Developments in Microelectronics Technology and the Economics of the Semiconductor Industry
Developments in Microelectronics Technology and the Economics of the Semiconductor Industry
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微电子技术的发展和半导体行业的经济
DOI：
10.1108/eb013854
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发表时间：
1980
影响因子：
1.9
通讯作者：
J. Monk
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
J. Monk
微电子学，特别是微处理器和它们作为其一部分的微型计算机，能够执行复杂的数据处理任务。这些电子系统的成本已经下降到设计者可以将其视为工业、办公室甚至家用产品的一部分，与旧的机械、电气和电子技术竞争。这些电子系统还使得以前使用替代操作方法过于昂贵的新产品在经济上可行。微电子技术的迅速发展和随之而来的价格下降，特别是在自动化领域、车间和办公室使用微电子技术的产品的价格下降，引起了学术界、研究人员、政治家和工会会员的关注。令人担忧的是，采用微电子技术的新生产工具将取代劳动力，而且许多采用微电子技术的新产品将需要更少的人来组装更少数量的标准化组件。与此同时，许多工业家看到了新产品的机会，这些新产品有助于提高生活水平，并在生产中雇用工人。因此，在新产品生产中的就业与产品和劳动密集型生产工艺过时而造成的劳动力流失之间存在着平衡。争论的焦点是微电子技术的出现是否会显著增加失业率，如果会，对社会的影响会是什么。然而，如果微电子的优势只是暂时的，那么迄今为止所看到的变化可能是正在预示的革命的全部范围。本文解释了微电子元件是如何制造的，并研究了它们发展的制约因素，表明即使目前的元件还没有充分发挥其影响力，微电子、微型计算机和包含它们的电子系统的能力仍有可能得到相当大的提高。
Microelectronics and in particular microprocessors and the microcomputers of which they are a part, are capable of performing complex data processing tasks. The costs of these electronic systems has fallen to a level where they can be considered by a designer to be a part of industrial, office and even domestic goods competing with older mechanical, electrical and electronic techniques. These electronic systems have also made economically feasible new products which were previously too expensive using the alternative methods of operation. The rapid rate of development and the consequent reductions in prices of microelectronics and the products that use it particularly in the sphere of automation, on the shop floor and in the office has given academics, researchers, politicians and trade unionists a cause for concern. The worries are that new tools for production incorporating microelectronics will displace labour and that furthermore many new products that incorporate microelectronics will require fewer people to assemble smaller numbers of standardised components. At the same time many industrialists see opportunities for new products helping to raise the standard of living and employing people in their production. There is therefore a balance between employment in the production of new products and the displacement of labour as products and labour intensive production processes are made obsolescent. The debate is whether the advent of microelectronics will significantly increase unemployment or not and if it does, what the effects on society will be. However, if the advantages of microelectronics are merely temporary then the changes that have been seen so far may be the full extent of the revolution that is being presaged. This paper explains how microelectronic components are made and examines the constraints on their development to show that even though current components have not achieved their full influence there is still likely to be considerable increases in the capabilities of microelectronics, microcomputers and the electronic systems that incorporate them.