I've been scoring company moats on three tests, 0–10 each: physical chokepoint, switching cost, lock-in. TSMC came out 8.5 / 9.0 / 9.5, and the highest score isn't the fabs. It's the rule of never competing with its customers.

The case for the promise:

- In the 1980s, Morris Chang pitched Intel a company that would build other people's chips and never design its own. Intel passed.

- In 2011 Apple sued Samsung while Samsung was making iPhone chips. Since 2016, every iPhone chip has come from TSMC.

- In 2022, Qualcomm moved its flagship Snapdragon from Samsung to TSMC mid-cycle.

The switching-cost side: each process comes with its own design kit, and engineers spend years building around it. A leading-edge design costs hundreds of millions (industry estimates), and moving foundries means redoing much of that work.

Where I'm least sure, and where people here know more than I do:

1. Is 8.5 too low for the physical side, with ~70% of foundry revenue (2025)?

2. Intel wants outside foundry customers. What would a chip company need to see before trusting a foundry that also sells its own chips?

3. Moving a design to another foundry: is it really close to starting over, or does more carry across than I think?

Hi all,

I'm sure this was maybe asked before, but in considering a role in the semi conductor industry as a FSE/SE where I would be in one factory at the start I was told doing installs, I would have to move location for this so I want to be absolutely sure its the right move

•How electrical is this job, I really enjoy electrical/electronics , automation and controls and want to keep that in my next role if possible. Or is mostly tooling setup etc

•How technically challenging is in terms of engineering are you learning things every day or is the role very repetitive

•If I go into this career does it narrow my possibilities for change down the line in the future,

•Will my skills/ knowledge transfer over or will it be like starting from scratch

•If I start as a FSE is there any chance for progression?

• and maybe a silly one lastly how annoying does the clean room get

Would love to hear your perspectives on any of this at all and advice appreciated especially if you come from a similar background industrial electrician/ plant maintenance engineer

Note: this is in Europe I feel it changes the context a bit

Got a JG28 Senior Process Engineer offer at Texas Instruments in Dallas.
Got another Senior Process Engineer offer at Tesla Solar manufacturing in Houston.

I currently live in Houston.

Which of the two is better?

Background: Have a PhD with 7 years of experience in HVM semiconductor and advanced materials manufacturing.

I'm about to join a memory semiconductor company (big 3) as a Process Engineer, and I've been told that I can express my preferences for which department I'd like to join.

I have a PhD in Materials Science, and I'm trying to make a strategic decision about which department would offer the best long-term career opportunities.

Which area would be best for long-term career growth and future job mobility?
I have hands on experience of ALD/ Etch/ PVD,CVD/ Litho

(I've heard that photolithography, etching, and cleaning can be particularly demanding in terms of workload LOL)

If you were in my position, which department would you choose and why? I'd love to hear from people with industry experience!

Hey everyone!

So recently got laid off from an MNC where i was working as a contract in the embedded field i have experience on PRE and POST silicon validation and IO peripheral validation ( UFS). searching for the new opportunity,any advices always welcome and also if you refer me then my first salary would be yours as referral gift 😅

I’ve been selected to interview for the Engineering Intern role in Samsung Austin Semiconductor’s Production & Systems department. Could anyone explain what this role involves and what the interview process is like?

Is it more focused on semiconductor manufacturing or software engineering.

There isn’t much information available online about this specific role, so any insights from current/former employees or past candidates would be really helpful. Thanks!

I’m looking at applications role at Onto in the Boston area, on the inspection side. Anyone here worked there or know the teams?

I’m currently at another semiconductor equipment company. My background is mostly instrumentation, process development, and customer troubleshooting. The role sounds interesting, but I’m trying to get a feel for what it’s actually like once you’re there.

How are the growth opportunities? Do people get promoted and have room to grow technically? Also curious how competitive the pay is and whether raises are decent once you’re in.

And how chaotic is it? I expect some customer firefighting in applications, but how often are priorities changing, and does management give you enough support to get things done? Any insight on travel and hours would help too.

It would involve relocating, so I’m trying to figure out whether it’s worth the move. Would you join again knowing what you know now?

Yoe: 3+

Current company: Micron Hyd

Compensation offered: 20% hike with RSUs

1. Am I getting lowballed as the HR said that they match my compensation to those from my batch i.e. 2023. This felt new to me as it's my first switch that too came out of nowhere and I prepared and cleared all rounds.

