UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — MoU signed to bring substrate manufacturing technology to India; Govt. of Odisha, Intel and 3DGS parties to the agreement
Q1. In the context of the recently signed MoU among the Government of Odisha, Intel and 3D Glass Solutions, the term 'glass core substrate' most precisely refers to which one of the following?
- A. The silicon wafer on which transistors are etched during front-end fabrication
- B. An advanced-packaging base material that supports and interconnects chips within a package, serving as an alternative to organic substrates
- C. A photomask made of quartz glass used to project circuit patterns onto silicon
- D. A toughened cover glass laminated onto finished display panels
Q2. In the tripartite MoU for the glass core substrate facility in Odisha, which one of the following parties is designated as the technology partner contributing process know-how and expertise?
- A. Government of Odisha
- B. 3D Glass Solutions (3DGS)
- C. Intel
- D. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
Q3. Which one of the following correctly states the total incentive outlay of the India Semiconductor Mission, the flagship programme under which the Odisha glass substrate facility is being set up?
- A. ₹4,600 crore
- B. ₹76,000 crore
- C. ₹1.60 lakh crore
- D. ₹1,943.53 crore
Q4. With reference to the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), consider the following statements:
1. It was approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2021.
2. It functions as an Independent Business Division within the Digital India Corporation.
3. It provides fiscal support of up to 50% of project cost for setting up silicon fabs.
4. It is administered by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- It was approved by the Union Cabinet in December 2021.
- It functions as an Independent Business Division within the Digital India Corporation.
- It provides fiscal support of up to 50% of project cost for setting up silicon fabs.
- It is administered by the Ministry of Heavy Industries.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q5. Among the semiconductor units approved by the Union Cabinet in the ₹4,600 crore tranche covering Odisha, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, which one alone entailed the single largest investment?
- A. SiCSem Private Limited, Odisha
- B. The 3D Glass Solutions glass substrate unit, Odisha
- C. Continental Device India Private Limited (CDIL), Punjab
- D. Advanced System in Package Technologies (ASIP), Andhra Pradesh
Q6. The setting up of the semiconductor manufacturing units in Odisha, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh (combined outlay ₹4,600 crore) was approved by which one of the following?
- A. The Union Cabinet
- B. The India Semiconductor Mission Advisory Board
- C. NITI Aayog
- D. The MeitY Empowered Committee
Q7. With reference to how glass core substrate manufacturing differs from semiconductor wafer fabrication, consider the following statements:
1. Wafer fabrication is a front-end process that forms transistors on silicon, whereas glass core substrate manufacturing belongs to the back-end advanced-packaging segment.
2. Unlike silicon wafers, which are processed as round discs, glass core substrates are produced in large rectangular panel form.
3. Glass core substrates have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than organic substrates, which worsens package warpage.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Wafer fabrication is a front-end process that forms transistors on silicon, whereas glass core substrate manufacturing belongs to the back-end advanced-packaging segment.
- Unlike silicon wafers, which are processed as round discs, glass core substrates are produced in large rectangular panel form.
- Glass core substrates have a higher coefficient of thermal expansion than organic substrates, which worsens package warpage.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. Consider the following characteristics:
1. A low coefficient of thermal expansion enabling better warpage control.
2. The ability to be fabricated in large-area panel form.
3. Support for high-frequency signal transmission with improved signal integrity.
4. Superior thermal dissipation, which is regarded as its single foremost advantage.
Which of the above are correctly identified as advantages of glass core substrates for advanced packaging?
- A low coefficient of thermal expansion enabling better warpage control.
- The ability to be fabricated in large-area panel form.
- Support for high-frequency signal transmission with improved signal integrity.
- Superior thermal dissipation, which is regarded as its single foremost advantage.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q9. With reference to Odisha's emerging semiconductor ecosystem, consider the following statements:
1. The Odisha unit at Info Valley is being set up as India's first silicon wafer fabrication (front-end) plant.
2. The advanced 3D packaging unit's groundbreaking took place at Info Valley in the Khordha region.
3. The glass core substrate project is being implemented through the Indian subsidiary Heterogeneous Integration Packaging Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
4. Odisha also hosts a silicon-carbide/compound semiconductor fab project, SiCSem.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The Odisha unit at Info Valley is being set up as India's first silicon wafer fabrication (front-end) plant.
- The advanced 3D packaging unit's groundbreaking took place at Info Valley in the Khordha region.
- The glass core substrate project is being implemented through the Indian subsidiary Heterogeneous Integration Packaging Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
- Odisha also hosts a silicon-carbide/compound semiconductor fab project, SiCSem.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 2, 3 and 4 only
Q10. The semiconductor facility whose ground was broken at Info Valley in the Bhubaneswar–Khordha region is officially described as India's first unit of which one of the following types?
- A. Commercial silicon wafer fabrication plant
- B. Advanced 3D semiconductor packaging unit
- C. Assembly, Testing, Marking and Packaging (ATMP) plant
- D. Display (LCD/OLED) fabrication facility