SEMI News

Data recently collected by SEMI points to only a moderate slowdown in the industry’s pursuit of talent, illustrating the growing and significant need for attracting workers at all levels of the organization. With COVID-19’s devastating impact on many sectors of the economy, the time is ripe to sharpen the industry’s focus on attracting and training a new wave of workers to meet the growing talent needs across our industry.To help illuminate the state of microelectronics industry hiring during the pandemic, following are three takeaways from recent workforce development data. Key Takeaway 1 – Emsi Hiring Data and Analytics ReviewIn a May 5 SEMI webinar on the Future of Work, presenter Andrew Crapuchettes, CEO at Emsi, a labor data analytics firm based in Moscow, Idaho, revealed that the U.S. semiconductor equipment and device manufacturing sectors posted 199,326 total jobs (32,022 unique positions) from March through June 2020 with an advertised median annual salary of $68,500 – the highest posting intensity for all other occupations and companies in the U.S. Crapuchettes noted that “although the job postings number was actually down from the previous quarter, some of the large companies have shown flat or growing postings during this period. At Emsi, we are evangelists for more accurately establishing the requirements for the job to more closely match the skills actually being sought.”He pointed to a gap between the skills employers list in job postings and those employees itemize in their resumes. Today’s use of algorithmic resume analysis, however, may reveal false gaps in hiring. Emsi is working with several Fortune 500 companies in the electronics sector to help them analyze their job postings. The goal: to better understand if they have identified the right skills for their business and the recipe for attracting top talent. Emsi supports programs such as the SEMI Works workforce development initiative that are out to more closely align job seekers and curriculum development with the skills needed for microelectronics design, development and manufacturing.During COVID-19, Crapuchettes sees companies across all industries doubling down on employee training. For many organizations, a business slowdown is an opportunity to identify and work to fill employee skill gaps and prepare companies to emerge stronger once the pandemic has passed. Key Takeaway 2 – SEMI COVID Impact SurveyIn March, April and June, SEMI surveyed members to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 and help inform SEMI’s response. Among the questions in the June survey was “How has COVID-19 impacted your hiring plans?” Of the more than 300 respondents, just 13% reported a hiring freeze and 55% said their hiring plans remain unchanged.Figure 2: Data from SEMI COVID-19 Impact Survey All SEMI regions show a similar pattern. Japan, Korea and China reported little to no slowdown in hiring as shown in Figure 2. Differences across regions were notable with more cautious approaches to hiring adopted by North America, Europe and Taiwan, with some companies slowing hiring for certain positions.Key Takeaway 3 – SEMI Survey of Workforce Development Advisory CouncilSEMI relies on members for industry insights we use to build, evolve and prioritize our programs. A June survey of SEMI America’s Workforce Development and Diversity Inclusion Advisory Council showed that, while some member companies have delayed hiring until the pandemic’s impact of the industry is clearer, most respondents see this period as an opportunity to attract talent to the electronics industry and maintain hiring programs to meet the growing demand for talent the digital revolution is fueling. The survey data, as shown in Figure 3, is consistent with Emsi’s results and a larger SEMI member survey. Our June survey also illustrated the strong desire by the Council for SEMI to support diverse communities and lead efforts to connect talent from these groups with career opportunities in electronics. All survey respondents urged SEMI to place the highest priority on promoting Diversity Inclusion in the workforce, with 57% ranking university outreach as a high priority. Visit the Workforce Development Pavilion at Virtual SEMICON West 2020 for More InformationThe microelectronics industry is making a huge impact in the COVID-19 era – from developing the tools to run algorithms for companies working on a vaccine, to keeping the internet humming for home workers and online ordering for homebound seniors. But these services will only continue to evolve at a rapid clip with the right talent. SEMI programs remain laser-focused on pursuing and developing that talent.Thank you to all members who responded to the surveys and Emsi for contributing to understanding of the workforce need in the current climate. We invite all members to connect with SEMI Workforce Development activities. We need your help to align skills to curriculum (SEMI Certs), presenting at our workforce development events and donating to the SEMI Foundation, which provides financial support for much of our work.Learn more about how you can help the industry grow its talent pipeline at the SMART WorkForce Pavilion at the virtual SEMICON West – July 21-23! Checking out the pavilion is free, but there’s a modest fee for the content. Register now for a discounted all-in pass to enjoy blister- and COVID-free access to the first virtual SEMICON West ever. Shari Liss is Executive Director of the SEMI Foundation. She oversees the development and success of all programs from K-12 through re-skilling for veterans.

