REVITALIZING THE U.S. SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY

Until recently the semiconductor--the basic building block of the electronic age--was a symbol of U.S. creative genius and preeminence in high technology. U.S. scientists invented the semiconductor, and U.S. semiconductor manufacturers so dominated world trade during the 1970s. Today, however, Japanese semiconductor manufacturers hold commanding leads in many critical high-volume markets. U.S. defense systems must increasingly rely on foreign-made electronic components. Consequently, disruption of supplies could jeopardize national security. Over the past few months almost energy government agency and private organization with a stake in semiconductor technology has proposed corrective actions.