Semiconductor Related Industries Research Articles

Managing risk concerns with ordered backlogs in the semiconductor industry: An empirical study

Today, the semiconductor industry is integral to the functionality of many critical goods and processes that are highly valued. The increasing demand across various semiconductor-related industries has correspondingly amplified the risks faced by firms within this sector. In this study, we empirically explore the potential of ordered backlogs as a means to mitigate the risks confronting semiconductor firms. Utilizing a dataset comprising publicly traded semiconductor firms in the USA, over a duration from 1998 to 2021, we quantitatively validate our hypotheses. Our findings reveal that a substantial volume of ordered backlogs is indeed correlated to a diminished level of firm risk. However, it is important to note that this risk-mitigating effect is lessened as the marketing and research intensities of these firms escalate. Moreover, we observe that the advantageous impact of ordered backlogs in risk reduction is more subdued in large workforce firms, whereas the presence of a sizable top management team aids in lessening the impact of ordered backlogs on risk. These managerial insights are invaluable in advancing both theoretical understanding and managerial practices within the realm of the semiconductor industry.

The role of visibility in supply chain resiliency: Applying the Nexus supplier index to unveil hidden critical suppliers in deep supply networks

Problem definitionOf the many factors affecting supply chain resiliency, visibility can have a profound effect on critical decisions for improving the readiness, response, and recovery from supply chain disruptions. The visibility of tier-1 suppliers gives only a narrow view of the entire picture. Methodology/resultsThis work expands on applying the Nexus Supplier Index [1] using a data-driven approach that deviates from the traditional analysis. It relies on the network topology, leveraging graph centralities. Data collection started with 40 focal companies representing 24 industries, 14 clusters, different sectors, and sizes, generating $1.7 T in revenue and 2.3 M jobs. We collected ∼16,000 data points covering upstream and downstream supply chains, the most extensive application of the NSI reported in the literature. We calculated different node centralities for the focal companies and all companies in their supply networks to increase supply chain visibility to key worldwide companies. We propose improvements for identifying hidden critical suppliers (HCS) within the network that, when combined, provide visibility of depths up to 11 tiers. Managerial implicationsThis work illustrates the results of a partnership between academia with governmental and non-governmental agencies in a data-driven approach to identify critical suppliers hidden in a US state's leading manufacturers' supply network. From this work, 43 companies were identified as hidden critical suppliers in an initial analysis, of which 35 had no presence in the analyzed state (82%). All of them were contacted for possible future economic development endeavors. It is also important to mention that 15 of the 43 critical suppliers were in semiconductor-related industries (35%). This data was collected in the fall of 2020, before the worldwide semiconductor shortage, illustrating the potential to identify industries with greater supply chain resiliency risk.

From globalising to regionalising to reshoring value chains? The case of Japan’s semiconductor industry

AbstractThis study evaluates the current situation and challenges of reshoring in the Japanese manufacturing industry, focusing on the semiconductor industry, which once dominated the world. After a recent document analysis and qualitative interviews with firms’ representatives and policymakers, it is apparent that the globalised semiconductor industry is unlikely to reshore to Japan even amid supply chain disruptions due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. A review of Japan’s semiconductor-related industries, such as semiconductor manufacturing materials, validated that they are embedded in Asian production networks and need to be optimised within a regionalised production system.

Gender, ethnicity and entrepreneurship in initial public offerings: illustrations from an open database*

This paper describes the variables in a freely available database of all emerging growth firms (EGF) that made an initial stock offering (IPO) on US public markets from 1990 through 2010. Our expectation is that researchers from a variety of disciplines can use this data to answer a wide variety of social science questions and combine it with other databases. To illustrate how the data can be used, we describe the gender and nationality of the top management teams (TMTs) and board of directors (BoDs) of these firms. We confirm that women are under-represented in all functional positions, but, in contrast to much of the popular press, we find that statistically Silicon Valley firms perform better than the national average. Gender ratios differ by function with women most prevalent at the CFO position and are most prevalent in the biomedical industry. Using undergraduate education, as an identifier for nationality, we find that, contrary to the popular press, there are more European than Asian immigrants in the TMTs. This suggests that European immigrants are more likely to immigrate with advanced degrees, while the Asian immigrants have only Bachelor’s degrees. In the immigration literature, it has been observed that specific immigrant groups concentrate in particular occupations. To test for this effect, we study the backgrounds of all identifiable Taiwanese immigrants. A remarkably high concentration of Taiwanese TMT members were from two Taiwanese universities’ electrical engineering departments, then received U.S. graduate degrees, particularly from UC Berkeley, and entered semiconductor-related industries. This database will contribute to reproducible social science as the same quality-controlled data is now available to all researchers.