Emerging applications powered by 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) are expected to be a boon to the semiconductor industry, but only once chipmakers overcome a key challenge: Architecting chips that meet the exacting performance, power consumption, size and cost requirements of devices for mid- to high-end applications. One technology – heterogeneous integration – promises to meet these demands and help drive future leaps in semiconductor innovation in the post-Moore era. To help the industry better grasp the technology challenges and business opportunities associated with deploying highly integrated chip and packaging technologies, SEMI and AI on Chip Taiwan Alliance recently gathered industry leaders from organizations including ASE, Unimicron, Dialog Semiconductor, Cadence and AITA to discuss technology trends and the vital importance of building a cross-industry exchange platform to advance next-generation manufacturing processes critical to heterogeneous integration. Following are key takeaways from the forum, Heterogeneous Integration Enables 5G and AI. Overcoming Heterogeneous Integration Technology Challenges Key to Advances in Taiwan High-End Semiconductor Manufacturing The introduction of the Heterogeneous Integration Roadmap (HIR) by the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors team in 2016 was an important first step, Dr. C.P. Hung, Vice President of ASE Group, noted in his opening remarks. The HIR is designed to stimulate pre-competitive collaboration to advance heterogeneous integration technology development and accelerate electronics innovation. The roadmap provides a long-term vision for the electronics industry, identifying future technology requirements and potential solutions. Today, the HIR working group focuses on high-performance computing (HPC), 5G and other leading-edge technologies.Dr. Hung predicted that heterogenous integration will reshape traditional collaborations between the semiconductor ecosystem and supply chain in order to clear I/O bottlenecks that hamstring high-performance applications. The retooled industry connections will also need to enable high I/O pin counts, ultra-thin devices, and high-frequency signal shields. In an important step forward, the chip industry today is developing a platform that enhances wafer-level advanced packaging services and deepens cooperation with Oversea Assembly and Testing (OSAT) and substrate supply chain partners. Overcoming the current limits of IC substrates – the connection between IC chips the PCB – is one key for heterogeneous integration technology to flourish, said Dr. Yu-Hua Chen, Vice President, Carrier SBU, RD Division of Unimicron. He noted that the industry must tackle limits to PCB thickness, substrate density, fine pitch and automation to meet the needs of high-end packaging customers. Another barrier the industry must be surmounted is to make the currently inscrutable confidentiality requirements for patents of foreign materials – key to improving chip yields – easier to access and understand for substrate engineers. Chen said partnerships across the entire industry will be necessary to break through this and other technology breakthroughs. Supply Chain and Cross-Border Ecosystem to Strengthen Partnerships for Further DevelopmentTaiwan has long invested heavily in advancing semiconductor manufacturing and application engineering technologies to become a top global chipmaking hub and, in the process, has been behind significant leaps in optimizing chip functionality, said Leroy Liu, General Manager, Asia Headquarters, of Dialog Semiconductor (Germany). With its semiconductor manufacturing prowess, Taiwan can also play a central role in maturing advanced heterogeneous integration packaging technology while managing development costs by partnering with its international supply chain community to overcome technical challenges more effectively, Liu said. The region can also help forge partnerships, even among competitors, to build the ecosystem essential for heterogeneous integration technology to shine.EDA tools will be critical in understanding and resolving heterogeneous integration technical issues since IC substrate, packaging and chip design all pose interdisciplinary engineering challenges, said Julian Sun, Product Marketing Director at Cadence. To help the industry navigate these challenges, Cadence has launched intelligent system design products – solutions that address a wide range of design problems with semiconductor nanometers, micrometers on packaging and testing, and PCB level micro/millimeters to Pin/Pitch, I/O models, and thermals and electricity. By supporting various technical designs, Cadence helps customers shorten the design cycle to strengthen design quality and reduce costs.Sun also pointed to the vital importance of overcoming the significant challenge of designing silicon interposers for heterogeneous integration. Today’s EDA tools are capable of optimizing the design of complex structures including 5GAiP and HBM and are instrumental in aiding Taiwan’s semiconductor ecosystem players to quickly adapt to shifts in the evolving heterogeneous integration market.Heterogeneous Integration Enables 5G and AI speakers (L-R): Julian Sun, Product Marketing Director at Cadence, Dr. Yu-Hua Chen, Vice President, Carrier SBU, RD Division of Unimicron, Dr. C.P. Hung, Vice President of ASE Group, Leroy Liu, General Manager, Asia Headquarters, of Dialog Semiconductor (Germany), Dr. Shih-Chieh Chang, AITA Executive Secretary Designing AI chips is particularly difficult as semiconductor makers struggle with high costs and low yields, said Dr. Shih-Chieh Chang, AITA’s Executive Secretary. That’s why the chip industry now uses FPGAs for small-volume production of AI chips, which makes it easier to improve manufacturing yield through redundant design. For its part, AITA has formed a special interest group (SIG) to help form connections among the chip industry, academia and research institutes. The association’s goal is to build a platform for mass production of AI chips.To get involved in SEMI Taiwan Heterogeneous Integration related events, please contact Ula Huang, outreach senior specialist, at [email protected] Fang is a coordinator and Ashley Huang is a specialist in marketing and public relations at SEMI Taiwan.

