Productivity and Cyclicality in Semiconductors

Hosted by Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government, this symposium brought together leading technologists and economists to review technical challenges facing the semiconductor industry, the industry's business cycle, the interconnections between the two, and the implications of growth in semiconductors for the economy as a whole. This volume includes a summary of the symposium proceedings and three major research papers. Topics reviewed encompass the industry technology roadmap, challenges to be overcome to maintain the trajectory of Moore's Law, the drivers of the continued growth in productivity in the U.S. economy, and economic models for gaining a better understanding of this leading U.S. industry.Table of Contents

• Front Matter
• I ProceedingsWelcome
• Introduction
• Panel I: Productivity Trends in the Semiconductor Industry
• Panel II: Cyclicality: Comparisons by Industry
• Luncheon Address: The Industry Perspective on Semiconductors
• Panel III: Economic Growth and Semiconductor Productivity
• Panel IV: Roundtable on Models for Cyclical Industries
• Closing Remarks
• II Research Papers Accounting for Growth in the Information Age
• International Technology Roadmaps: The U.S. Semiconductor Experience
• Moore’s Law and the Economics of Semiconductor Price Trends
• Appendix A: Biographies of Speakers
• Appendix B: Participants List
• Appendix C: Bibliography