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How exposed to AI is a Semiconductor Processing Technician?

Of the 24 tasks O*NET lists for semiconductor processing technicians, 1 could be done in half the time with a chat window today. 22 cannot be sped up at all. Here is which.

Exposure means published research judged an AI could halve the time a task takes, at the same quality. It does not mean the task stops needing a person. How to read this

Also called
Device Processing EngineerDiffusion OperatorManufacture SpecialistManufacturing TechnicianMetalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Engineer (MOCVD Engineer)Probe OperatorProcess TechnicianWafer Fabrication Operator
Reachable today Needs software built first Cannot be sped up
24
tasks rated for this occupation
0%
hold a degree, from a survey of 26
24k
people do this job in the US
72 of 107
least protected in production

Every task, and what AI can do with it

These are O*NET's task statements for this occupation, exactly as written, sorted into the three bands by the ratings behind this report. Nothing has been reworded.

Reachable with a chat window today

1
  • Calculate etching time based on thickness of material to be removed from wafers or crystals

Only with software built on top

1
  • Maintain processing, production, and inspection information and reports

Cannot be sped up

22
  • Manipulate valves, switches, and buttons, or key commands into control panels to start semiconductor processing cycles
  • Inspect materials, components, or products for surface defects and measure circuitry, using electronic test equipment, precision measuring instruments, microscope, and standard procedures
  • Clean semiconductor wafers using cleaning equipment, such as chemical baths, automatic wafer cleaners, or blow-off wands
  • Study work orders, instructions, formulas, and processing charts to determine specifications and sequence of operations
  • Load and unload equipment chambers and transport finished product to storage or to area for further processing
  • Clean and maintain equipment, including replacing etching and rinsing solutions and cleaning bath containers and work area
  • Place semiconductor wafers in processing containers or equipment holders, using vacuum wand or tweezers
  • Set, adjust, and readjust computerized or mechanical equipment controls to regulate power level, temperature, vacuum, and rotation speed of furnace, according to crystal growing specifications
  • Etch, lap, polish, or grind wafers or ingots to form circuitry and change conductive properties, using etching, lapping, polishing, or grinding equipment
  • Load semiconductor material into furnace
  • Monitor operation and adjust controls of processing machines and equipment to produce compositions with specific electronic properties, using computer terminals
  • Count, sort, and weigh processed items
  • Inspect equipment for leaks, diagnose malfunctions, and request repairs
  • Align photo mask pattern on photoresist layer, expose pattern to ultraviolet light, and develop pattern, using specialized equipment
  • Stamp, etch, or scribe identifying information on finished component according to specifications
  • Operate saw to cut remelt into sections of specified size or to cut ingots into wafers
  • Scribe or separate wafers into dice
  • Connect reactor to computer, using hand tools and power tools
  • Mount crystal ingots or wafers on blocks or plastic laminate, using special mounting devices, to facilitate their positioning in the holding fixtures of sawing, drilling, grinding or sanding equipment
  • Attach ampoule to diffusion pump to remove air from ampoule, and seal ampoule, using blowtorch
  • Measure and weigh amounts of crystal growing materials, mix and grind materials, load materials into container, and monitor processing procedures to help identify crystal growing problems
  • Locate crystal axis of ingot, and draw orientation lines on ingot, using x-ray equipment, drill, and sanding machine
What this does not say

This is not a prediction about your job

Nobody surveyed an employer. Tasks are counted equally, so a percentage here is a share of the list rather than a share of your week. And the ratings were made in 2023, which makes every figure a floor rather than a ceiling.

It must never be used to select anyone for redundancy. The full limits are here.

Where to go next

This is the standard task list for the title. The useful next question is which of the tasks you actually do should go near AI, and which should not.

Sort your own tasks Read the full report

Exposure ratings from Eloundou, Manning, Mishkin and Rock, GPTs are GPTs: Labor market impact potential of LLMs, Science 384, 1306–1308, 2024, used under the MIT licence. This page includes information from the O*NET Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. People Team AI has modified all or some of this information. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Employment figures from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.