Many companies are applying Fourth Industrial Revolution initiatives in manufacturing, though only a few have managed to successfully integrate the smart manufacturing technologies at a scale that allows them to realise significant economic and financial benefits.Known as lighthouse companies, these organisations have taken their smart manufacturing journeys from pilot to integration at scale, serving as beacons to others in overcoming challenges in their production systems through the adoption of leading-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing and advanced analytics.At the recent SEMI Southeast Asia webinar Journey to Recovery of the E E Industry, Dato' Azman Mahmud, Chief Executive Officer of Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), spoke about building Malaysia’s very own Lighthouse Project comprising multinational corporations that will act as anchors to help guide local players into this new venture.During the webinar, Dato' Azman elaborated about Malaysia’s competitive edge – its diversified economic structure and government support. He said the key to sustaining this competitive edge, however, is that the Malaysian economy must be digitally empowered. The Lighthouse Project is one programme that will help achieve this objective. We are inspired and encouraged by this initiative. As firm believers in connecting and collaborating, SEMI Southeast Asia supports programmes that advance the entire microelectronics ecosystem. We look forward to seeing MIDA drive this project, and we encourage Malaysian E E companies to tap MIDA’s expertise in this field. Ultimately, we are confident that through this initiative and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies, Malaysia will be repositioned as a top global manufacturing nation. Bee Bee Ng is president of SEMI Southeast Asia.

On June 20, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) suspending the issuance of H-1B, H-2B, J-1 and L visas for applicants residing outside of the United States without an active work permit. The order took effect today and will be in force through the end of 2020. The suspension of H-1B and L-1 visas, in particular, likely will impact negatively the ability of U.S. companies in the semiconductor manufacturing supply chain and the broader technology community to recruit and retain global talent and to temporarily transfer international engineers and executives to support critical operations in the U.S.According to the administration, the issuance of visas for skilled temporary workers into the U.S. poses a “significant threat to employment opportunities for Americans affected by the extraordinary economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.” Although SEMI fully supports administration efforts to address economic disruptions and job losses caused by the pandemic, we believe blanket restrictions on high-skilled immigration will be counterproductive to government and industry initiatives supporting a broad-based economic recovery. Semiconductors are the foundation of all electronics and information technology (IT), enabling innovation and growth in countless other industries including medical devices and the IT solutions that enable remote work and the connectivity desperately needed in current economic times. Access to global engineering talent and the worldwide mobility of technology executives are central to supporting the industry’s efforts to contribute to economic recovery in fields ranging from healthcare and telecommunications to transportation infrastructure.The EO authorizes the Secretaries of State, Homeland Security and Labor to establish criteria for exceptions to the blanket ban, including employment categories that: are critical to the defense, law enforcement, diplomacy, or national security in the U.S. provide medical care to currently hospitalized COVID-19 patients provide medical research at facilities to help the U.S. combat COVID-19 are necessary to facilitate the immediate and continued U.S. economic recovery The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has classified workers in the semiconductor supply chain as essential to the effective operation of critical economic activity as the nation addresses the economic fallout of COVID-19. In lieu of rescinding the total ban on visa applications, SEMI urges the Secretaries to incorporate the CISA guidelines for semiconductor supply chain workers as they assess categories for application exceptions. SEMI will continue to advocate for programs and policies that enhance U.S. economic competitiveness, including immigration rules that ensure the U.S. can attract and retain the highest skilled talent from around the world without compromising employment opportunities for U.S. workers. As Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham noted following the issuance of the EO, “Legal immigration is a positive for the American economy, and visa programs allowing American companies to secure qualified, legal labor throughout the world have benefitted economic growth in the United States.”Karl Kailing is manager of Public Policy and Advocacy at SEMI.

