Soitec has been exploring advanced semiconductor materials and engineering new substrate solutions for next-generation AI hardware.
eetimes.eu, Mar. 28, 2025 –
Whether in the cloud or on the edge, the future of AI computing will require new semiconductor architectures. In light of growing demands on performance and power consumption, Soitec has been exploring advanced semiconductor materials and engineering new substrate solutions for next-generation AI hardware.
In a discussion with EE Times Europe, René Jonker, executive vice president and general manager of Soitec’s newly formed Edge & Cloud AI division, explains how photonics solutions can accelerate AI workloads in data centers and how the fully depleted silicon-on-insulator (FD-SOI) technology brings AI onto edge with low power consumption.
EE TIMES EUROPE: How do you analyze the accelerating adoption of AI? Shouldn’t we expect sigmoidal growth over time?
René Jonker: AI adoption is accelerating rapidly, and though sigmoidal growth may take years, several factors suggest we’re still in an exponential phase. The number of AI devices is set to grow significantly through 2030, with more and more devices integrating AI-enabled features. At the same time, the computing power needed to train the next generation of AI models, like GPT-4 and beyond, is also increasing exponentially. Future models could require up to a million times more computing power than today. Another major factor is the electricity demand for AI infrastructure, including data centers, which is expected to rise at least sevenfold in the coming years. This highlights the immense scale and energy needs of AI’s rapid expansion. That’s why at Soitec, we’re focused on developing energy-efficient [substrate] solutions to help drive this transformation, both at the edge and in the cloud.
EE TIMES EUROPE: How does Soitec adapt its substrate technology to support the rise of edge AI and cloud AI? And continuously enhance performance, reduce power consumption, and enable the creation of advanced semiconductor devices?
Jonker: Soitec is adapting its substrate technology to meet the growing demand of AI—for higher computing power capabilities, lower energy consumption, and lower cost—both at the edge and in the cloud. Our semiconductor materials deliver the performance required to support applications like real-time translation, AI-enhanced photography, and augmented reality.