Professor of the Department of Nanoelectronics at RTU MIREA, Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Alexey Yurasov, told RT in a conversation what successes Russia has achieved in import substitution in the field of microelectronics.
“Silicon is the most common solid element in Earth’s rocks. The possibilities of using this classic semiconductor are difficult to overestimate; it is used in a wide range of technologies for various industries: electronics, energy, medicine, and much more. The phasing out of silicon as the primary material for microchip production has been widely discussed for more than a decade. However, silicon chips are not going to give up their positions yet,” the expert noted.
Yurasov recalled that the construction of a plant in the Kaliningrad region is nearing completion, which will produce silicon wafers and photovoltaic converters – solar cells from which solar modules are assembled for power plants.
The specialist also spoke about the largest semiconductor manufacturer in Russia, the Element company, which controls 51% of the Russian market.
“This is the only Russian full-cycle company with its own development and production of finished microchips,” Yurasov emphasized.
According to him, an important goal for many industries is to reduce the level of dependence on foreign products, technologies, materials and equipment through the development of domestic production.
“State support measures are one of the key factors in the development of the silicon wafers and nanoelectronics industry in Russia. There are many different programs in the form of tax breaks, grants and subsidies for research and application of domestic developments,” said RT’s interlocutor.
According to analysts, the Russian market will grow by 15% per year and reach a volume of 780 billion rubles by 2030, he explained.
“At the same time, most of the growth will be provided by domestic production, and the share of imports will be reduced to 55% in seven years,” the specialist added.
Yurasov noted that the growth of the market for power semiconductor components is stimulated by factors such as rising energy prices along with rising energy costs, increasing speed of electronic systems, and the wider use of mobile devices in which it is necessary to control the power of batteries.
“The number of equipment that requires power devices to operate is increasing. As more and more developing countries embrace digital technology, shipments of power supplies are growing rapidly. Therefore, the development of the silicon wafers market will certainly continue,” concluded RT’s interlocutor.
Earlier, Yurasov said in a conversation with RT that Russia is developing the first domestic lithography installation for the production of microelectronics using modern technological processes.
Source: russian.rt.com
