Post by Semiconductor Leadership Podcast

Some careers follow a plan. Dr. Habib Hichri followed curiosity. Dr. Habib Hichri is Executive Vice President and Senior Fellow of Global Applications and Business Development at Ajinomoto Fine-Techno USA. His path into semiconductors started with a chance encounter: walking past an IBM recruiting booth at the University at Buffalo during a snowstorm in 2001, handing over his resume on the spot, and interviewing the next morning. That moment launched a 12-year tenure at IBM's Semiconductor Research and Development Centre and a career that now spans 40+ patents, more than 75 publications, and deep involvement in industry associations including IMAPS, IEEE EPS, iNEMI, and USESI. What stuck with us: His operating philosophy is disarmingly simple. "Always think: what if. What if I change this?" Define what the real problem actually is, and the solution is already there. Non-photosensitive dielectrics are his bet for the interposer. Invest in lithography and dry etch, he argues, and a five-micron line and space is not a dream. It's where we're headed. The biggest gap in the industry: photonics and packaging aren't talking. AI infrastructure is approaching energy constraints only optical interconnects can solve at scale, yet there is no organised cross-pollination between the two communities. On legacy: "Positiveness. Working with multiple people. Respecting everybody's opinion. Honesty and integrity. Those are the things you leave behind." If you work in advanced packaging, materials science, photonics, or semiconductor R&D, Dr. Hichri's perspective on where the industry needs to commit is worth your full attention. 🎧 Read the article and watch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/gYMS7vsY #Semiconductors #AdvancedPackaging #Ajinomoto #SemiconductorLeadershipPodcast #Photonics #MaterialsScience #ISIG