THE COMPETITIVE SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING HUMAN RESOURCES PROJECT:

Second Interim Report
CSM-32
Clair Brown, Editor

6. Training
Jumbi Edulbehram and Dan Rascher

6.1 Days of Orientation and Initial Training (Prior to Starting Work)
6.2 Percentage of Time Spent in Training During the First Year of Employment
6.3 Percentage of Time Spent in Training After the First Year of Employment
6.4 Topics and Types of Training: On-the-Job (OJT) or Classroom
6.5 Summary of Preliminary Training Findings
AP Appendix

Abstract

Operators, technicians, and engineers all average about the same number of days of initial training, 21 - 26 days. About 40% of their time is spent in on-the-job training (OJT) with an additional 5% - 8% spent in classroom training during the first year of employment. After the first year, about 15% of their time is spent in OJT and 6% - 10% spent in the classroom. There is a positive correlation between the use of both types of training and the performance metrics across all three job categories.

6.1 Days of Orientation and Initial Training (Prior to Starting Work)

Operators

In the First Interim Report on Human Resources, we found that the practice of preferring operators with previous industry experience was negatively associated with fab performance and that prior experience was not an effective method of obtaining skilled operators. This implied that much of the important learning for operators occurs on-the-job in a particular fab environment. The current set of data show that the number of days of operator orientation is positively correlated with four of the performance metrics; defect density, line yield, cycle-time per layer, and direct labor productivity. The correlation with stepper throughput is not statistically significant. See Figure 6-1 in the appendix and the accompanying text for more information.

The summary statistics for the number of days of orientation and initial training (prior to starting work) for the operators, as provided by the fabs, are shown below:

Table 6-1. # Days of Operator Orientation

For operators, on average, fabs provide 27 days of initial training. The range quite is large: at one extreme, one fab provides only one day of training, while at the other extreme, a fab provides four months and ten days of initial training. This large spread may be due to the different interpretations of initial training: some fabs report only the initial days of orientation before the operators start their work in the fab, and others report the entire period till the operators can independently operate their designated machines.

Examples of Operator Orientation and Initial Training

At F10, one of the lower performing fabs, the initial training period for operators lasts for 5 days: half a day is spent on general information about the firm and then for the next 4.5 days the operators are sent to a dedicated training facility where they are given safety instructions and practical exercises on wafer handling.

At F8, a high performing fab, new operators receive a 5 day basic training program. The program consists of an overview of the IC process, the equipment, PROMIS (interface software), hygiene, wafer handling, gowning and degowning, and machine automation. This 5 day course also includes a 2 day general orientation of the fab. Next, the employee goes through a Basic Training II program which consists of the introduction of specific skills on the line.

At F5, one of the top fabs in the study, all new hires are sent a book of information on the company and IC basics to read two months before joining the fab. The new employee returns a written report to demonstrate understanding. After joining the fab, new employees live in a company facility and begin a two-week training course. During this time they experience a three-day "boot camp" to learn about discipline ("how to stand erect and take orders"). After that, new hires have a 4 or 5 day "introduction to the workplace" course, their first assignment at the workplace.


Similar to the finding for operators, in the First Interim Report we had found that the practice of preferring technicians with previous industry experience was negatively associated with fab performance and that prior experience was not an effective method of having skilled technicians; hence much of the important learning that technicians do occurs on-the-job.

The summary statistics for the number of days of orientation and initial training (prior to starting work) for the technicians, as provided by the fabs, are shown below

Table 6-2. # Days of Technician Orientation

On average, technicians are provided 21 days of initial training. The range of the number of days of training is large: at one extreme, one fab provides only one day of training, while at the other extreme, a fab provides three months of initial training.

The current set of data show that the number of days of technician orientation is positively correlated with defect density and direct labor productivity. The other correlations were positive, but not statistically significant.

An Example of Technician Orientation and Initial Training

At F16, a slightly below average performing fab, process technicians are trained on-the-job by engineers, while maintenance technicians go to vendor training in addition to on-the-job training.

Engineers

In the First Interim Report it was found that the level of experience required for new hires was negatively correlated with performance. The current set of data show that engineer days of orientation and initial training is positively correlated with defect density, line yield, and direct labor productivity. These results lend credence to the notion that fabs which hire engineers right out of school (all fabs hire engineers with at least a bachelor's degree) and train them at the fab perform relatively well.

The summary statistics for the number of days of orientation and initial training (prior to starting work) for the engineers, as provided by the fabs, are shown below:

Table 6-3. # Days of Engineer Orientation

On average, engineers are provided 26 days of initial training. The range of the number of days of training provided is large: at one extreme, one fab provides only one day of training, while at the other extreme, a fab provides three months of initial training.

Examples of Engineer Orientation and Initial Training

At F5, one of the top fabs in the study, all newly hired engineers are sent a book of information on the company and IC basics to read two months before joining the fab. They are also sent a book on the quality program being implemented in the fab. Before starting work, the new engineers must return a written report on the materials to demonstrate understanding.

6.2 Percentage of Time Spent in Training During the First Year of Employment

The average percentage of time spent in training during the first year of employment is shown below:
Insert Table 4

During the first year of employment, technicians, operators, and engineers all spend about 40% of their time on OJT. As for classroom training, engineers and technicians spend a little more of their time in training than do operators.

The breakdown of the average percentage of training time by the number of fabs in each category is shown below:

The chart shows that few fabs offered formal classroom training to operators. At most fabs, operators spend over 20% of their first year in OJT. Of the three occupations, engineers displayed the widest variation in OJT. In five fabs, engineers spent over 40% of their first year in OJT, while at six fabs they spent less than 20% of their time in OJT.

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