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Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

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Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#61

Post by bsder »

hnthrowaway0315 wrote: post #4

As someone working full-time in Canada, wish I could roll back my life 10+ years and get into one of the semiconductor schools. Good luck to all who are admitted into this program, looks very interesting. Link to online degree: https://engineering.purdue.edu/semiconductors/degrees#online...

Don't. Really.

You wind up captive to a small number of employers in places that have few other employers. You have to be physically present--no online only. You will have weird hours because you have to slot into the fab plant openings. Your pay will be a small fraction of even a mediocre software developer.

I can go on and on.

There isn't a shortage of semiconductor personnel. We all fled.

Companies could pay people enough to come back. Like so many other fields, companies would rather do anything other than raise salaries.

Stay far away.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#62

Post by sylware »

"non-China" Asia, they got all the top-notch foundries (Taiwan and South Korea). They don't manufacture some critical tools yet, but they should be able to if they want to.

China wants its silicium automony and is seriously working on it, India too as it seems.

US/america is actually restoring its silicium full autonomy.

Meanwhile in EU, we buy intel fabs... amazing way to build EU silicium autonomy.

At least, if RISC-V is a success, many chips from anywhere could move around and software should interoperate anywhere without toxic IP in the way or horrible compilers for abysmally complex computer language syntax. A part of the spectrum of chip types won't be able to move around due to "trust issues", but it should happen anyway for a still significant part of this spectrum.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#63

Post by alawrence »

Bilal_io wrote: post #51
Kerrick wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some do. I just started going back to school and I’m working on a B.S. In Software Development at Western Governors University. They’re accredited and online only. They also offer a B.S. in Computer Science.

I heard about WGU and was a bit skeptical, not knowing how it's viewed by other universities if I wanted to continue my master's program elsewhere. I have a couple of questions if you don't mind. I assume you've done your research before you joined, what made you decide to go for it? what's your current experience there? And do you know other people that took their degree from WGU and joined another university for th…

I can't speak to master's programs in CompSci but I finished my bachelors in business at WGU and was later admitted to the iMBA program at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#64

Post by kevin_thibedeau »

jjoonathan wrote: post #13
hnthrowaway0315 wrote: post #4

As someone working full-time in Canada, wish I could roll back my life 10+ years and get into one of the semiconductor schools. Good luck to all who are admitted into this program, looks very interesting. Link to online degree: https://engineering.purdue.edu/semiconductors/degrees#online...

Warning: nerd trap. Low wages, horrendous deadlines (tapeout), hard work. Perhaps this has changed, given that we're in a semiconductor boom cycle now, but I have my doubts. When SMIC started trying to poach TSMC talent, the response was not to make pay competitive (or even half decent), let alone in line with the massive geopolitically-relevant value being created. No, the response was a mask-off legislative crackdo…

EE in general is a problematic career path in the US. Microelectronics is more so due to the even more limited employment options. All but a few niche fab operators are multinationals and you're directly competing with cheaper offshore labor. Government initiatives aren't going to change this arrangement.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#65

Post by acomjean »

m463 wrote: post #23
jjoonathan wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Warning: nerd trap. Low wages, horrendous deadlines (tapeout), hard work. Perhaps this has changed, given that we're in a semiconductor boom cycle now, but I have my doubts. When SMIC started trying to poach TSMC talent, the response was not to make pay competitive (or even half decent), let alone in line with the massive geopolitically-relevant value being created. No, the response was a mask-off legislative crackdo…

I don't understand the field, but it seems to me that chip design is becoming more democratized. Everybody's designing a chip nowadays. Is a foundry the only employer?

My partner designed chips (for printers..) It takes a lot of money to design and fab a chip (her company was fabless). They synopsys or Magma software they used for design/layout was crazy expensive. (if you can't find a price....)

https://www.synopsys.com

Then you have to manufacture. There is a significant cost for custom chips. Though once you get going the per chip cost is pretty low, thus the business lends itself to a few large players.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#66

Post by phendrenad2 »

asurty wrote: post #47
jjoonathan wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Warning: nerd trap. Low wages, horrendous deadlines (tapeout), hard work. Perhaps this has changed, given that we're in a semiconductor boom cycle now, but I have my doubts. When SMIC started trying to poach TSMC talent, the response was not to make pay competitive (or even half decent), let alone in line with the massive geopolitically-relevant value being created. No, the response was a mask-off legislative crackdo…

TLDR: band gaps are not for the feint of heard :D

It's easy, you just grab each electron firmly using pliers and carefully move them closer together. Be sure you have a proper angstrom ruler to make sure they're the right distance.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#67

Post by bushbaba »

plonk wrote: post #60
bushbaba wrote: post #48

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When in University, Intel gave a presentation. They stated the same facts that the Semi industry will be low waged, hard work, and require MULTIPLE PHDs. That presentation gave me enough information to recognize that I really didn't want to be in the semi-industry.

> require MULTIPLE PHDs Was that a joke? What's the point of doing two PhDs in the same field? That's like 12 years wasted. 1/8th of your life.

Nope. They said they employed folks with a PHD in Electrical Engineering who also had a PHD in Chemical Engineering or similar field.

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#68

Post by rprospero »

Melatonic wrote: post #36
jjoonathan wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Warning: nerd trap. Low wages, horrendous deadlines (tapeout), hard work. Perhaps this has changed, given that we're in a semiconductor boom cycle now, but I have my doubts. When SMIC started trying to poach TSMC talent, the response was not to make pay competitive (or even half decent), let alone in line with the massive geopolitically-relevant value being created. No, the response was a mask-off legislative crackdo…

This honestly sounds like there is some real shady shit going on behind the scenes by the heads of these two companies. Reminds me of the whole VFX / software engineering union debacle with Steve Jobs / Lucas / etc that eventually came out and was super duper illegal.

I’d love to hear more about that debacle, but everything I’m finding is just another Jobs-Pixar hagiography. Any pointers on how to learn more?

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#69

Post by hardware2win »

nsonha wrote: post #21
hardware2win wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I switched from web dev to semico this year and the amount of things i dont understand is huge Majority of ppl here are after electrical eng. Cs seems to be easy in compare

That's very brave, from easy work high pay to hard word low pay.

Thats how I do feel - that better cash and more jobs = web dev, but I feel like in semico there is way more interesting and impressive stuff.

Ppl who I worked with went into more web like jobs after semico

But later I'd want to work as compiler engineer

Re: Purdue Starts Comprehensive Semiconductor Degree Programs in U.S.

#70

Post by [deleted] »

driscoll42 wrote: post #56
Bilal_io wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Semi-relates: Why don't universities offer online undergraduate programs? It's frustrating. I enrolled myself back to finish my bachelor's degree and my school offers very few or no online options for the classes I need.

There's one to my knowledge offered by the University of London: https://www.coursera.org/degrees/bachelor-of-science-compute...

[deleted]
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