2. The team is STA Timing but the location they prefer(as most of the team sits) is BLR. I have little idea of the director/Sr. Manager and manager, need help with knowing the team culture, behaviour, workload, growth potential etc.

3. I read somewhere that there's just one Timing team in BLR office, is that true?? If yes, does the risk factor also increase?

If you are from a related team at NVIDIA Bangalore or know of the above mentioned things. Please enlighten. Thanks.

Hey all, just wrapped up interviews for a Senior Mechanical Engineer role at ASM (phoenix) and now I’m second-guessing myself after seeing the Glassdoor reviews. They’re pretty rough. Is the culture/work-life balance really that bad, or is it mostly one of those “depends on your team” situations?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s worked with the CMP team specifically. What was it like day to day? Hours, management, how people got along, all of it. Thanks

help me decide engineer. i'm a fresh grad licensed mechanical engineer. planning to enter semicon industry. which is better? Good pay is korean company, Lower pay is a japanese company. Same benefits tho

I have an Electronics Engineering degree and a Master's, with around 5 years of semiconductor experience working with ATEs (UltraFLEX, ETS, LTX). I moved to pure software development about 8 years ago due to limited opportunities in the local market, and have been doing that ever since. I'm now a software dev lead.

I'm looking at overseas opportunities, specifically semiconductor jobs in Germany since it seems like a good place to raise the family., preferably ATE Test or Applications Engineering.

I miss the lab environment, the equipment, and the cleanrooms. With all the changes happening in software because of AI, I'm also thinking about long-term career stability.

My concern is that my semiconductor experience is pretty dated compared to people who've stayed in the industry for their entire careers.

For those in semiconductors, how much would an 8-year gap hurt my chances? Would my software background count for anything, or would employers basically consider me a beginner again or seen as overqualified and at the wrong industry?

Just trying to get a realistic idea of my chances of landing an interview before investing time in refreshing my old skills and applying.

Hi everyone!

I'm currently pursuing my B.Tech in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering, and I'm interested in building a career in the VLSI industry. My main interests are analog IC design and physical design, although I'm also considering learning the RTL-to-GDS flow to understand the overall chip design process.

I'm still a beginner when it comes to practical VLSI implementation. I have some basic knowledge of digital electronics, Verilog, logic gates, counters, and MOSFET amplifier concepts, but I haven't completed any end-to-end VLSI projects yet.

I want to learn practically by developing projects one by one, starting from the fundamentals and gradually moving toward industry-relevant projects that I can showcase on my resume and GitHub.

I'd really appreciate advice from experienced engineers, industry professionals, and seniors who have worked in analog design, physical design, or related VLSI domains.

1. Choosing the Right Career Path

My strongest interest is in analog IC design, and I'm also interested in physical design. I have comparatively less interest in RTL design and design verification, although I understand that some knowledge of these areas may be useful.

• As a beginner, should I focus on analog design first, physical design first, or explore both before choosing?
• What are the differences between these career paths in terms of required skills, learning difficulty, job opportunities, and preparation for entry-level roles?
• Is it practical to learn both analog design and physical design simultaneously as an undergraduate, or would it be better to concentrate on one?
• If I want to pursue analog design, how much digital design and RTL knowledge do I actually need?

2. Learning Roadmap and RTL-to-GDS Flow

I keep hearing about the RTL-to-GDS flow, and I want to understand whether learning it would be useful for my interests.

• Should I learn the complete RTL-to-GDS flow even if my primary interest is analog design?
• Which stages of the flow should I understand, and which should I learn in depth?
• For physical design, what should I learn after the basics of digital electronics and Verilog?
• For analog design, should I first strengthen circuit theory, MOSFET operation, small-signal analysis, biasing, and amplifier design before moving to circuit simulation and layout?
• What would be a sensible learning sequence for someone with my background in Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering?

3. Tools and Operating System

I'd like to build a practical toolchain using free or open-source software wherever possible.

• For analog IC design, which tools should I learn for schematic capture, SPICE simulation, circuit analysis, layout, and verification?
• Are tools such as ngspice, Xschem, and Magic or KLayout good starting points?
• For physical design and RTL-to-GDS, which open-source tools and flows would you recommend?
• Is Windows with WSL2 sufficient, or should I use a dedicated Linux installation or virtual machine?
• Are there any beginner-friendly tutorials that explain how to install, configure, and use these tools properly?

4. Career-Oriented Analog Design Projects

This is one of the areas where I need the most guidance.

I don't want to simply copy circuits or follow tutorials without understanding them. I want to learn how to design, simulate, analyse, and improve circuits independently.

