In this paper we present the architecture of an intelligent test error detection agent that is able to independently supervise the test process. By means of rationally applied bin and cause specific retests it should detect and correct the majority of test errors with minimal additional test effort. To achieve this, the agent utilizes test error models learned from historical example data to rate single wafer runs. The resulting run specific test error hypotheses are sequentially combined with information gained from regular and ordered retests in order to infer and update a global test error hypothesis. Based on this global hypothesis the agent decides if a test error exists, what its most probable cause is and which bins are affected. Consequently, it is able to initiate proper retests to check the inferred hypothesis and if necessary correct the affected test runs. The paper includes a description of the general architecture and discussions about possible test error models, the inference approach to generate the test error hypotheses from the given information and a possible set of rules to act upon the inferred hypothesis.

My research seeks to uncover how imagined futures and technological promises--in this case, the promise of quantum computers--became so tangible in the present. How could such a significant industry be built and maintained around mere potential existence? My project locates the answer to this question in the broader politico-economic category of ‘tech’—by which users typically mean information technology—through the history of quantum computing and information (QC). A category articulated by actors in this history, ‘tech’ emerges in its current form in the mid-1980s and relies on the conflation of economic and national security in the flesh of high-tech products like semiconductors. Since the field has yet to deliver on any of its promises, it cannot activate an after-the-fact teleology of “discovery”. For this reason, combined with its high visibility and institutional maturity, QC provides a particularly rich view into how actors construct institutions, histories, narratives and ideologies in real time, as well as how these narratives shift according to the needs of an audience, field, or other factors. Not only products of changing institutions, these narratives also reciprocally produce institutions—they mediate between material reality and ideology. For example, I look at the role of Moore’s Law in the reconstruction of the semiconductor industry and in the production of institutions for QC. My project uses new archival research and extensive oral interviews with more than 90 researchers and other important figures from academia, government and industry in the US, Japan, Europe, China, Singapore, and Israel to analyze the development of QC and the infrastructure that made it possible over the past 50 years. This project would constitute the first history of QC and would contribute a unique and incisive perspective on the rise of ‘tech’ in statecraft and power.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 79-81). Also available on the Internet.

台灣半導體產業由於產業群聚效應促成產業的興盛，2005年台灣整體的半導體產業產值已達新台幣一兆一千億元以上，更創造科學園區十萬員工的產業族群，而由於整體半導體產業的基礎深厚，台灣半導體產業在全球半導體產業可說是具有舉足輕重的地位，有著從上而下完整的半導體產業供應鏈，相當具有產業發展的優勢。 電子設計自動化技術可說是IC產業的源頭，但是在EDA產業裡，（Electronic Design Automation 電子設計自動化; 以下簡稱EDA），只有少數全球性的EDA廠商將研發資源投注在台灣；國內半導體產業賴以設計晶片研發的EDA工具幾乎完全掌握在外商手裡，對台灣半導體產業的整體發展實屬不利。 本研究利用價值鏈理論，來分析半導體產業各業者之間的互動關係與重要的價值創新活動，並利用價值網理論發展出價值網的動態模型，藉由動態價值網中各個廠商間所提供的價值分析，來瞭解EDA產業與半導體產業間的互動行為與競合關係，並分析EDA技術創新對於半導體產業價值網的影響，同時本研究發現，晶圓代工公司正積極扮演在半導體產業價值網中價值整合者的角色。 本研究的貢獻在於經由分析EDA產業與技術，得知EDA技術對半導體產業價值網有顯著的影響，首先是對IC設計公司的創新研發能力、成本控制能力、進入市場時機、合作網路關係、保護智慧財產等關鍵因素的價值創新有顯著的正面影響。再者對晶圓製造公司的創新研發能力、創造市場價值、成本控制能力、進入市場時機、合作網路關係、提升顧客服務等關鍵因素的價值創新均有非常顯著的正面影響。由於本研究歸納出價值網的動態模型，後續研究者可以利用動態價值網的模型，來分析產業價值網的動態變化。 / The prosperity of Taiwan semiconductor industry is facilitated by the industry cluster effect. In 2005, the total Taiwan semiconductor industry’s value had amounted to above 1.1 trillion NTD and IC industry creates one hundred thousand jobs opportunity in Science Park. Built on a structure that emphasizes horizontal division and vertical integration, the IC industry has delivered an economic miracle to Taiwan. Because Taiwan semiconductor industry has a well organized infrastructure and a complete supply chain, it plays an very important role in worldwide semiconductor industry with superiority. We may say that EDA (Electronic Design Automation; hereafter refers as EDA) technology is the