TSMC Arizona looks to bolster its technician vacancies

Daily Independent

Sterling Wilson pays attention to detail.

Wilson, 23, — a Laveen resident — is enthusiastic about his assignment as a mask technician at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Arizona where he helps monitor the mask manufacturing and repair processes in north Phoenix. A mask is a “circuit pattern” printed on the surface of a semiconductor wafer.

But the quality assurance of working on automated equipment isn’t a walk in the park. At times, schedules can be “intense” at times with 12 to 13-hour shifts over a four-day work week with a learning curve of six to 12 months, Wilson said.

“It’s challenging, but rewarding,” Wilson said.

Wilson completed a Semiconductor Quick Start program offered through Maricopa Community Colleges meant to give attendees foundational knowledge in a 10-day bootcamp setting.

As of March 2024, “6,176 students have submitted interest forms, 4,000 have passed pre-assessment tests, are ready to enroll, and are on a wait list, and over 900 have completed” the program and have been certified since 2022, according to a Maricopa Community Colleges report.

Officials hope programs such as these will compensate for a shortage of skilled semiconductor technicians to help the U.S. stay ahead in the industry.

Semiconductors are small microchips needed for everything from smart phones to vehicles.

Companies that manufacture microchips are a boon to the local economy as the industry has been part of the Valley’s business fabric since 1949 when Motorola decided to open its first Arizona hub.

More than $135 billion has been invested in the region’s industry dating back to 1980 by companies such as Motorola and Intel Corp., according to the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.

Officials are determined to keep the semiconductor ball rolling.

This semester, there are two courses offered in a five-day work week format where course work of a semester is packed into two weeks, said Tonya Manning, an instructor who teaches hands-on labs and helps with online modules.

Manning, who worked at Intel for six years as a process engineer, said the program is fairly new — offering classes for about three years. At its completion, attendees receive a certificate once they pass a mastery test.

“It’s quite a bit of work,” Manning said. “It’s designed in such a way that the content builds on itself.”

Another benefit — students are “definitely engaged” in the “quick-moving” course that focuses on the industry from a view of 30,000 feet rather than going deep on separate subjects.

“(We don’t) go in-depth on any one thing,” Manning said.

For Wilson, the program helped him join what he called “diverse melting pot” at TSMC Arizona. His job duties range from making sure there are no defects or residue in microchip wafers to monitoring any needed process for repairs.

“Every day, you learn something new,” Wilson said.

TSMC Arizona is developing its own history in the Valley.

In October 2024, TSMC announced it would begin volume production at the beginning of 2025. In July 2023, TSMC officials said there would be a schedule delay after initially expecting to produce wafers at volume in 2024.

Last month, TSMC Arizona officially began producing its wafers.

The second fab is scheduled to begin volume production in 2028 and the third fab in Arizona is expected to begin production by the end of the decade, according to a TSMC Arizona spokeswoman.

Initially, TSMC and Phoenix officials signed a development agreement that brought the semiconductor manufacturing center to northwest Phoenix on March 31, 2021.

Mark Toro, 21, — another TSMC Arizona technician — said his position is important to get orders shipped on time. The Peoria resident handles control semiconductor “wafers used to monitor tools and manage” a device called FOUPS that transports wafers through the semiconductor manufacturing process. He also supports functions to keep the production line moving.

Some job perks include learning about the cultural aspect of the company. Employees get together for the holidays such as Lunar New Year and eating Taiwanese food at the company’s cafeteria, Toro said.

Still, officials and employees alike are working through reports of tensions and a culture clash between Taiwanese and U.S. employees.

“This is our first manufacturing operation in the U.S. and our first leading-edge site outside of Taiwan and we’re very proud of how far we’ve come in a few short years,” said a TSMC Arizona spokeswoman in a statement.

“Semiconductor manufacturing is possibly the most complex factory environment in the world and we relied on experienced employees from Taiwan to help cross-train our local employees and ramping our operations in the U.S.”

The company did have issues with melding cultures, but it also expected those operational challenges, the official said.

“We expected that there would be challenges and differences in opinions and communication styles as we brought cultures together,” the spokeswoman said. “Our priority has always been to build a ‘one team’ TSMC culture. We’ve focused on communication, manager training, fostering interpersonal and team relationships and listening and learning.”

In 2021, company officials trained 600 U.S. employees in Taiwan from six to 18 months — depending on the role, the TSMC Arizona spokeswoman said.

“Now they are back, working here in Arizona alongside colleagues from Taiwan and our more recent U.S.-hired employees,” according to the TSMC Arizona spokeswoman.

The U.S-based recruiting and hiring for technicians and engineers at TSMC Arizona is ongoing.

In total, TSMC Arizona announced a forecast 6,000 employees for three fabs and it’s “safe to say” TSMC Arizona will hire or onboard “thousands” of technicians, the TSMC Arizona spokeswoman said. As of Feb. 19, 3,000 employees total have been hired at the Arizona campus.

For TSMC, students getting a certificate in a matter of weeks is a mighty quick turnaround, Manning said.

“In two weeks, (employers) are getting a skilled, employable worker,” Manning said. “That’s really powerful.”

For information, visit https://info.maricopacorporate.com/semiconductor