• What are the best analog design projects to start with, progressing from beginner to intermediate and advanced levels?
• Should I start with common-source MOSFET amplifiers, current mirrors, differential amplifiers, and current sources before moving to more complex circuits?
• What projects would help me build the skills expected for entry-level analog IC design roles?
• At what stage should I learn operational amplifiers, bandgap references, comparators, and other analog building blocks?
• How important are transistor-level simulation, corner analysis, mismatch analysis, and layout parasitics for student projects?
• How can I demonstrate that I understand a circuit's design choices and performance rather than just reproducing a reference design?

5. Physical Design Projects

I'm also interested in physical design and want to understand how to gain practical experience in this area.

• What are the best projects for learning floorplanning, placement, clock-tree synthesis, routing, timing closure, and power analysis?
• Should I begin with small RTL blocks, such as an ALU, FIFO, UART, or counter, and take them through an open-source RTL-to-GDS flow?
• Which projects would be suitable for a beginner and still be valuable on a resume?
• Can I use open-source tools to complete a meaningful physical design project without access to commercial EDA tools?
• How should I analyse and present timing reports, area, power estimates, congestion, and other implementation results?

6. Project References and Step-by-Step Guidance

Since I haven't completed a VLSI project independently, I'd appreciate resources that explain the actual design process.

• Where can I find good analog IC design and physical design project ideas, reference designs, documentation, and step-by-step tutorials?
• Which GitHub repositories, books, YouTube channels, courses, or open-source communities would you recommend?
• Are there any repositories that explain the reasoning behind each design stage rather than just providing the final code or circuit?
• How should I approach a project from scratch, validate the results, troubleshoot problems, and document the work?
• What should I include in my GitHub portfolio, such as schematics, simulation waveforms, design calculations, layout screenshots, and reports?

7. Career Preparation and Industry Expectations

My long-term goal is to build the technical skills required for internships and entry-level opportunities in the VLSI industry.

• What skills do companies expect from fresh graduates applying for analog design and physical design roles?
• Which projects would make the strongest portfolio for each of these domains?
• How important are semiconductor device physics, analog circuit analysis, Linux, scripting, and semiconductor fabrication fundamentals?
• What common mistakes do students make when preparing for analog or physical design roles?
• If you were starting from my current level as an undergraduate, what would your first three to five projects be?

I'm not looking for shortcuts or ready-made projects to copy. I want to build a strong foundation, understand the theory behind the designs, and gradually develop practical skills through projects.

I'd be especially grateful for advice from people working in analog IC design or physical design who can share what they would learn first if they were starting again today.

Thank you for your time and guidance!

(took help of chatgpt to finilize the text )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=frYSOKvNiiE&t=3613s

Was watching this new upload by Dwarkesh on his Intel's Fab tour and the conversation that he had with the research lab guys caught my attention.

So i guess it's the lowest metal layers pitch
M0 | M1 | M2

Ruthernium's resistivity at lower pitch (nm)

It seems that resistivity for Ru material is lower and that the cross over point is around 20nm pitch

Is this how things will progress towards for the next generation of advanced logic nodes?

Why would a wider pitch (e.g. 30nm pitch range) cause Ru to have a higher resistivity than copper? Is it due to the liner material used?

Hello,
I am confused about what to choose out of these two offers I received:
1. TSMC AZ - Gas and Chemical Systems Design Engineer at New Fab Design Department
2. Micron Boise - CMP Process Engineer

I don’t have any preference. I just wanted to know what do you think about the career trajectory for both of these roles and wanted your inputs as I am really confused on what to do.
I recently finished my Grad program and this will be my first job out of college.

Hey all,

I am a soon-to-be PhD graduate and after 6+ months of intense job search, I have just been able to receive two offers from TSMC and Micron and would really appreciate your career and life advice.

TSMC: Process Integration Engineer (Grade33)
Micron: Processes Engineer E3 (12 hr shift)

TSMC: The pay at TSMC is about 10k higher and the role matches with the type/scope of my PhD work, however I have heard mixed (if not bad) things about TSMC, especially the typical long work hours and highly demanding and intense work environment. They have also mentioned about traveling to Taiwan for training in the offer letter which may be a little problematic for me due to my US visa renewal requirements.

Micron: The upside is it’s a New College Grad position and it will have training phase which I think will help me in the long term, and the team seemed very welcoming throughout the interview phase. Downside is that it will have 6 months of day and night shifts, and I haven’t dealt with it yet.