beginning of IC industry. But in EDA industry, only few global EDA companies deployed R&D resources in Taiwan. The EDA tools which Taiwan semiconductor companies rely on developing IC design are almost completely being grasped in foreign EDA companies. This situation is very disadvantageous to Taiwan IC industry. Therefore, Taiwan government proclaimed that developing EDA talents and products will be the first priority plan in "National SoC (System on Chip) Program". This Program hopes to integrate EDA software, and to provide an outstanding design environment for the use of global systems design firms. This research is focusing on three major question groups as following: 1. How is the interaction among semiconductor industry companies in Taiwan IC industry value chain? What are important value creation activities among enterprises in Taiwan IC industry? 2. What is the roadmap of EDA technology? How is the EDA industry developing? 3. What is the influence of EDA technology regarding to the semiconductor industry value net? What are the interactions and relations between EDA industry and Taiwan semiconductor industry? What is the impact of EDA technology to the value creations of Taiwan semiconductor industry dynamic value net? First, this research uses Value Chain Theory to analyze the interaction and value creation activities among Taiwan semiconductor industry companies. Secondly, this research develops a “Dynamic Value Net Model” from Value Net Theory then to analyze Taiwan semiconductor industry. Third, this research analyzes the affiliation between each players in Taiwan IC industry dynamic value net and the interaction and co-opetition relationship between EDA vendors and semiconductor companies. Moreover, this research analyzes the influence of EDA technology innovation regarding Taiwan IC industry value net. There are four major findings in this research as below: 1. EDA Play an Important Role in IC Industry This research points out that EDA technology plays a very important role in IC industry, as it shows in Figure A-1. EDA is a necessary technology for IC design and PCB industry. The EDA software industry is located the most upstream position in IC design industry and IC manufacturing industry value chain. Through EDA technology, we may reduce the IC design cycle time and raise IC manufacturing yield rate which can enhance IC industry competitive advantage. 2. The Co-opetition Relationship in Taiwan IC Industry Value Net This research analyzes the IC industry co-opertition relationship in Taiwan IC industry value net. This research figures out the existing complicate co-opertition relationship including “customer-supplier” relations, “complementor” relations, “competition” relations between each players in Taiwan IC industry value net. 3. Taiwan IC industry Dynamic Value Net Model Analysis This research analyzes the interactions among EDA vendors, IC design companies and Foundries in Taiwan semiconductor industry value net through dynamic value net model analysis. This research discovers that Foundries are acting as value integrators in Taiwan IC industry value net aggressively. There are four major value creation activities in the value net: (1) e-Service. (2) Provide “IC design reference flow”, including DFM (Design for Manufacturing) support. (3) Build EDA alliance to provide design support. (4) CyberShuttle. 4. Impact of EDA Technology to Taiwan IC Industry Value Net The contribution of this research is acknowledging that EDA technology has positive influence to semiconductor industry value net by analyzing EDA industry and technology. First, to the IC design companies, EDA technology has positive influence to R&D capability, cost control capability, active market entrance capability, cooperation network relationship and intellectual property protection. Furthermore, to Foundries, EDA technology has positive influence to R&D capability, market value creation, cost control capability, active market entrance capability, cooperation network relationship and customer service value. Because this research induces the dynamic value net model, the following researchers may use the model to analyze the dynamic change in any industry value net if applicable. This research suggests that Taiwan IC industry should establish an outstanding design environment and services for global systems design firms, especially EDA software. These measures enable Taiwan to maintain its semiconductor manufacturing lead and grow the crucial design and design service business.

