Despite the mixed empirical evidence, prior research has not fully uncovered the complex nexus between interdisciplinarity and technological innovation. This study introduces a holistic, three-dimensional cost-benefit framework that encompasses disciplinary variety, balance, and disparity to investigate the nonlinear impact of interdisciplinary collaboration on technological innovation. By analyzing a large-scale dataset of U.S. patents in the chip manufacturing industry from 2000 to 2020, we find a significant S-curve relationship between interdisciplinary research and technological innovation. Our analysis shows that technological innovation initially declines and then increases as disciplinary variety and disparity grow, eventually reaching a plateau. Conversely, increases in disciplinary balance lead to a nonlinear enhancement in technological innovation. Our study offers a new understanding of why and how interdisciplinary research contributes to innovation, with valuable insights into scientific research and technological developments.