As the fight against COVID-19 presses ahead, many healthcare workers, especially those on the front lines, are being pushed to their limits and beyond to ensure our health and safety. To help doctors and nurses combat the virus, SEMI Taiwan mobilized six leading Taiwan semiconductor companies last month to donate personal protective equipment (PPE) designed for industrial operation to medical staff. The gear included powered air purifying respirators (PAPR), half facepiece respirators, head tops, protective coveralls, and air filter canisters.On behalf of the semiconductor industry, SEMI Taiwan worked closely with industry leaders and the government to deploy the direly needed resources to support the domestic medical community. The Taiwan Association of Medical Technologists accepted the donations in the ceremony attended by Taiwan CDC Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang. The largesse is the result of public-private partnership to provide medical supplies to 35 hospitals and medical laboratories across Taiwan. Terry Tsao, Global Chief Marketing Officer and President of SEMI Taiwan, and six Taiwan semiconductor companies stepped up to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. TSMC Charity Foundation responded with PPE giveaways in March in a first wave of protective equipment donations to medical personnel. Before long, Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation (VIS), ​​​​​​​​​​​Macronix, Micron, United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC), and 3M Taiwan also answered the call for more medical equipment for COVID-19 frontliners. Extending the Taiwan semiconductor industry’s rich tradition of making charitable contributions in the region, including financial assistance for emergency relief efforts, the companies donated more than 1,000 pieces of PPE after balancing the giveaway with inventory needs in their fabs. Fab workers responsible for machinery, raw materials, and other goods and gear used in semiconductor manufacturing wear the protective devices. One piece of equipment, powered air purifying respirators (PAPR), features a battery-powered that sends filtered air flowing into a hood or head top covering the wearer’s head or face to protect against respiratory hazards. In healthcare, PAPRs protect medical staff as they test blood and tissue samples for traces of COVID-19. Dr. N.S. Tsai, CEO of TSMC Charity Foundation, notes that respiratory protection equipment can offer integrated protection against multiple hazards and is comfortable for medical technologists working long shifts to wear. Medical facilities across Taiwan quickly depleted PPE supplies after the rapid response to the January outbreak by healthcare providers across the region led to quick containment. The PPE donations were critical in minimizing exposure risks to medical staff. The chip industry’s protective clothing and equipment offered another benefit: Medical technologists found the gear – designed to be worn over long periods in semiconductor manufacturing facilities – comfortable as they worked marathon shifts early in the COVID-19 outbreak. “Coronavirus testing requires a much higher level of protection than is needed in many healthcare settings,” said Chuang Jen-hsiang, the Deputy Director for the Taiwanese Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and the spokesperson of Taiwan Central Epidemic Command Center. “Medical technologists must work in a poorly ventilated labs for more than eight hours a day, causing sweating and damp heat. The high-performance PPEs provided by the industry help healthcare workers breathe more naturally without wearing a mask while greatly reducing infection risk in hot, humid environments.”For their COVID-19 response, Taiwan’s government and well-trained medical workers drew lessons from the SARS outbreak in 2003 to quickly activate emergency management structures to fend off the emerging threat – one that put the Taiwan semiconductor industry and its round-the-clock operations at risk.“Taiwan’s swift response to the COVID-19 was vital in preserving the business continuity that is the lifeblood of the semiconductor manufacturing,” said Terry Tsao, Global Chief Marketing Officer and President of SEMI Taiwan. “We are honored to do our part to support the heroes of this fight – the medical technologists on the front lines – as an expression of our great respect and gratitude for their extraordinary work.”SEMI Taiwan has long partnered with TSMC Charity Foundation to care for people in need, drive positive environmental and social changes, and support emergency aid in Taiwan. The goal our joint corporate social responsibility efforts is to warm the hearts of our people and build a better society.Irene Huang is a public relations and marketing specialist at SEMI Taiwan.

