Science and Technology - Second Report
Here you can browse the report together with the Proceedings of the Committee. The published report was ordered by the House of Lords to be printed 28 November 2002.
CONTENTS
REPORT
CHAPTER 1: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Summary of the Report
Recommendations
Design and Architecture
Microprocessor technologies
Skill needs
Assisting new ventures
Interdisciplinary work
Promoting research
Keeping Parliament informed
CHAPTER 2: BACKGROUND TO THE INQUIRY
The development of computing
Reasons for the Inquiry
Box 1: The world in numbers
The Sub-Committee
Call for evidence
Evidence received
This Report
Abbreviations
CHAPTER 3: SETTING THE SCENE
Computing over the years
Mechanical devices
The arrival of electronics
Transistors
Box 2: A field-effect transistor
Integrated circuits
Microprocessors
Electronic computers
Elements of a computer
Computing performance
CHAPTER 4: CHIP TECHNOLOGIES
How a chip is made
Box 3: Fabricating a chip
CMOS technology
Moore's "Law"
Box 4: Transistors per chip
Box 5: Increase in transistors per chip
The ITRS "roadmap"
The limits to CMOS miniaturisation
Fundamental limits
Financial constraints
Box 6: Unit cost of transistors
CMOS at the limits
Box 7: The business S-curve
Alternative chip technologies
Box 8: Quantum computing
Generic technologies
Metrology
Nanotechnology.
CHAPTER 5: DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE
The importance of design
The role of architecture in increasing performance
Servers
Supercomputers
Embedded computers
System-on-Chip
Verification and Test
Production test
Innovation in design and architecture
CHAPTER 6: NETWORKING AND APPLICATIONS
Networking
Wireless networking
The Grid
The future of networking
Future applications
"Ambient Computing"
Biomedical systems
Extended networking
Reliability
Human-centred computing
CHAPTER 7: UK INDUSTRY AND THE RESEARCH FRAMEWORK
The UK computer industry
The UK academic research environment
Funding for UK academic research
EPSRC
e-Science
PPARC
Government laboratories
Interdisciplinary work
EU funding
Industrial research funding
Aggregate spending on R&D
CHAPTER 8: NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE UNITED
KINGDOM
Research into devices and manufacturing technologies
Research into design and architecture
Enhancing activity in design and architecture
Delivering enhanced funding
A national centre for System-on-Chip design
A national programme
Short-termism
Summary
CHAPTER 9: MEETING THE SKILL NEEDS
Schools
Higher education
Students
The international position
CHAPTER 10: BRINGING PRODUCTS TO MARKET
Entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom
Intellectual Property mechanisms
Improving the entrepreneurial climate
UK start-ups
Support needs
Existing market
Government-sponsored schemes
Public sector procurement
The role of the private sector
Summary
CHAPTER 11: CONCLUSION
The need for ever greater computer performance
The current UK position
Building on strengths
The need to improve exploitation
Encouraging the market
The difficulty of making projections
What the future holds
Revolutionary change
Summary
APPENDIX 1: Sub-Committee II
APPENDIX 2: Call for Evidence
APPENDIX 3: Witnesses
APPENDIX 4: Visit to the National Physical
Laboratory
APPENDIX 5: Seminar held at the Royal Society
APPENDIX 6: Visit to Silicon Valley
APPENDIX 7: Visit to IMEC
APPENDIX 8: Abbreviations and Glossary
APPENDIX 9: Technical background to computing
APPENDIX 10: Mobile Phones
Table 59b EUVL Mask Requirements
Notes
- This document contains the Second Report in Session
2002-03 by the Select Committee appointed to consider Science
and Technology. It was ordered to be printed on 28 November 2002,
and published shortly thereafter.
- In the text of the Report, Q refers to a numbered
question in the oral evidence and p refers to a page of written
evidence, both as published in the second part of this Volume,
HL Paper 13-II.
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