Fab Gap: Semiconductors

$52 billion in government investment. $500 billion in private commitments. 90% of the world's most advanced chips made in Taiwan — 110 miles from mainland China. This is not a technology story. This is the foundation of every industry in America — and it is being rebuilt right now. Fab Gap is a free educational app that explains America's semiconductor buildout in plain language. Built by a 15-year Intel physical design engineer with hands-on tapeout experience, it gives business leaders, policymakers, and executives the knowledge they need to understand and act on the largest industrial shift in a generation. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN Module 00 · Why This Matters The real numbers. The real stakes. Why every business — not just technology companies — must understand the semiconductor shift happening right now. Module 01 · The Stack How a chip is physically built — from silicon wafer to finished die. Layer by layer, in plain language. Module 02 · Process Nodes From 180nm legacy chips to Intel 18A cutting edge. What the node numbers mean, what they cost, and why they matter for American competitiveness. Module 03 · Physical Design & Verification DRC, LVS, ERC, timing corners, waveform verification — the checklist between a chip design and working silicon. Module 04 · Design Flow Schematic to tapeout. The full journey a chip takes from idea to manufactured reality. Module 05 · The Ecosystem Who designs chips, who manufactures them, and why the gap between Taiwan and America defines global power. Module 06 · CHIPS Act Where the $52 billion goes, who received it, what is being built, and what the current challenges are. Module 07 · AI & Advanced Packaging Why AI accelerators are driving the push to advanced nodes — and why packaging now matters as much as the node itself. Module 08 · Who Benefits & How Construction, software, EDA, equipment, staffing, services, and certified small businesses — every industry has a CHIPS Act opportunity. Module 09 · Industry Players The full semiconductor value chain by tier — from TSMC and Intel to Cadence, Synopsys, and the emerging firms building the next layer of the ecosystem. WHO THIS IS FOR · Business leaders evaluating CHIPS Act opportunities · Congressional staff and policy advisors · C-suite executives navigating semiconductor supply chain decisions · Government contracting officers and procurement professionals · Investors and analysts covering the chip industry · Entrepreneurs and small business owners seeking certified pathways · Anyone who wants to understand the industry driving AI, defense, and the modern economy BUILT BY Fab Gap was built by the founder of Souletics Software — a 15-year Intel physical design engineer with hands-on experience in custom layout and cryptography chip tapeouts, an AI Cloud Solutions Architect at Intel's Office of the CTO, and a HUBZone-certified small business owner supporting America's domestic semiconductor buildout. Free. No subscription. No login. No ads.