Chip War by Chris Miller is a whistle-stop history of the history of the semiconductor and the technologies that make their development possible. It starts in 1950s Silicon Valley and ends in Taiwan, home of TMSC – one of the main semiconductor foundries in the world.

The first 50% of this book was really fun, a barrage of new technologies that got more and more complex as the amount of processors on a silicon chip increased. It was full of intersting characters and really demonstrated the global effort that goes into the technology we take for granted. I especially loved the chapter on lithography – which is now controlled by one company (ASML in the Netherlands), which each machine costing $100 million. It’s just kind of staggering from the first attempt being some photo resistant chemicals bought from kodak. I also love the story of Micron, invested in by an Idaho potato magnate, to become of the main DRAM producers in the world.

The last half of the book is just a growing panic attack over the global implications of the constant offshoring of technology. The barrage of Chinese industrial espionage, the shadowy investment companies trying to buy semi-conductor technology, and the fact that TMSC just sits off the coast…well…it’s just a bit panic inducing. It also continues to freak me out that everyone uses TikTok.

But it’s a great book and really puts into context some of the current policy changes in recent years (eg banning Huawei) and the recent drive in the US to bring back domestic semi-conductor production. I love the idea that even though the current generation of lithography (EUV) took 30 years to develop and required fans runs on magnets (in order to hover in the air, because bearings wouldn’t work), it still isn’t the limit. Just the sheer amount of engineering and physics involved is quite staggering. I’m very thankful for all of it so I can have my magic pocket computer.