4 ms·
Well, chip manufacturing is mostly automated, so labor costs are insignificant. Also, Intel is on path to regaining process lead, they can compete with TSMC an
by 988747 4y ago
Well, chip manufacturing is mostly automated, so labor costs are insignificant.
Also, Intel is on path to regaining process lead, they can compete with TSMC and Samsung based on quality.
- rjzzleep 4y agoI'd say yes and no. TSMC has over 60000 employees. They're also probably the biggest siphon of fresh graduates in Taiwan. Like most Taiwanese companies people work like slaves(not Foxconn China level) and have fairly low salaries. Intel has twice as many employees, but then again they're also kind of all over the place. I can't really comment how important labor costs are, but I don't think that they're insignificant.
- simonblack 4y agoso labor costs are insignificant. When chip technology took off in the 1970s, the US semiconductor manufacturers had probably over 80% of the manufacturing share. Why is that share so low today? Why is it that the US manufacturers would be lucky to reach double-digits in manufacturing share? How did they get to drop to so low in the first place? The running cost of fabs is not the only cost of new fabs.