바 형태 정전기제거장치의 정전기제거성능 향상을 위한 연구 (2)

In display such as LCD, LED, and AMOLED or semiconductor related industries are required to have static ionizer in order to produce reliable goods. The most general type of ionization is called, corona discharge that has a slight chances to generate unequal and unstable amount of each +/- ion to the target object. Then, the ionization performance will drastically decrease and end up with quality deterioration problem. continually A study on the improvement of the performance of pulsed AC ion bar(1), we have studied consecutive study to improve the current issue via appling partition wall at air nozzle surrounding. The results were that the charge decay time and the ion balance was maintained the satisfied range that was within 5 second and V for a 180 days period of time. In additions, the contamination status on the electrode surface was investigated for a 180 days. The little particles was deposited on the electrode surface.

바 형태 정전기제거장치의 정전기제거성능 향상을 위한 연구 (1)

In Display such as LCD, LED, and AMOLED or semiconductor related industries are required to have static ionizer in order to produce reliable goods since the ionizer can create balanced ion that is delivered to producing goods to minimize electrical damages when manufacturing. However, the most general type of ionization is called, Discharge that has a slight chances to generate unequal and unstable amount of each +/- ion to the target object. Then, the ionization performance will drastically decrease and end up with quality deterioration problem. In this research, our objective to resolve the current issue via applying Coupling Condenser on each counter electrodes of Corona discharging type ionizer. The result is that the ion balance was maintained the satisfied range that is within +/-100V when we changed the duty ratio of the High Voltage of Pulse AC about 40 ~ 70%. In addition, when levelling the High Voltage of Pulse AC, the ion balance holds the range within +20 ~ 0V. Even though we have tested the same experiment for a year, we have seen the range changes roughly .

Effective implementation for introducing ISO/TS 16949 in semiconductor manufacturing industries

Few semiconductor manufacturers in Taiwan have been ISO/TS 16949 certified, primarily due to a lack of complete and efficient implementation procedures for introducing ISO/TS 16949 and its certifying process. In this study, performance matrix, the concept of Taguchi quality loss curve and quality function deployment (QFD) are combined to develop an ISO/TS 16949 implementation evaluation system for firms to take improvement actions. A questionnaire survey was used to collect information about the emphasis and action performance metrics related to ISO/TS 16949 certification in semiconductor-related industries in Taiwan. Next, statistical methods were used to define the performance indexes of action and importance and to modify the performance-evaluation matrix proposed by Lambert and Sharma [(1990). A customer-based competitive analysis for logistics decisions. International Journal of Physical Distribution and Logistics Management, 20(1), 17–24], thereby establishing a suitable performance-evaluation matrix for ISO/TS 16949 implementation. This matrix was then employed to transfer the information collected from questionnaires on the importance and the implementation level of various critical implementation items. Finally, the concepts of the Taguchi method and Shewhart control chart were integrated to determine upper and lower performance control limits. Improvement strategies for the implementation items outside the performance control limits were developed by QFD. By systematic analyses, the introduction of ISO/TS 16949 can be evaluated quickly through the proposed convenient evaluation model, and therefore improvement strategies can then be proposed. With the tools described in this study, ISO/TS 16949 implementation time can be shortened significantly.

Service quality and ERP implementation: A conceptual and empirical study of semiconductor-related industries in Taiwan

This paper examines the effectiveness of the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) in improving service quality in the Taiwanese semiconductor industry by assessing the expectations and the perceptions of service quality from the perspectives of both upstream manufacturers and downstream customers. The study first establishes a modified service quality gap model incorporating: (i) the downstream customers’ expectations and perceptions, and (ii) the upstream manufacturers’ perceptions of the customers’ expectations and perceptions. An empirical study by questionnaire survey is then undertaken to investigate the gaps proposed in the research model. The results show that service quality gaps do exist in the Taiwanese semiconductor industry between upstream manufacturers that are implementing ERP and their downstream customers. The study shows that the proposed model provides valuable guidance to manufacturers with respect to the prevention, detection, and elimination of the demonstrated service quality gaps. The model thus helps manufacturers to evaluate the contribution of various ERP modules to improved customer satisfaction with service quality and also provides guidance on improvement strategies to enhance service quality by eliminating quality gaps.

