SEMI

SEMI, formerly Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International, is an industry association comprising companies involved in the electronics design and manufacturing supply chain. They provide equipment, materials and services for the manufacture of semiconductors, photovoltaic panels, LED and flat panel displays, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), printed and flexible electronics, and related micro and nano-technologies.[1]

SEMI
Formation1970
FounderBill Hugle, Fred Kulicke, John Dannelly
TypeIndustry organization
HeadquartersMilpitas, California United States
Region
International
Board of Directors Chairman
Bertrand Loy
President and CEO
Ajit Manocha
Websitehttp://www.semi.org/
Formerly called
Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International; Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute

SEMI is headquartered in Milpitas, California, and has offices in Bangalore; Berlin; Grenoble, France; Hsinchu, Taiwan; Seoul; Shanghai; Singapore; Tokyo; and Washington, D.C.[2] Its main activities include conferences and trade shows, development of industry standards, market research reporting, and industry advocacy.[3] The president and chief executive officer of the organization is Ajit Manocha.[4]

Global advocacy

SEMI Global Advocacy represents the interests of the semiconductor industry’s design, manufacturing and supply chain businesses worldwide. SEMI promotes its positions on public issues via press releases, position papers, presentations, social media, web content, and media interviews.[5]

SEMI Global Advocacy[6] focuses on five priorities: taxes, trade, technology, talent, and environment, health and safety (EHS).

Workforce development

SEMI Workforce Development attracts, and develops talent that can fulfill the requirements of the electronics industry.[7] SEMI programs include:

  • SEMI Works.[8]  Begun in 2019, SEMI Works develops a standardized process that identifies technical competencies and certifies relevant college coursework. The program is designed to improve the job hiring process for both applicants and employers.
  • Diversity and Inclusion Council.[9] This council communicates best practices and benefits arising from diverse and inclusive cultures, using white papers, services, webinars, workshops, presentations and events.

SEMI standards

The SEMI Standards program was established in 1973 using proceeds from the west coast SEMICON show. Its first initiative, following meetings with silicon suppliers, was a successful effort to set common wafer diameters to be used in silicon manufacturing. This standardization helped the industry avoid a wafer shortage from 1973 to 1974, that had previously been anticipated. The standards would become internationally utilized over the years, through partnerships with the ASTM, the DIN, and other national standards organizations.[10] Before these standards, there were more than two thousand different specifications for silicon and by 1975 80% of all silicon wafers met with the SEMI standard.[11] It was first published annually as the Book of SEMI Standards.[12] With three new standards published annually in the mid-2000s, the book was eventually replaced with a CD-ROM,[13] and now standards are available online on an annual subscription basis.[14]

Today, more than 1,000 SEMI standards and safety guidelines are available to address all aspects of automated fabs. The standards are developed and maintained by over 5,000 volunteer experts representing more than 2,000 companies, working in 23 technical committees and 200 task forces.[15] High-profile standards include wafer dimensions and materials, factory efficiency and reliability, equipment interfaces, and environmental, health and safety standards.[15]

The four main equipment communication standards are the SECS-I (which stands for SEMI Equipment Communication Standards) established in 1978 that deals with communication protocol and physical definitions, the SECS-II established in 1982 that deals with message format, the GEM established in 1992 that refines the SECS-II, and the HSMS that supersedes SECS-I established in 1994.[16] The organization also provides safety and ergonomics guidelines, the first of which was the SEMI S2 developed in 1993, followed by the SEMI S8 in 1995.[17]

Conferences and trade shows

SEMI was founded in 1970 as an association of semiconductor production equipment vendors.[16] At that time, most companies in the semiconductor industry exhibited at the Wescon Show on the west coast and the IEEE show on the east coast. Wishing to organize a show dedicated to semiconductor production equipment, 55 companies met in Palo Alto and agreed to found a new association, originally called Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Institute.[18]

