of published papers, with just over 3,660 papers during the period. It ranked fifth for the number of highly cited papers, with nearly 890. In 2023, engineer Wang Huanyu returned to the university from the United States after working at an Apple R&D center for about two years.
Zhejiang University ranked ninth on the ETO list for the number of published research papers (about 3,580 papers) and sixth for the number of highly cited papers (nearly 870 papers). The university also ranks top in two research areas related to photonics, a branch of optics that harnesses the energy of light via photons for a variety of applications.
Photonic chips use light or photons, rather than electrons, to process and transmit information, which travels faster and can therefore lead to faster data transfer rates. Photonics is increasingly being used to create high-speed networks and transfer data between processors, according to the ETO.
Peking University, one of the top 20 universities in the world and one of the top two universities in China, ranked 10th on the ETO list in terms of total number of published articles (about 3,440 articles). Peking University ranked eighth in terms of the number of most-cited articles, with 810.
The world’s fastest transistor, made in China without advanced lithographs
In February, a team led by Peng Hailin from Peking University said it had broken through chip performance limitations with a 2D transistor of its own design that outperforms the most advanced devices of its kind from Intel, TSMC and Samsung under the same operating conditions.
They said their device could be made using existing processing technologies and without using silicon. This is important for China, as it currently cannot make the most advanced silicon-based transistors due to US sanctions.