order custom parts beyond PCBs, and 3D – e.g. sensors, chips, near future

Commercialization has grown to different heights, now to offer the value for the buck, the work has transformed from being doing it ourselves, to “have money?, you can buy it” where the accumulated ‘favor’ (according to rules of the universe), is used to get the commodity that person did not invest its own time in. A person is born in certain era and place, which offers him certain possibilities in life that it lives, and in that life, a person might not be able to build a phone, but can afford it, few reasons because:

• that thing was made in enormous quantities, that , that person gets it for being a person,
• person has accumulated his work (given its era), to obtain that thing, from perspective of absolute universe, where era does not exist, and even dinosaurs existed in the same space once where now you live

And such commercialization, the game of makers (those making for others) and takers (those taking (buying) from makers). Those who can afford probably most likely are deserving of what makers offer. And also for most part, its about pushing the era forward, so past experiences can be forgotten (why though, I guess away from past pain and adversity, or just discomfort, but perhaps just because of curiosity (in a good way), or a need to survive, depends, each (or individual groups) can have their own individual reason). Complexity is created, from imagination, and thats where people tend to enjoy life, as created out of pure imagination.

(ChatGPT)

You can already order custom silicon chips today, but the process depends on scale, complexity, and material. Full control (down to transistor or material level) isn’t accessible to individuals yet—it’s gated by semiconductor fab infrastructure—but the ecosystem is loosening. Breakdown:

1. Custom logic chips (digital ICs)

• Accessible now via MPW shuttles (multi-project wafer) from services like:
  • TinyTapeout, Efabless, MOSIS, SkyWater 130 nm open PDK, TSMC Open Innovation Platform (with partner).
• You design in Verilog/VHDL → submit GDSII → get real silicon back in weeks to months.
• Cost: from ~$100 for shared wafers (TinyTapeout) up to $10 k+ for standalone runs.

2. Custom analog/mixed-signal ICs

• Still possible through MPW (e.g., Efabless, X-FAB, GlobalFoundries), but analog verification and layout need more skill/time.
• Material options (e.g., SiGe, GaN, SOI) depend on foundry access; corporate or university partnership usually required.

3. Custom sensors

• MEMS foundries (e.g., Silex, MEMSCAP, Teledyne DALSA, Bosch Sensortec open programs) allow partial customization of accelerometers, pressure, micro-mirrors.
• You can access them through research-level shared fabrication programs (Europractice, IMEC prototyping).
• Material substitution (graphene, diamond-like carbon, GaN, SiC, etc.) is still research-fab-only, not consumer-accessible.

4. Custom materials

• True custom material integration (e.g., new semiconductor compounds, flexible substrates, bio-compatible polymers) requires research fab or nanofab lab access — like Aalto Nanofab, Tyndall, Berkeley Marvell Nanolab, IMEC, C2N (France).
• You can rent process time via institutional agreements or joint projects, not by direct online order yet.

5. Near-future trajectory

• Expect small-scale “fab-as-a-service” within 5–10 years, leveraging open-source PDKs and 3D printed microfabrication.
• Initiatives: OpenROAD, Zero-to-ASIC, SkyWater 90 nm, and startups developing desktop chip prototyping (using ion-beam, laser lithography, or 2D material printing).

In short:

• Digital chips: accessible today (TinyTapeout/Efabless).
• Sensors: semi-accessible through MEMS foundries or universities.
• Custom materials: still lab-only, slowly moving toward limited commercial accessibility.