Global Chip Shortage Threatens Production of Laptops, Smartphones and More


I'll save you the trouble finding the data: https://archive.md/pNI4a




Solution is easy: No breaks! Eat your sandwich while working on a wafer! ;)
for the ones that don't know: Chip manufacturing is done in rooms that have zero pollutants, so that dust does not affect producing the chips (many on a single wafer, before it's cut to separate the microchips). Pollutants, like dandruff, sand, hair are a no-no.
Someone also pointed out that cost cutting measures often mean that the “Hazmat” suits are regularly shared/reused without internal decontamination
 
Someone also pointed out that cost cutting measures often mean that the “Hazmat” suits are regularly shared/reused without internal decontamination
Horrible if the previous user farted while in the suit! And then coming home, your wife smells you and says: You've been with somebody else! I can smell it on you!

To be fair, the Hazmat always was to protect the environment (the chips) and not the wearer.
 
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Someone also pointed out that cost cutting measures often mean that the “Hazmat” suits are regularly shared/reused without internal decontamination
The bunny suit is washable, so I guess they might not wash in between if you don't have your dedicated suit. Hairnets, face-mask and gloves are usually disposable.
You (usually) don't have full covering suit like a hazmat suit, as you need to work in those the full day, and you'd be hot in the cleanroom. And work requires you to be able to move, so work clothing is adapted to this.
Most of the work on wafers is done in isolation (shielded from outside air or vacuum) and the production itself is usually fully automated. As each particle (dust for example) can break your chip and cost a lot of money.
For latest production processes (EUV) they are really strict, these cleanrooms are magnitudes more expensive to operate. Having make-up or perfume could already not be allowed.
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additional note: cleanrooms should be kept at a constant temperature, and you'd wear you bunny suit only in there. Also there aren't any toilets there.
 
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Since this thread is becoming a tech-news sort of thread, here's one to laugh at:

For example: Some people who did not know they house access password, only knew how to get in with their phone had to wait outside until AWS was back. Or a fridge that hangs while updating because there is no server to connect to... (I assume the cooling still worked?)
 
Remember that Facebook/WhatsApp outage that they blamed on DNS (as usual)? it was actually sabotage by a group employed by various governments in an attempt to blackmail them into paying tax. my friend works for the company that brought them down.
 
I'm not sure how this squares with this report: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2021/11/the-internet-is-held-together-with-spit-baling-wire/

Apparently the outage was triggered when an erroneous BGP update was submitted by facebook. Perhaps it was someone pretending to be facebook but wasn't, but without them getting in contact first and telling facebook why they were doing it, it doesn't count as blackmail. Perhaps facebook are keeping that secret though, and the perpetrators presumably aren't willing to come out publicly and say it.
 
India to set up 20 foundries/fabs over the next six years...!
"Over 20 semiconductor manufacturing and designing companies in high-end, displayand specialty fabrication have submitted expressions of interest (EOIs) to set up manufacturing plants in India. Of this, two-three are ‘very serious’ projects, according to the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA)."
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.co...-pli-scheme/article34869112.ece?homepage=true
 
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"Over 20 semiconductor manufacturing and designing companies in high-end, displayand specialty fabrication have submitted expressions of interest (EOIs) to set up manufacturing plants in India. Of this, two-three are ‘very serious’ projects, according to the India Electronics and Semiconductor Association (IESA)."
Source: https://www.thehindubusinessline.co...-pli-scheme/article34869112.ece?homepage=true
My source was fossbytes which stated the content of my post in an article about government funding being approved for such endeavours, in addition to encouraging more digital payments (yay :| ) but interesting that it lacked the detail specified in your source that it’s more EOIs than, say, MOIs. Still, presumably those EOIs are coming in because the government has passed such a funding program?
 
btw. if I remember correctly India use to be somewhat active already in the semiconductor industry.

My source was fossbytes which stated the content of my post in an article about government funding being approved for such endeavours, in addition to encouraging more digital payments (yay :| ) but interesting that it lacked the detail specified in your source that it’s more EOIs than, say, MOIs. Still, presumably those EOIs are coming in because the government has passed such a funding program?
They have a fund worth 10 billion dollars to lure manufacturing of certain sectors to India by investing in semiconductor production subsidize 50% of the cost of the relocation.
The companies that currently are interested are rumored to be:

Tower Semiconductor (Isreal): https://towersemi.com/manufacturing/manufacturing-overview/
The latest node the have is 45nm, operated in Uozo (Japan), and part of their production is related to automotive (analog) chips.

Hon Hai Group (Foxxcon, Taiwan): https://www.foxconn.com/en-us/
An (/The world largest) electronics manufacturer has in recent years showed some ambition to enter the semiconductor market.
It purchased Sharp, which also gave them a semiconductor fab (Fukuyama, 0.13um). And they partnered with ARM for chip design and has a packaging and testing facility in Qingdao.
Possibly the invite from India is lucrative for expanding their plans.

An undisclosed consortium from Shanghai, which could be GLOBALFOUNDRIES which are also active in the automotive sector: https://gf.com/markets/automotive
 
 
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