New Research Finds 76% of Industry Leaders Say Node Scaling Alone Can’t Meet AI’s Rising Compute and Energy Needs

Findings saw 94% of respondents believe advanced materials are essential to unlocking next-gen performance.

LOS GATOS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Atomera Incorporated (NASDAQ:ATOM), a semiconductor materials and technology licensing company, today announced the findings of its latest research, revealing the growing disconnect between the needs of AI workloads and the capabilities of today’s silicon-based infrastructure. It also underscores the need for a more collaborative ecosystem to close that gap.

The survey of more than 200 semiconductor engineers, materials scientists and technical industry leaders in the United States found that 76% of decision-makers believe data centers will fall short of meeting soaring AI and high-performance computing demands.

Over the past 50 years, Moore’s Law has enabled consistent progress through node scaling, but today, that rule of thumb no longer applies. In fact, 94% of respondents expressed that simply shrinking nodes will no longer be sufficient. Instead, 99% of those polled are pointing to innovation in new materials and technologies as essential to unlock performance, power, area and cost (PPAC) improvements to support AI workloads.

“In the past, the industry has stayed on track through regular reductions in manufacturing process geometries, but the scale and intensity of AI workloads are now pushing these conventional techniques to their physical limits,” says Scott Bibaud, CEO of Atomera. “This research confirms what we anticipated, that advanced materials are now the lever to keep progress on track. We’ve spent decades tuning Mears Silicon Technology™ (MST®), a toolbox for semiconductor designers to enable new advancements by optimizing silicon properties. It is uniquely positioned to offer a solution to enhance transistor performance without disrupting existing manufacturing flows.”

Diving in deeper, the data also reflects a shift in industry mindset. Instead of choosing between node scaling and materials innovation, many (72%) are seeing a hybrid path forward. This signals that the industry is rethinking its approach to performance gains.

Enabling this shift will require more than technical breakthroughs. Most (93%) respondents say the need for vastly more energy-efficient semiconductors to support AI workloads is urgent or extremely urgent. Collaboration will be key to what comes next.

“To keep shrinking and improving chips for massive AI systems, engineers are turning to advanced materials for PPAC gains,” says Robert Mears, founder and CTO of Atomera. “These breakthroughs in advanced materials are empowering the industry to achieve higher performance with reduced space and energy requirements.”

As the sector moves into this next phase, 92% believe it will require a deeper collaboration between fabless companies, foundries and materials experts, recognizing the need for niche players with expertise in advanced materials to help guide integration efforts and accelerate development timelines.

Looking ahead, the continued improvements and innovation in the AI era will depend on the industry’s ability to adapt and evolve their manufacturing process.

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About Atomera

Atomera Incorporated is a semiconductor materials and technology licensing company focused on deploying its proprietary, silicon-proven technology into the semiconductor industry. Atomera has developed Mears Silicon Technology™ (MST^®), which increases performance and power efficiency in semiconductor transistors. MST can be implemented using equipment already deployed in semiconductor manufacturing facilities and is complementary to other nano-scaling technologies in the semiconductor industry roadmap. More information can be found at www.atomera.com.

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Source: Atomera Incorporated