The first SEMICON show was held in 1971 at the San Mateo Fairground in California, which featured “semiconductor processing equipment, materials, and service firms.”[16] It featured 80 exhibitors and attracted 2,800 visitors.[19] In 1973, the first SEMICON East show was held in New York City, with 120 exhibitors participating. This was followed by SEMICON Europa in Zurich, Switzerland (1975) and SEMICON Japan in Tokyo (1977), which attracted more than 200 exhibitors and 4,500 visitors.[19] Through this and other activities, the organization grew from a domestic organization to one with an international focus.[17] Part of this focus was to work with governments to reduce trade barriers and develop “a sympathetic regulatory climate”[20] for its member organizations—companies that sold equipment and materials to firms that produce microprocessors.[21]

Today SEMI organizes and produces nearly 100 technology showcases, trade shows, conferences and special events per year in all of the major manufacturing regions of the world. They include trade shows in China, Japan, Germany, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, North America, and Europe, as well as executive conferences, technical programs, and standards meetings.[22][23][24] The organization also has technical education programs, and a weekly email newsletter. Presentations delivered at its symposia are available to members of the organization on the Members Only section of the website.[12]

Market research reports

SEMI provides market research reports for the semiconductor equipment, materials, and LED industries.[23] Its billing data is considered an important leading indicator of demand trends and is closely watched within the industry and by semiconductor market analysts and investor.[25] It also releases the World Fab Forecast.[4]

The semiconductor equipment billings report provides a three-month rolling average of the book-to-bill ratio for semiconductor equipment manufacturers with headquarters in North America. It is released approximately three weeks after the close of each month.[26]

Data for the reports is collected directly from suppliers through a confidential data collection program via an independent financial services company.[27]

There are data collection programs in the following areas.[28][29]

  • Equipment market
  • Packaging market
  • Materials market
  • Semiconductor Fabrication foundries and capacity

In-depth reports are broken down by region, supply chain segment, and equipment type.

Smart initiatives

SEMI Smart Initiatives build activities around promising electronics markets emerging from mass digitalization in the Fourth Industrial Era. The initiatives synchronize advances around semiconductors, electronics and imaging systems, the Internet of Things, MEMS, sensors, devices, displays, and other digital technologies used in the electronics industry.

SEMI Smart Initiatives include:

  • Smart Mobility.[30] This initiative is focused primarily on the automotive and autonomous vehicle supply chain. In 2018, SEMI formed the Global Automotive Advisory Council, composed of five regional chapters (Europe, United States, Japan, Taiwan, China), which engages stakeholders to address common challenges, priorities, solutions, and opportunities. GAAC members include Audi, BMW, Ford, and Volkswagen.
  • Smart MedTech.[31] For example, SEMI’s Nano-Bio Materials Consortium (NVMC) brings critical information and project funding to the electronics industry; the SEMI-FlexTech partnership focuses on the rise of flexible, printed and hybrid electronics to better fit the contours and movement of the human form, in part for healthcare applications.
  • Smart Manufacturing.[32]  This initiative focuses on challenges and opportunities integrating production and sensor data, analytics, artificial intelligence, automated systems and more with traditional manufacturing technologies. Regional chapters worldwide collaborate through conferences, communities, working groups and online meetings.
  • Smart Data. This initiative aims to improve efficiency in the semiconductor design and manufacturing supply chain through new data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). In addition to efficiency improvements, activities aim to reduce costs, validate semiconductor chips and products, speed process development and to problem-solve root causes.

Technology communities

More than 20 SEMI Technology Communities,[33] 150 Committees, and 15 Partner organizations provide access to global networks for collaboration, professional growth, business opportunities, educational events, workshops, and industrywide intelligence.

Strategic Association Partnerships

In 2019, Electronic Systems Design Alliance (ESDA) joined SEMI as a SEMI Strategic Association partner In 2018, Electronic System Design Alliance joined SEMI as a Strategic Association partner.[34]

In 2019, Nano Bio Materials Consortium (NBMC) joined SEMI as a SEMI Strategic Association partner[35]

In 2018, Fab Owners Association joined SEMI as a SEMI Strategic Association partner.[36]

In 2017, MSIG (MEMS & Sensors Industry Group) joined SEMI as a SEMI Strategic Association partner bringing MEMS and Sensors community to SEMI’s global platforms.[37]

In 2016, FlexTech joined SEMI as a SEMI Strategic Association partner.[38]