SEMI estimates there exist about 80,000 surface mount technology (SMT) and printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) manufacturing lines globally. With that many lines, standards are incredibly important to adding and implementing upgrades and harnessing the power of the data going into and out of the equipment on those lines in the pursuit of efficiency and productivity. Standardized communication system backbones allow individual lines to integrate the latest equipment and software and increase their ROI.SEMI is developing a suite of standards for assembly line scenarios, like SMT and PCBA. The new SMT Equipment Link Standards (SEMI SMT-ELS) address Horizontal Communication (HC) between different equipment on the line and Vertical Communication (VC) between equipment and higher-tier hosts (for example, a line controller/equipment host or a factory automation host).Semiconductor Front-end processing vs. flow-oriented processing Flow-oriented processes such as SMT are different than typical semiconductor front-end processing, which contributed to the need for the SMT-ELS suite of standards. In the semiconductor front-end space where SECS/GEM was first utilized, the factory host is very involved with equipment control and the process is very job-centric. In addition to configuring and logging information, the host controls equipment execution and has to handle many job and recipe scenarios. For the SMT case, there is more operator interaction on the line and the factory host is currently not really involved with the control aspect and has minimal data collection requirements. In the front-end space, the Automated Material Handling System (AMHS) can take the material anywhere in the factory, including back to a tool where it had been before. For SMT, there is a very fixed flow on where material can go. The SEMI A1 interface provides a way to simultaneously transfer information about the material and material metadata being handed off to the adjacent equipment. Front-end equipment can buffer material for processing using carriers and internal storage locations. With assembly lines, the product comes in, gets processed, and leaves with minimal queuing. The equipment is also very simple. Sometimes, equipment does not even have a PC. Instead, it is controlled by dedicated real-time systems such as programmable logic controllers (PLCs). In these cases, SECS/GEM imposes too much overhead and infrastructure for the functionality required. Some other considerations: Being job-based, front-end equipment can support more execution permutations. For example: Jobs can be created before or after material arrives at the tool. There are many different carrier validation scenarios to ensure correct material is at the equipment (using either host-based or equipment-based verification). Jobs themselves can support many scenarios with pause, resume, stop, and abort functionality. With SMT lines, There can be up to 10 tracks on the line (although typically there are only one or two and they flow in one direction.) Recipes are pre-downloaded and automatically selected by material data attached to the product when it arrives at the equipment. The SMT-ELS Standards suite consists of: SEMI A1 – Specification for Production Equipment Smart Connection Interface (PESCI) This standard handles point-to-point communications and propagation of messages down the equipment line (similar to a bucket relay), as well as simultaneous material and material data transfer between two pieces of equipment next to each other. SEMI A1.1 - Specification for TCP/IP Interface for PESCI outlines how to implement SEMI A1 with TCP/IP. SEMI A2 – Specification for Surface Mount Assembler Smart Hookup (SMASH) This standard defines how to apply SEMI A1/A1.1 to an Equipment Host (provided by Placement Equipment Suppliers) and equipment communication, as well as equipment to equipment communication.The F-GEM Task Force (under the Japan Automation Technology Technical Committee) is developing a new Standard to support vertical communications using SEMI A1 (and co-existing with SEMI A2) to support a higher-tier host such as the factory automation host that wants to communicate with the line equipment. In the future, this standard could be expanded to support other flow-oriented industries beyond SMT (using only SEMI A1).Systems and vendors need to work from the same version of the standards to communicate with each other properly. To help ensure compatibility, SEMI is applying Freeze version management to the SMT-ELS Standards suite. Freeze Version 0, announced in October 2019 and specifying the 1019 versions of the SMT-ELS standards, was implemented, and the Automation Technology Technical Committee members are working on updates and prototyping for Freeze Version 1.For more information about the SMT-ELS standards, visit the SEMI SMT-ELS website or explore the broader SEMI Standards program. SEMI Standards activities are open to all interested parties, but you must be a registered SEMI Standards Program Member to participate in SEMI Standards meetings. SEMI Standards Program Membership is independent of the Corporate, Associate or Affiliate SEMI memberships, but participants are encouraged to join to help support this vital work for the continued growth of the industry.About the AuthorsTerry Asakawa (Principal, VistaIdeal Consulting) has been involved in developing SEMI Standards for over 25 years, focusing on equipment physical interfaces and communication for semiconductor factories. In recent years, he has turned his focus to communication protocol standards for flow-shop manufacturing. Mr. Asakawa currently co-chairs the Japan Automation Technology Committee and leads the F-GEM Task Force.Albert Fuchigami is Senior Software Developer, at The PEER Group Inc. He is involved in the SEMI Standards development of SMT-ELS so that the effort takes into consideration the differences between front end processing and flow-based assembly lines in collecting data and communicating with factory host systems. He hopes to identify the different use cases and control scenarios, and help users understand the differences, so they know when SECS/GEM and SMT-ELS standards are appropriate.

