Multicultural Diversity Workforce and Global Technology Collaboration Empowered Semiconductor Manufacturing Excellence in Taiwan: A Manufacturing Engineer’s Perspective

Abstract

This paper summarizes the perspectives from a manufacturing engineer on how the government policy, global partnership, and diversity of the United States (US), Japanese, European, and traditional Chinese cultures in Taiwan have created a workforce of semiconductor manufacturing talent in the past five decades. The complex interwoven events of Covid-19 pandemic, supply chain resilience, national security, and geopolitical conflicts have made semiconductor manufacturing a key focus of government policy. As a world leader in integrated circuit (IC) design, design software, equipment, and research, the US has struggled in the past few years on the high yield volume manufacturing of the most advanced logic IC and failed to translate research innovations to quality production. Manufacturing, not innovation or equipment, is a key barrier of the US semiconductor industry. Two models for excellence in advanced manufacturing are described. Three pillars of government policy, global collaboration, and multicultural diversity empower semiconductor manufacturing excellence in Taiwan is described. An approach to evaluate, select, educate, and train manufacturing talents is proposed. Directions for semiconductor manufacturing research are discussed. There is no genius in semiconductor manufacturing, which requires extensive experience and continuous improvement without shortcuts to be competitive. The steadfast good government policy, multicultural diversity workforce, and global technology collaboration to achieve semiconductor manufacturing excellence are the focus of the conclusion.