A study on applying FMEA to improving ERP introduction

PurposeFacing the competition pressure of internationalization and diversification, the semiconductor industry of Taiwan has to increase the activation/utilization rate of machines, enhance flow speed and values, cut down delivery and reduce costs in an efficient way in reaction to a shortening product life cycle and the global market requirements. As a result, introduction of ERP has become a critical factor of enhancing competitiveness. The purpose of this study is establish a systematic evaluation and improvement mechanism to locate the risk priority number (RPN) of implementation items via failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) for semiconductor related industries in Taiwan while introducing ERP.Design/methodology/approachA standardized system introduced performance matrix based on the performance evaluation matrix (PEM) will be established in accordance with the locations of severity (S), occurrence (O) and detection (D) and the three RPN indices, in the PEM. Performance levels will be assessed and the performance improvement strategy introduced by the system will be formulated. Finally, items falling within the non‐appropriate performance zone will be specified through the quality function development (QFD) method.FindingsFrom the results of the case study, the proposed systematic evaluation and improvement on the performance of introducing ERP for the semiconductor industry in Taiwan can be conducted in an efficient way.Practical implicationsAll that the management needs to do is to correspond to the positions of these RPN indices of implementation items on the performance matrix. Performance levels will be assessed and the performance improvement strategy introduced by the system will be formulated.Originality/valueThe PEM is demonstrated to be suitable to define the best countermeasure can be sought to serve as a reference for the semiconductor related industries in Taiwan to introduce ERP.

A study on performance of introducing ERP to semiconductor related industries in Taiwan

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) has become critical to enhancing the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry in Taiwan by applying information technology to integrate internal information as well as external service capability of an enterprise to increase the flow speed and values and reduce the costs of human and managerial resources, manufacturing, management, and marketing. The success of ERP implementation depends on several factors, such as space, time, location, industry, and the like. It is critically important to collect information on the successful factors of ERP implementation and evaluate the performance of ERP in semiconductor-related industries in Taiwan. A statistical method based on Parasuraman et al. was applied to ERP implementation by providing a pair of performance indices, i.e., action and importance. In addition, a performance evaluation matrix, originally proposed by Lambert and Sharman, was revised to set up a standard by providing performance upper and lower control limits with the emphases of the Taguchi method and Shewhart control charts. Finally, quality function deployment (QFD) was used to remedy the weaknesses and develop corporate strategies to improve the ERP implementation.

Performance evaluation of introducing QS-9000 to the Taiwanese semiconductor industry

According to the survey conducted by AIAG in 1999, significant effects of QS-9000 certification included average cost savings of over 6%, a 38% improvement in defect rate and a 23% increase in market share on OEM. However, few manufacturers in semiconductor related industries in Taiwan have been QS-9000 certified to date. The major reason is there is not a complete and efficient set of implementation procedures for introducing QS-9000 and the certifying process. Consequently, methods of performance evaluation based on multiple goals and principles must be applied to assess the performance of the process of introducing QS-9000 to the Taiwanese semiconductor industry. First, the performance index and the performance matrix presented by Hung, Huang, and Chen are applied to assess the certifying importance and ease of implementation of each directive item (goal). Next, related correlation and weighted values among directives (objectives to be improved) of low importance and high easiness, and also of high importance and low easiness, are established using fuzzy measures. Finally, the directives to be improved (goals to be improved) are transformed to an overall performance value during the implementation process (strategy) by fuzzy integrals to define the critical implementation process (strategy) when QS-9000 is introduced to the semiconductor industry, and also to increase the timeliness of system introduction and certification. Management is expected to find the objectives and strategies to be improved related to the introduction of the QS-9000 system, and to certify this process through the complete assessment model presented here. Subsequently, the performance of introducing QS-9000 and certification may be increased after taking into consideration cost and time factors .