SRC-led materials research: 40 years ago, and now

Today, we are living through a pivotal moment when the semiconductor industry is moving towards 3D-integration including the close integration of logic and memory, the tighter integration of mixed-signal circuits, spintronic, embedded memories, sensors, communications, and improved power management. It is expected that 3D monolithic and heterogeneous integration will result in a new, truly multi-functional platform that drives continued system progress in the coming decades. Thus, over the next 40 years, the semiconductor industry will require significant innovation. At the heart of that is the need for significant contributions from the materials ecosystem to drive materials from the laboratory to the factory. For this perspective article, a selected group of distinguished SRC Scholars have been invited to present their research in the context of the potential impact that their work will drive for the future of microelectronics.