Q5 interview - Brian Halla, National Semiconductor

Brian Halla, Chairman & CEO, National Semiconductor, talks to Electronics Weekly about upcoming architecture and process developments, the global trend towards greater energy efficiency, and disruptive technologies on the horizon.

Can you describe some of the architecture and process developments which will have the greatest impact on the National analogue business in the next few years?

Our focus is on energy efficiency and using analogue solutions to make a difference. Building on our leadership in power management, energy efficiency is a natural and logical extension for us. We are investing more R&D into product designs and process technologies to support this.

Our recently announced PowerWise brand of products now features over 300 ICs that have high performance-to-power ratios. Working individually or together, PowerWise ICs create energy-efficient systems. We also continue to develop process technologies enabling the products we manufacture to consume less power. For example, we developed our VIP50 vertically integrated PNP (VIP) process technology specifically for op amp applications that span a supply voltage range from 0.9V to 12V. Products manufactured on our VIP50 process offer better power efficiency, lower noise levels and increased precision.

How is the global trend towards greater energy efficiency affecting the semiconductor business in general?

The energy crisis is impacting the entire world. As an industry, semiconductor companies provide the enabling technology for electronics systems to consume less power. There are now a host of mobile phone models with rich features allowing us to surf the Web, store digital photos and listen to music, but we want these devices to last longer on a single battery charge. Semiconductor technology does that.

In healthcare, portable ultrasound machines are highly effective and consume far less power than a traditional, wheel-around-on-a-cart, plugged-into-the-wall machine. These are great examples of what semiconductor innovation can do...and a demonstrable way our industry contributes to power-conserving efforts.

Specifically, how is National approaching the issue of energy-efficiency in its business strategy and its products?

Helping our customers create energy-efficient systems builds on National's strength. This is evident in our hundreds of PowerWise products that feature energy-efficient op amps, power management and interface ICs as well as data converters. We are now leveraging our expertise in energy efficiency to make a difference in renewable, alternative energies such as solar.

Our recently announced SolarMagic technology maximizes the electrical output of solar panels when they are affected by shade, dust, pollution and panel mismatches or nonconformity. With SolarMagic technology, a consumer can recoup up to 50 percent of energy that would have otherwise been lost. This will open a new wave of adoption as solar panels can now be installed where they could not have been previously due to shading.

Do you see any disruptive technologies on the horizon? For example, touch sense?

There will be many disruptive technologies using "intelligent analogue" to change the traditional partitioning of analogue and CPU/ DSP processing. For example, many improvements can be made in the area of healthcare equipment with magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) that use an analogue front end and process images real time. Or, heart monitors based on analogue technology that eliminate the need for echo stress and angiograms to detect artery and valve plaque blockage.

Likewise, in the area of security and surveillance, gunshot detection circuits in every thermostat, and wireless sensor camera networks, with harvested energy, will work together adaptively and collaboratively to become a powerful computer. There will be instant charging for mobile phones and electric cars. Nearly all of these disruptive technologies leverage analogue-to-information processing.

Are you concerned about the global economic climate and the impact this could have on the semiconductor business?

Despite the unstable economy, the semiconductor industry can make a significant difference in, what I call, "quality of life megatrends." We know we can have a positive effect on the global energy crisis and have demonstrated innovation to solve problems there. However, there is so much more we can do, and are doing, as we apply our creativity and innovative engineering to make the world safer, provide better healthcare and make our lives more enjoyable.

Far-field-noise-reduction analogue technology that can detect gunshots, portable ultrasound machines that a doctor can hold in his hand and now effectively diagnose disease in people who live in remote rural areas, and fully featured mobile phones that last longer on a battery charge are now possible due to the contributions of semiconductor technology – specifically, analogue technology.

See also: Q5 - Interviews with electronics industry leaders
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