On Monday, SEMI led a statement from a coalition of industry groups calling on governments worldwide to harmonize their policies to safely allow essential international travel by essential workers. Cross-border mobility in the semiconductor and microelectronics industry is vital to maintaining manufacturing critical to the production of semiconductor devices that are the foundation of our modern economy, countless economic sectors and each nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Uniform cross-border travel rules impacting essential businesses in the electronics supply chain are crucial for semiconductor business infrastructure and supply chains to maintain effective operations.To that end, SEMI is urging governments around the world to permit international travel by semiconductor supply chain engineers, technicians and executives with minimal disruption to ensure any fast-tracked procedures apply directly to the semiconductor industry and that any agreements negotiated among countries harmonize global travel procedures and processes. Global supply chains require cross-border travel by key technical personnel and business continuity decision-makers to ensure that essential industry manufacturing and business operations remain efficient, effective and uninterrupted. While the industry continues to implement safety protocols and minimize non-essential travel to stem the spread of COVID-19, highly sophisticated equipment sets and materials usage from multiple nations will at times require specialized expertise that is not present in-country.For example, technicians from a semiconductor manufacturing equipment company typically must travel to semiconductor factories in other countries to install or repair specialized tools in situations that are beyond the expertise of the local field office and too complicated to handle by video conference. Similarly, at times semiconductor-based solutions, such as cloud computing, must be implemented or optimized on-site for the equipment to achieve full capacity. After months of remote access to their overseas operations, it also is critical that executives are able to visit their facilities to evaluate and manage their ongoing operations. In the past month, several countries central to the global electronics supply chain have engaged in both formal and informal talks to ease travel restrictions on personnel from essential industries. China, for example, is negotiating fast-track travel protocols with countries throughout Asia and Europe. On May 1, China and South Korea formalized an agreement that has made significant accommodations for semiconductor industry personnel to travel between the two countries. Last week, China and Singapore reached a similar deal – planned to take effect in early June – prioritizing travel for both executives and technicians.Beyond China, several ad-hoc negotiations are underway involving countries as varied as Taiwan, Vietnam, South Korea, Thailand, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Multilateral discussions are also afoot with the aim of setting up bubble travel zones featuring standard health and travel protocols within the country blocs. As these disparate agreements between individual countries or small blocs of countries take shape, however, they are likely to create divergent standards that may complicate efforts of global businesses to effectively service their operations and customers, even if such travel is and has been deemed essential.In March, when U.S. states and many governments around the world began implementing stay-at-home orders and closing non-essential business operations, SEMI immediately took a lead role advocating to ensure that that the entire microelectronics supply chain was deemed essential and able to continue operations. In the U.S., nearly every state followed SEMI’s recommendation to adhere to the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) guidelines that included semiconductor manufacturing and its supply chain as essential, or specifically highlighted semiconductor supply chains as essential. Overseas, SEMI advocacy worked to ensure the semiconductor supply chain was deemed essential in every key jurisdiction.The mobility of essential workers is critical to essential business operations in the electronics supply chain. Just as SEMI led the effort to ensure that critical electronics supply chain operations were deemed essential as economies were closing down, SEMI will continue to advocate for uniform essential travel guidelines for critical infrastructure workers as economies reopen. Karl Kailing is manager of Public Policy and Advocacy at SEMI.

