It seems that our Joel is dismissive of POET and its claims, probably to the point of contempt, at least that is the impression he gives me.

He suggests he reads the ITRS (International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors) output and relies on this for his information. I looked up what they do. Their management consists entirely of people with very impressive backgrounds in Finance, Banking, Investment and Equities. I found no background in technology per se, though I am sure they have advice available to them at all levels. They offer an output to many, if not all, large cap technology corporations offering guidance and advice on all aspects of semiconductor technology. It is not an output I read.

It is is true that GaAs has been around for many years, indeed, in previous years it was thought to be the semiconductor of choice for all the reasons this forum has written, many times, and I will not repeat. It is used in high end specialist areas e.g. aerospace because of its ability to resist elctromagnetic radiation. It seems that in the early development of Silicon it was displaced because of its cheapness, superabundance and the fact that it could be improved so easily.

What seems to be a problem for Joel is the absence of any intrinsic technological expertise, I didn't notice if he had any background qualifications in a science subject; he is reliant on others for this. So, Moore's Law is not part of his bread and butter. A glance at any Google enquiry on Moore's Law will highlight its looming difficulties. I find it difficult to imagine an august publication such as ITRS's output will not have had some discussion on this problem. Joel may have missed it and, unfortunately, he seems quite unaware of its relevance to Silicon technology. This is sad, perhaps we should sympathise. However, if you claim to be a journalist and have the remotest responsibility to the truth then you seek more knowledge before firing off such dismissive lines as in his reply to Rob's e-mails.

What should also be said is that Geoff Taylor's work has been carried out over some 20+ years. It is virtually unknown for the simple reason that Moore's Law's limitations will be reached in the near future and now is the hour for this technology, nobody would have paid much heed 10 years ago. Before it was unknown but this is already not the case; this science will become increasingly relevant from now on. I would not expect the output of ITRS to be full of GAAs semiconductors yet. Wouldn't the schadenfreude be fabulous when it does. May I suggest that Joel does a Google search on Moore's Law and GaAs semiconductors, perhaps he could write to the ITRS for help, though, on second thoughts their entry fees and his lack of a scientific background may be disadvantageous.

If you Google Joel Hruska you will find a brief summary of his background, education and the work he does. Draw your own conclusions on his ability to comment on the Silcon's difficulties and in its light, decide on the emptiness of his comments.