Semiconductor Industry FAQ
What are chips?
Chips are electrical circuits that have been built in miniature on a small piece of semiconductor material, usually silicon. Chips usually contain millions of transistors, which is an electrical component that acts like a switch, other electrical components, and tiny wires that form the circuit. The minimum feature size for the most advanced chips are around one ten thousandth the width of a human hair.
Where are chips used?
Chips are used in computers, phones, cars, gaming consoles, industrial robots, medical devices, kitchen appliances, toys, and power cords. Almost every electronic device uses a chip.
The CHIPS Act: Rebuilding America’s technological infrastructure
How are chips made?
Chips are made in manufacturing facilities called fabs. They are made on wafers that are thin slices of semiconductor material that moves from machine to machine in the fab in a process flow that can be up to several thousand steps. Each wafer has multiple chips in a grid pattern. Chips are made in layers like a tall building, with active devices at the bottom and several layers of tiny wires connecting the circuit.
What are fabs like?
Robots are used extensively in the manufacturing process both to move the wafers into the process tools as well as from tool to tool. Because the feature size of a chip is so small, any particle that lands on a chip can make the chip non-functional. Fabs must therefore be cleanrooms, where the air is constantly filtered, and humans must wear smocks that cover all parts of their bodies except their eyes.
What is it like to work in the industry in an operator role or in a technician role?
Watch one of the videos below to learn more about working in the semiconductor industry.
What are the pathways into working in the industry?
An operator position requires a high school degree. A technician position requires an L1 certificate or a 2 year community college degree. These are local community colleges that offer the type of degrees needed to work in the semiconductor industry. An engineer position requires a minimum of a 4 year engineering degree.
Where are there semiconductor employment opportunities within N. Texas?
The semiconductor industry is growing in many parts of Texas. These are companies that offer employment in the semiconductor industry in North Texas.