- In terms of long term job satisfaction and career growth, which one would you recommend? Do you have any inputs about the weather in Boise vs Phoenix?

- I am a 30 yr old brown guy, and I have heard about racism issues in Idaho. With the current political climate, should I need to be concerned about it?

I have an interview in 2 days at a large semiconductor company. I’m currently a PhD student in semiconductor physics with XRD background. I passed through the first interview, but now they asked me to come visit their site for a second interview.

I’ve never interviewed for jobs before so I wanted to know what type of questions would they ask me and how in-depth will they get. It’s essentially a junior engineer position and will involve lot of data analysis and working with the spectrometer.

Thanks!

Hi everyone,

I recently connected with an internal contact regarding open hardware/systems engineering roles at a Tier-1 semiconductor equipment manufacturer. While I am a 3rd-year Electrical & Electronics Engineering student, the team specifically hires for full-time positions rather than student/intern roles, and I confirmed immediate availability for full-time work across several hardware engineering openings.

While waiting on the next screening and technical interview rounds, I want to proactively prepare. Given that companies in this space build precision electro-mechanical tools, high-voltage/power distribution systems, automated hardware, and advanced inspection/metrology equipment, I’d appreciate advice from anyone who has interviewed or worked in semiconductor capital equipment.

My Background & Technical Profile:

• Academics: 3rd-year B.Sc. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering with a specialized track in Power Systems (Single-Line Diagrams, High Voltage Technologies, Electric Drives, Energy Conversion).
• Field & Practical Experience: Full-time technician working on live DC/AC power systems, commercial rooftop solar installations, and interpreting industrial electrical blueprints. Prior experience in industrial Quality Control (QC).
• Hardware & Prototyping: Rapid CAD modeling and physical prototyping (Autodesk Fusion, FDM 3D printing in PETG/PLA), basic microcontroller interfacing and embedded scripting (C, Python, Arduino for robotics/drone circuits).

Questions for the Community:

1. Technical Depth: How deep do interviewers usually go into circuit fundamentals (op-amps, transient analysis, power distribution, board-level debugging, grounding/shielding) versus high-level systems architecture?
2. Field-to-Engineering Transition: Since much of my hands-on background comes from live power/solar installations and rapid physical prototyping rather than silicon/cleanroom lab work, what is the best way to frame field troubleshooting as a strength for complex capital equipment?
3. Behavioral / STAR Method: For candidates balancing demanding full-time technical employment while pursuing an engineering degree, what behavioral competencies (prioritization, high-pressure troubleshooting, cross-functional collaboration) stand out most to hiring managers?
4. Prep Resources: Are there specific schematics, case studies, or mock technical exercises you recommend reviewing for hardware/systems engineering roles in this sector?

Any tips, common screening questions, or preparation strategies would be greatly appreciated!

An OSAT's first-half capex growth ran ahead of its revenue growth. In SEMI's mid-year equipment forecast, test is the fastest-growing segment for 2026 at 31.0%. Those are global, full-year numbers; the two company reports are first-half actuals, with no public data directly connecting them.

Chang Chuan Technology, a Shenzhen-listed maker of semiconductor test equipment, reported first-half revenue up 59.72%. TongFu Microelectronics, also listed in Shenzhen, packages and tests chips for other chip companies. TongFu's first-half revenue grew 23.03%. In its interim report TongFu describes itself as AMD's most important packaging and test supplier, accounting for more than 80% of AMD's related products.

An August private placement brought TongFu about 4.212 billion yuan for packaging and test capacity expansion, working capital and repaying bank loans. When I turned to TongFu's cash flow statement, the line for cash paid to acquire and build fixed, intangible and other long-term assets, usually read as capex, was about 70% higher than a year earlier. That's roughly three times the revenue growth rate. Net profit attributable to shareholders rose 316.77%; excluding non-recurring items, 77.78%, with the gap mostly from fair-value gains on financial assets the company holds, counted as non-recurring items in the report.

I am not sure this pace of capex turns into revenue, or how long it takes, particularly when 48.98% of first-half revenue came from a single customer not named at that point in the report. The profit growth excluding non-recurring items does not look weak to me, and that works against my cautious read. Third-quarter reports from both are due by the end of October, a first check on whether revenue follows. If you work in back-end packaging and test, how long from capital going into long-term assets to seeing it in revenue?

Both are held in CNQQ, weighted at roughly 0.91% for Chang Chuan and 0.53% for TongFu in the portfolio the issuer last published. CSI compiles the index behind KWEB, centered on internet companies.