Curiosity-Driven Tech: Why Asking Better Questions Builds Better Chips
Every leap in semiconductor design begins with a question. As engineers explore the outer limits of what’s physically and economically possible, it’s often not the answers they already have but the questions they’re brave enough to ask that open a new frontier. At the recent SPIE lithography conference, Erik Hosler, a strategist and researcher known for his work in advanced patterning, highlighted the rising value of curiosity-driven discussion in shaping the industry’s path forward.
This shift signals a broader cultural change in semiconductor R&D. Instead of focusing only on how to refine existing technologies, more panel sessions, research alliances, and design teams are asking important questions. What if the framework is wrong? What if a better solution lies outside the current scope of exploration? The most impactful innovations now often begin with a deliberate exploration of unknowns, fueled by questions that challenge established assumptions.
Rethinking the Innovation Model
Historically, semiconductor innovation has been driven by performance targets and predictable scaling timelines. Moore’s Law dictated rhythm, and engineers worked toward shrinking nodes, optimizing power, and minimizing cost. But in recent years, that straightforward model has fractured. Lithographic limitations, power density concerns, and rising fabrication costs have created a landscape where progress is no longer linear.
In this environment, curiosity is more than a philosophical stance but a strategy. Engineers and scientists are encouraged to explore unorthodox ideas, test radical materials, and consider architectures once thought impractical. The design questions posed today include whether we can merge photonic and electronic logic on a chip, and how far we can abstract quantum behavior into classical systems. These questions have far-reaching implications that go beyond performance metrics.
By foregrounding these types of questions, the industry ensures that it is not merely reacting to challenges but actively redefining the boundaries of what is achievable.
The Role of Inquiry in Collaborative Engineering
Curiosity in engineering thrives when it’s shared. That’s why curiosity-driven innovation tends to flourish in collaborative settings, including academic labs, consortia like IMEC, and technical conferences. These environments encourage engineers to ask questions that may not yet have a commercial payoff but could yield foundational insights for future design.
It is especially true in cross-disciplinary panels, which have become focal points for this kind of thinking. Instead of isolating sessions by specialization, more conferences now invite physicists, chemists, system architects, and even ethicists to address shared challenges in semiconductor design. These forums reward not just technical expertise but the willingness to think beyond traditional boundaries.
One participant might ask how stochastic effects from EUV exposure could be reduced with novel resist compounds, while another may question whether AI-driven mask generation can mitigate layout variability. The act of asking builds momentum and opens creative pathways toward solutions.
The Power of the “What If”
The strength of asking questions is not limited to identifying problems. In many cases, it’s the only way to achieve better solutions. “What if we designed for repairability instead of yield?” “What if the chip itself could sense process drift during fabrication?” These questions often feel tangential at the moment, but they plant seeds that mature into new lines of inquiry, investment, and product development.
Asking “what if” allows engineers to temporarily decouple from current limitations. It creates a safe space for counterfactual thinking, which might be possible if we weren’t constrained by today’s tools, materials, or design rules. This mindset is especially useful in pre-competitive research settings, where teams are encouraged to look beyond near-term ROI. In these spaces, failure isn’t a waste of effort but information. The goal isn’t just to validate hypotheses but to provoke new ones.
MEMS, MOEMS, and Quantum
Curiosity also drives expansion into new domains. In recent SPIE sessions, the inclusion of MEMS and MOEMS technologies has opened unexpected design dialogues. These microscale mechanical structures are critical in sensing and actuation and are increasingly relevant in optical alignment, packaging, and quantum hardware integration.
By including these technologies in broader lithography discussions, panels are making room for questions that connect the mechanical and the photonic, classical and quantum. These connections matter to me. MEMS-based components could, for example, stabilize quantum circuits or align nano-scale optical pathways with high precision.
Erik Hosler shares, “Last year, we included MEMS and MOEMS, and we will keep expanding to quantum to make this a place to ask questions … Lots of great things are going on, and something will emerge.”
It is where panels are designed to explore the possibility, not settle the debate, which is central to the culture of curiosity-driven advancement.
Risk and the Value of Uncertainty
A question-first approach embraces uncertainty in a way that traditional roadmaps often resist. It recognizes that not all knowledge is linear and that some of the best innovations come from reframing rather than refining. Risk becomes part of the process, not a deviation from it.
Curiosity-driven work often operates at the edge of what is measurable, reproducible, or even fundable. But when paired with rigorous exploration and an openness to collaboration, it becomes a powerful engine of insight. The key is to cultivate a culture where asking “what if” is seen not as naive but as essential.
This culture is beginning to permeate startup incubators, foundry R&D groups, and even venture arms within large semiconductor companies. Most future-oriented firms recognize the long-term value of asking the right questions before chasing the nearest answers.
Designing Panels for Discovery
Technical panels that prioritize open inquiry over conclusions are among the most visible vehicles for this shift. Their purpose is not to set directions but to map the terrain. They bring together comfortable participants who say, “We don’t know yet,” and who view that not as failure but as the beginning of the real work.
A successful panel session often doesn’t end with a summary. It ends with a list of questions that deserve further thought. It challenges the audience to reflect on blind spots, unexplored variables, and unasked questions in their domains.
This kind of intellectual scaffolding is critical in a field as complex as semiconductor development. As process variability increases and integration strategies diversify, a flexible, question-centered framework becomes indispensable.
Curiosity as a Strategic Tool
In semiconductor engineering, curiosity isn’t just a soft skill or a personality trait. It’s a strategic resource. The ability to ask better questions directly correlates with the ability to build better chips. It enables the exploration of alternative paths, early identification of failure modes, and unexpected constructive collaboration between fields.
The industry’s most profound breakthroughs often do not originate from perfect answers but from courageous questions. And as others in the field continue to advocate for forums that welcome those questions, the road ahead looks not only uncertain but rich in possibility. In a sector defined by speed and precision, curiosity offers something equally essential: vision.