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All of the above. You need thousands of highly skilled engineers to operate an advanced fab. You need extremely advanced and expensive specialized equipment -
by Cyph0n 4y ago
All of the above.
You need thousands of highly skilled engineers to operate an advanced fab. You need extremely advanced and expensive specialized equipment - look up ASML for a general idea of what this equipment does. You need a huge, purpose-built cleanroom that is many orders of magnitude “cleaner” than an operating room. You need a structure (and location) that has virtually zero vibration or noise. You need an constant, high-volume supply of a bunch of resources including water, power, and sand. And the list goes on.
Edit: Good video on ASML and semiconductor fabrication equipment in general: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSVHp6CAyQ8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSVHp6CAyQ8
- tpmx 4y agoIs it true that it's common TSMC practice to use PhD:s to continously babysit and tweak manufacturing processes? Does Intel handle that aspect differently?
- bee_rider 4y agoIs it really "all of the above?" The R&D is obviously very expensive as well, but I'm under the impression that the number in this sort of headline is usually the actual cost of the factory. (Although I guess money is fungible)
- Cyph0n 4y agoI’m not an expert on the financials, but R&D costs need to be recouped somehow. My uneducated guess is that R&D expenditures are amortized across fabs in the form of indirect costs.
- doikor 4y ago> water Even simple things like "water" is not just water but instead you need ultrapure water. The machines that purify water to the purity semiconductor industry needs it are not cheap.