See also

Notes

  1. "About SEMI". SEMI. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  2. "Offices". SEMI. Retrieved 2017-06-02.
  3. "SEMI - Regions". SEMI. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  4. "The Week In Review: Manufacturing -Semiconductor Engineering". 9 June 2017.
  5. "Advocacy | SEMI". www.semi.org. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  6. "SEMI Enhances Global Advocacy Focus with Addition of Public Policy Veteran Mike Russo | SEMI.ORG". www1.semi.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  7. "Engineering Talent Shortage Now Top Risk Factor". Semiconductor Engineering. 2019-02-25. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  8. SEMI. "SEMI Launches Initiative to Build Talent Pipeline Critical to Global Electronics Industry Growth". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  9. "Be a Champion for Change – Highlights from the First SEMI Diversity and Inclusion Forum". 3D InCites. 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  10. Gupta, Dinesh C. (5 July 1984). Semiconductor Processing: A Symposium. ASTM International. ISBN 9780803104037 via Google Books.
  11. Scott, Allen J.; Storper, Michael (27 September 2005). Pathways to Industrialization and Regional Development. Routledge. ISBN 9781134882748 via Google Books.
  12. Compliance, United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of (5 July 1995). "EPA Office of Compliance Sector Notebook Project: Profile of the electronics and computer industry". Office of Compliance, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency via Google Books.
  13. PennWell (1 April 2008). "CleanRooms". PennWell via Google Books.
  14. "Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) Standards Services - Technology International (Europe) Ltd". www.iti.co.uk.
  15. "Overview of the SEMI International Standards Program" (PDF). SEMI. July 12, 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 19, 2014. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  16. Zurawski, Richard (26 August 2014). Industrial Communication Technology Handbook, Second Edition. CRC Press. ISBN 9781482207330 via Google Books.
  17. Alexander, D.; Rabourn, R. (2 September 2003). Applied Ergonomics. CRC Press. ISBN 9780203302590 via Google Books.
  18. "William Hugle, Silicon Valley pioneer and SEMI founder, dies at age 76". EE Times. November 16, 2003. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  19. "Semiconductor Equipment and Materials Industry Timeline". SEMI. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  20. Choate, Pat (5 July 1990). Agents of Influence. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780671743390 via Google Books.
  21. "Semiconductor industry expects slow recovery".
  22. "Events and Tradeshows". SEMI. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  23. "Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International - California in the NanoEconomy". californiananoeconomy.org.
  24. Council, National Research; Sciences, Division on Engineering and Physical; Board, National Materials and Manufacturing; II, Committee on Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative: Phase (20 January 2014). Triennial Review of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. National Academies Press. ISBN 9780309269223 via Google Books.
  25. Oreskovic, Alexei (17 March 2006). "Chip Equipment Orders Show Strength".
  26. "SEMI® Book-to-Bill Report". SEMI. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  27. "Data Collection Methodology". SEMI. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  28. "SEMI Data Collection Programs". SEMI. Retrieved 2014-10-15.
  29. "2014: A year in review – Semiconductor equipment and materials market and outlook, via Solid State Technology - NDC International". 11 January 2015.
  30. "SEMICON EUROPA DRIVES SMART: TRANSPORTATION, MEDTECH, DESIGN AND WORKFORCE | SEMICON Europa". www.semiconeuropa.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  31. Ciesinski, Michael. "6 Key Takeaways from SEMICON Europa Smart MedTech Summit". blog.semi.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  32. "SEMI Smart Manufacturing Initiative Releases Groundbreaking Industry Benchmark Survey | SEMI". www.semi.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  33. Vetrano, Maria. "MEMS and Sensors Fuel Intelligence Movement - Part 1". blog.semi.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  34. "SEMI Announces ESD Alliance to Join as Strategic Association Partner | SEMI". www.semi.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  35. "NBMC InfoHub | SEMI". www.semi.org. Retrieved 2019-12-16.
  36. "SEMI and Fab Owners Association Strengthen Supply Chain | SEMI.ORG". www.semi.org. Retrieved 2018-02-18.
  37. "Association News – November 2016".
  38. "SEMI Names FlexTech Alliance First Strategic Association Partner".
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