https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-global-computer-chip-shortage-shows-danger-of-u-s-production-trends/ > The following essay is reprinted with permission from The Conversation, an online publication covering the latest research. > President Joe Biden’s executive order calling for a review of supply chains for critical products put a spotlight on the decades-long decline in U.S. semiconductor manufacturing capacity. Semiconductors are the logic and memory chips used in computers, phones, vehicles and appliances. The U.S. share of global semiconductor fabrication is only 12%, down from 37% in 1990, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.