In many ways it feels like we’ve turned back the hands of time. We are staying at home, playing board games with the family. Outdoors, we can view mountains not seen in decades – air pollution has dropped nearly 20 percent. Neighbors we haven’t met are out walking, a lot. Traffic is relatively sparse.We’re staying up late, sometimes even getting up early, for calls with all regions. Some of us have temporarily suspended our use of cleanroom masks – but now wear them everywhere we go outside of the house. And through virtual meetings, I see I’m not the only one who let the beard grow. Who would’ve thought we’d be able to so quickly and completely change our habits?Clearly, the usual distractions that fill most of our lives have given way to a temporary pause. We have time to reflect, and perhaps gain even greater perspective. I hope that’s been a good thing for you.Through virtual meetings, we seem to be getting access to people not typically in our circle of influence – both up and down the organizational ladder. This pleasant surprise seems to be helping to create a valuable acceleration in how the industry community interacts and progresses.As a testament to the strategic importance of our industry, the fabs continue to produce. This is due in great part to the standards, technologies and their resulting applications that enable those operations. Many parts of our industry supply chain became officially designated as essential businesses. Whether or not we stayed home from the office, we’ve continued to work on our roadmaps for growth beyond the current lull.Empowered by 50 years of technology legacy, we are again demonstrating the capability to manage disruption through collaboration. This is the signature of our industry’s highly regarded business culture. Among what we have learned is that this pandemic has made all of us more vulnerable in a variety of ways, and in turn has accelerated our unity as an industry community like never before.This month, as I brainstormed with a set of industry execs during one of countless Zoom meetings, it was clear that when they gather, they want more than a repackaged version of everyone else’s usual messages about this unusual year.While this type of year certainly wasn’t what we had in mind when we began to construct ways to mark this 50th year of SEMICON West, we’ve taken the bull by the horns and begun to blaze a new trail. The consensus within the industry is that SEMI’s constant, measured communication is netting an increased, and growing, level of trust among our collective, global group that may serve as one of the silver linings of this irregular year.As a result, we’ll lay a new road with the first – and possibly not the last – Virtual SEMICON West. For this inaugural digital format, we’ve secured a set of visionaries offering both legendary and evolutionary talents alike to reveal what we can expect during the next few years. It’ll be unlike any other such gathering before, and there’ll be something for everyone.Despite the pause in time we’ve experienced during our isolation of these recent weeks, the timeless value of collaboration marches on. I look forward to joining you at Virtual SEMICON West, July 20-23.Dave Anderson is president of SEMI Americas.

In an important step toward resuming business as usual in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on May 14 lifted the state of emergency originally scheduled to expire at the end of May for 39 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, marking “the real beginning of our efforts toward a new normal in the era of the coronavirus” as new cases continue to decline. But with Tokyo, Osaka and six other prefectures still under the state of emergency, Abe urged citizens to remain cautious as the nation and world continue to confront the COVID-19 threat. Among criteria the remaining prefectures must meet for a state of emergency suspension is a reduction in new infections to no more than 0.5 cases weekly for every 100,000 citizens. The eight prefectures account for nearly half of Japan’s population and GDP, with Tokyo and Osaka the two largest urban areas in the island nation. Japan expects to contain its economic losses to 38 trillion yen, 15 percent less than the 45 trillion yen hit originally projected. The Japan government has planned a May 21 progress review[1] in the eight prefectures, a timeline that Abe said could lead to the lifting of the state of emergency before the original cutoff at the end of the month, a move that would help stem the drain on the domestic economy.Strict Immigration Controls Restricts International Travel to and from Japan by Supplier EngineersAs I reported on April 21, the Japan Foreign Ministry on March 31 raised its travel advisory to level 3 for 49 regions around the world including the U.S., prohibiting travel from Japan for any purpose. SEMI Japan is urging government officials to exempt Japanese supply chain engineers from the travel ban to allow visits to semiconductor manufacturing facilities in those regions in order to install, start up and service equipment.Starting May 14, Japan blocked immigration of foreign nationals and permanent residents from 100 countries and regions worldwide, a ban applying to anyone who spent time in their home region within 14 days of their planned arrival in Japan. The areas include China, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan