Semiconductor Processors

Summary

Semiconductor processors preside over the manufacture of microchips.

Quick Facts: Semiconductor Processors
2010 Median Pay	$33,130 per year $15.93 per hour
Entry-Level Education	Associate’s degree
Work Experience in a Related Occupation	None
On-the-job Training	Moderate-term on-the-job training
Number of Jobs, 2010	21,100
Job Outlook, 2010-20	-18% (Decline rapidly)
Employment Change, 2010-20	-3,800

What Semiconductor Processors Do

Semiconductor processors oversee the manufacturing of electronic semiconductors, which are commonly known as integrated circuits or microchips. These microchips are found in all electronic devices—including cell phones, cars, and laptops—and are an important part of modern life.

Work Environment

Microchips must be kept completely clean and free of impurities. To ensure this, semiconductor processors work in clean rooms that are kept free of contamination. They wear special garments, called “bunny suits,” over their clothes to prevent lint or other particles from contaminating the clean room.

How to Become a Semiconductor Processor

Many employers prefer that semiconductor processors have an associate’s degree, although sometimes completing a 1-year certificate program is enough.

Pay

The median annual wage of semiconductor processors was $33,130 in May 2010.

Job Outlook

Employment of semiconductor processors is projected to decline rapidly, by 18 percent from 2010 to 2020. Although there will be a strong demand for semiconductors in many products, automation at semiconductor factories, known as fabricating plants, is expected to grow, so fewer workers will be needed in this occupation.

Similar Occupations

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of semiconductor processors with similar occupations.

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Contacts for More Information

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What Semiconductor Processors Do About this section

Semiconductor processors wear bunny suits when inside a clean room.

Semiconductor processors oversee the manufacturing of electronic semiconductors, which are commonly known as integrated circuits or microchips. These microchips are found in all electronic devices—including cell phones, cars, and laptops—and are an important part of modern life.

Duties

Semiconductor processors typically do the following:

• Look over work orders, instructions, and processing charts to determine a work schedule
• Monitor machines that slice silicon crystals into wafers for processing
• Use robots to clean and polish the silicon wafers
• Load wafers into the equipment that creates patterns and forms the electronic circuitry
• Set and adjust controls to regulate the manufacturing equipment’s power level, temperature, and other process parameters
• Adjust the process equipment and repair as needed during the manufacturing process
• Test completed microchips to ensure they work properly
• Review the manufacturing process and suggest improvements

Semiconductor processors, also known as process technicians, are largely responsible for quality control in the manufacturing process. They check equipment regularly for problems and test completed chips to make sure they work properly. If a problem with a chip does arise, they determine if it is due to contamination of that particular wafer or if it was caused by a flaw in the manufacturing process.

Work Environment About this section

Most processors work in the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

Semiconductor processors held 21,100 jobs in 2010. About 90 percent worked in the semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing industry.

Microchips must be kept completely clean and free of impurities. To ensure this, semiconductor processors work in clean rooms that are kept free of contamination.

They wear special lightweight garments, called “bunny suits,” over their clothes to keep lint or other particles from contaminating the clean room. Managers closely monitor workers going in and out of the clean, and workers must put on a new bunny suit each time they go in.

The work pace in clean rooms is deliberately slow. Because the machinery sets the operators' rate of work, workers keep a relaxed pace. Limiting movement in the clean room is important to keep the air as dust-free as possible.

The temperature in the clean rooms is generally comfortable for workers. Although bunny suits cover almost the entire body, the lightweight fabric keeps the temperature inside fairly comfortable.

Work Schedules

Most employees work full time, but some have variable schedules. Because semiconductor factories, also known as fabricating plants, run around the clock, night and weekend work is common for these workers. Although some plants schedule workers for a standard 40-hour week (8-hour shifts, 5 days a week), others schedule workers in 12-hour shifts to minimize disrupting the clean room.

How to Become a Semiconductor Processor About this section

Semiconductor processors usually require an associate’s degree.

Many employers prefer that semiconductor processors have an associate’s degree, although sometimes completing a 1-year certificate program is enough.

Education

Many semiconductor processors have an associate’s degree in a field such as advanced manufacturing or microelectronics. Some employers accept candidates who have completed a 1-year certificate program in a similar field. These programs are usually offered at community colleges.

There is an emerging trend of employers preferring semiconductor processors to have a bachelor’s degree in engineering or a physical science because of the increasing complexity of the manufacturing plants.

Training

New semiconductor processors need on-the-job training from 1 month to 1 year. During this training, a processor learns how to operate equipment and test new chips. Manufacturing microchips is a complex process, and it takes months of supervised work to become fully proficient.

Workers with more education may have learned some techniques in school and need less on-the-job training. Because the technology used in manufacturing microchips is always evolving, processors must continue to be trained on new techniques and methods throughout their careers.

Important Qualities

Critical-thinking skills. Semiconductor processors use logic and reasoning to uncover problems and determine solutions during the manufacturing process.

Detail oriented. Because a minor error or impurity can ruin a chip, processors must be able to spot tiny imperfections.

Dexterity. Semiconductor processors must be able to use tools and operate equipment to make precise cuts and measurements.

Science skills. Processors must understand the chemical composition and properties of certain substances that they may use in manufacturing semiconductors.

Technical ability. Because of the complex nature of manufacturing microchips, semiconductor processors need to know a lot about electronics and about the manufacturing process.

Pay About this section

The median annual wage of semiconductor processors was $33,130 in May 2010. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent of semiconductor processors earned less than $23,300, and the top 10 percent earned more than $48,260.

Processors employed in the semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing industry earned $32,880 in May 2010.

Most employees work full time, but some have variable schedules. Because semiconductor factories, also known as fabricating plants, run around the clock, night and weekend work is common for these workers. Although some plants schedule workers for the standard 40-hour week (8-hour shifts, 5 days a week), others schedule workers in 12-hour shifts to minimize disrupting the clean room.

Job Outlook About this section

Employment of semiconductor processors is projected to decline rapidly, by 18 percent from 2010 to 2020. Although there is a strong demand for semiconductors in many products, automation at fabricating plants is expected to grow, meaning the plants will hire fewer workers. Because the rooms have to be kept so clean, it is more effective to use robots to do many of the simple tasks that processors once did. In addition, the increasing complexity of chips, combined with their reduced size, makes it difficult for people to work on them.

The semiconductor manufacturing industry, where most processors work, is also expected to decline, leading to more job losses. Operating a plant in the United States is more expensive than operating one in another country where manufacturing costs are often lower. This leads to companies sending the manufacturing of chips abroad, even though designing the chips will continue to take place in the United States.

Job Prospects

Competition for semiconductor processor jobs is expected to be tough because of the decline in employment. Prospects should be best for those who have a bachelor’s degree or experience in other high-tech manufacturing jobs.

Contacts for More Information About this section

For more information about semiconductor processors, visit

Maricopa Advanced Technology Education Center

SEMI

Semiconductor Industry Association