Intel

A very challenging role in terms of the manufacturing/process systems that you need to be a technical expert in. You really do need to be interested in leading-edge technology systems and automation systems (not PLC, more microcontroller + host, see below) to be good at it as an Engineering Technician at Intel. The systems that an Engineering Technician will be working on and troubleshooting are multi-million dollar systems, not your average manufacturing system that may cost maybe $50k to $150k.

The list of technologies you could feasibly come up against in this role is just endless. If you're a nerd for technology and science, there is no better place to be. I know, as I've been to ALL the other industries.

A short example of the technologies an Engineering Technician could work on within the same month:

• High-power microwave, RF, pulsed DC, and 3-phase AC delivery systems
• Inert and toxic gas delivery systems, for example, Ar, N2, O2, O3, He, SiF4, NF3, SiH4, NH3 - the list of gasses is endless.
• Optic/light path control systems
• Automated vision/OCR control systems
• Electronic/multiplexed control systems/microcontrollers/ASICs
• Heat exchanger, chiller systems, compressor systems, and high-viscosity fluid delivery systems
• Full end-to-end pneumatic control systems
• Control systems associated with process control, such as controlling pressure, temperature, power, gas/liquid flow, light intensity, proximity, speed, humidity, position
• Plasma (4th state of matter) generation and control under high vacuum conditions
• Mechanical-based de-installation, servicing, installation, qualification, and troubleshooting of complex production equipment assemblies used in the delivery of a tightly controlled and enclosed process
• High vacuum control and systems
• Cryogenic systems
• Environmental control systems for localized process environments and refrigeration systems
• Industrial computing and control via host computers
• Industrial Equipment DNET and Ethernet networking
• Robotics, stepper, and servo motion control and transmission systems.

There is no mention of PLC or PLC backend frameworks in the above list. The backend of the factory systems in semiconductor is controlled via server/host systems because they possess higher levels of possible control abstraction and are more readily available for complex manipulation via software definition. There may be a couple of localized PLCs internal to a given semiconductor machine, but these would typically make up a very small part of any semiconductor machine.

Semiconductor machine control frameworks are made up of actuator/sensor suites <--> microcontrollers/I/O cards <--> comms conversion (CANBUS/serial to Ethernet) <--> multiple local host servers mounted in a mini server rack inside the machine with backend comms across servers. Comms to the machine from the factory automation systems is 95% via Ethernet/fiber, with a couple of exceptions regarding external discrete triggering (LSS, for example).

In semiconductor manufacturing, large-scale PLC-type control frameworks are used extensively in the support facility/utility functions (sub-fab levels) in semiconductor factories, not in the factories themselves.

Other duties:

• Developing technicians in troubleshooting
• Running projects in equipment upgrades
• Lean improvements
• SME in technical writing, SOPs, BKMs, technical proposals, training plans, troubleshooting report-outs to senior management
• SME expectation on the physical semiconductor systems
• Should be striving to become an SME on the process side. The more you learn about the semiconductor process, the physics/chemistry of the process (the 'why' questions), then the better you will be as an Engineering Technician.

Once you have a certain comfort level with this technology, then you will be fine. But if you don't, you will be found out very quickly by engineers and peers alongside you. You really want to do this job and be into the science and tech side to be good at it. I'd say about 1 in 30 or 40 equipment/maintenance technicians can progress on and be an Engineering Technician, something like that.

I like the management at Intel. It's a pretty open and transparent place when it comes to solving difficult problems. Pretty much all of the managers are there to get the best out of you (bar the odd exception; there's always that), and they generally trust Engineering Technicians to come through with their SME expertise when needed. There's always great trust between management and Engineering Technicians in my experiences with them.