in Asia; Canada and the U.S.; and Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland and the U.K. in Europe. For the complete list, see the Japan Ministry of Justice’s website.Japan’s immigration ban mirrors restrictions now in place in many other regions around the world. The immigration controls are well-intended – to restrict the spread of COVID-19 – but hamstring the global microelectronics supply chain. For example, the curbs bar engineers from international travel to install new tools and software in fabs. SEMI Japan has stressed the potential chip industry impacts of the ban in ongoing talks with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and is facilitating discussions between government representatives and SEMI members to help clear the way for travel by critical supply chain workers to Japan. SEMI Supports Members with COVID-19 ResourcesSEMI international headquarters and regional offices are here to help you, our members. For more information on our webinars, surveys, best practices and other information designed to help you meet the challenges of the pandemic, please visit the SEMI Coronavirus Updates Resources page.[1] The May 21 review found three prefectures in western area – Hyogo, Kyoto and Osaka – met the criteria to lift the state of the emergency. Four other prefectures – Chiba, Hokkaido, Saitama and Tokyo – remain under the emergency order that will be reviewed again as early as May 25.Jim Hamajima is president of SEMI Japan.

What do you do when much of the U.S. is under lockdown and university students want insights into career opportunities in the microelectronics industry including how to secure jobs?Go virtual.More than 100 students from 30 universities hopped online recently to attend Find Your Future in Microelectronics, the SEMI Foundation’s first webinar. The students learned about the industry’s impact on the future of tech and available career paths and discovered how to take advantage of the Foundation’s university programs. They also submitted their resumes as part of joining SEMI’s student fellow network in hopes of engaging with employers and exploring available job opportunities.And if the students’ questions were a telling sign of their engagement, the event showed that they were fully tuned in. Tim Brosnihan, executive director of the MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG), Erika Hansen, an Applied Materials process engineer, and Cristina Sandoval, the event coordinator and moderator, fielded a whopping 65 questions, many of them about job opportunities, career paths and suggested courses of study. A sample of the questions asked: Q: Is the industry still hiring during these uncertain times?A: Yes! The microelectronics industry is growing and will continue to grow over the next 10 years. There are many job opportunities to be had in the industry and many of our member companies are hiring.Q: What kind of degrees does the microelectronics industry look for?A: Generally, the industry primarily hires graduates with STEM degrees. Chemical, electrical, nano, mechanical, and materials engineering are some of the top majors the industry hires from along with chemistry, physics, and mathematic degrees. That being said, the industry needs talent from all majors. That includes business, finance, human resources and marketing.Q: How can I get connected to the opportunities provided by SEMI?A: You can sign up to connect to our employers and opportunities at www.semi.org/join-edu. Once you submit your information, you will be kept up to date on the latest events and opportunities offered by SEMI and our member companies.Q: Any advice on what to do if your offer has been rescinded?A: Don’t limit yourself when it comes to opportunities. If your offer has been rescinded, don’t give up! Share your situation with your LinkedIn network, an invaluable resource full of contacts that can help you learn about job opportunities. You never know what you will love once you enter the workforce, so keep yourself open and don’t limit the positions or fields that you interview for. Rescinding an offer is always a very difficult decision for an organization, so make sure that you exit the relationship positively. You never know who you will cross paths in the future.Erika delved into the day in the life of an engineer and advised students on ways to find jobs in our industry. Students interacted with Erika, eager to learn how she balanced customer needs with working in the lab. She said she enjoys that duality because it continues to challenge her, allowing her to grow her abilities as a professional.When it comes to breaking into the industry, working in college or through internships and direct-hire opportunities after graduating are good ways to do so. And the students can get their feet in the door with degrees at various levels and across a wide range of disciplines. There is no set formula for success. Learners, she said, will find a place in the industry.With workforce development a key industry initiative, the SEMI Foundation will be rolling out more virtual programs and events to help keep university students and the microelectronics industry connected. Look for details on a virtual job fair we’re planning.We look forward to seeing you online!Shari Liss is executive director of the SEMI Foundation. Shari can be reached at [email protected].