Submitted by Silvana Teresinha Dornelles Studzinski (sstudzinski) on 2015-11-24T11:51:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ingridi Vargas Bortolaso_.pdf: 2642377 bytes, checksum: 0dd7f4daf1f04248961c15763bed5376 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-11-24T11:51:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ingridi Vargas Bortolaso_.pdf: 2642377 bytes, checksum: 0dd7f4daf1f04248961c15763bed5376 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-20 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / A cooperação entre universidade-governo-empresa (UGE) contribui para o desenvolvimento da indústria. A partir dessa cooperação, é possível explorar uma lacuna teórica, como o alinhamento entre a visão baseada em recursos e a visão relacional, gerando proposições de pesquisa. Quando se trata de indústria de alta complexidade tecnológica, como a dos semicondutores, essa cooperação torna-se essencial para o sucesso. Com o objetivo de ampliar a compreensão sobre a cooperação UGE na indústria de semicondutores e, em especial, como os recursos compartilhados pela universidade, governo e empresa contribuem para o desenvolvimento da indústria de semicondutores, a presente tese buscou compreender os recursos da universidade, governo e empresa. Isso porque essa cooperação pode estar intimamente relacionada com recursos disponibilizados por cada organização. Além dos recursos de cada organização envolvida, esta tese também identifica as ações relacionais desenvolvidas entre UGE e os recursos resultantes dessas ações. A aplicação dos conceitos-chave da visão baseada em recursos, alinhada com a visão relacional, contribui para a compreensão dessa cooperação. A estratégia de pesquisa utilizada é o estudo de caso único com unidades incorporadas. Assim, foi realizada uma coleta de dados envolvendo múltiplas fontes de informações, tais como: entrevista semiestruturada, material audiovisual, documentos das organizações e relatórios. A análise do caso estudado permitiu a geração de proposições de pesquisa e a elaboração de um esquema conceitual com os elementos críticos necessários para o estabelecimento da cooperação entre UGE. Como elementos críticos, identificou-se: os recursos internos da organização, os recursos compartilhados na cooperação, a relação como recurso, a orientação empreendedora da universidade, o posicionamento do governo como um ator-chave da cooperação e a existência de capacidades latentes nas organizações, característica essencial para o estabelecimento da cooperação. O presente trabalho também apresenta as implicações práticas e teóricas identificadas no processo de cooperação estudado e menciona recomendações para a continuidade deste estudo. / Collaboration amongst university-government-industry (U-G-I) contributes to the development of infant industries. When it comes to industries of high technological complexity, such as segment of semiconductor, this cooperation becomes essential for their success. In order to enlarge our understanding involving the cooperation between university-government-firm in the semiconductor industry and, particularly, how the resources shared by them contribute to the development of the semiconductor industry, this dissertation tries to understand the resources of university, government and firm. This is because such cooperation may be closely related to the resources provided by each organization. In addition to the resources of each of the organizations involved, we also have identified relational actions developed between U-G-I and resulting resources of such actions. An application of the key concepts of the resource-based view, aligned with the relational view, contributed to the understanding of this cooperation. The research strategy used is the case study with embedded units only. Thus, we collected data involving multiple sources of information, such as semi-structured interviews, audiovisual material, organizations’ documents and reports. The analysis of the case study allowed generating research propositions and elaborating a conceptual framework with critical elements necessary to the establishing cooperation amongst U-G-I. As critical elements, we found internal resources of the organizations, resources shared at the cooperation, relation as resource, entrepreneurial direction of the university, the position of the government as a key actor of the cooperation, and the stocks of latent capacities in the organizations, which are essential to establish cooperation. The present study also presents the practical and theoretical implications involved in the process of cooperation studied and makes some recommendations for continuing this study.

Innovation is one of the most important sources of competitive advantage. It helps a company to fuel the growth of new products and services, sustain incumbents, create new markets, transform industries, and promote the global competitiveness of nations. Because of its importance, companies need to manage innovation. It is very important for a company to be able to measure its innovativeness because one cannot effectively manage without measurement. A good measurement model will help a company to understand its current capability and identify areas that need improvement. In this research a systematic approach was developed for a company to measure its innovativeness. The measurement of innovativeness is based on output indicators. Output indicators are used because they cannot be manipulated. A hierarchical decision model (HDM) was constructed from output indicators. The hierarchy consisted of three levels: innovativeness index, output indicators and sub-factors. Experts' opinions were collected and quantified. A new concept developed by Dr. Dundar Kocaoglu and referred to as "desirability functions" was implemented in this research. Inconsistency of individual experts, disagreement among experts, intraclass correlation coefficients and statistical F-tests were calculated to test the reliability of the experts' judgments. Sensitivity analysis was used to test the sensitivity of the output indicators, which indicated the allowable range of the changes in the output indicators in order to maintain the priority of the sub-factors. The outcome of this research is a decision model/framework that provides an innovativeness index based on readily measurable company output indicators. The model was applied to product innovation in the technology-driven semiconductor industry. Five hypothetical companies were developed to simulate the application of the model/framework. The profiles of the hypothetical companies were varied considerably to provide a deeper understanding of the model/framework. Actual data from two major corporations in the semiconductor industry were then used to demonstrate the application of the model. According to the experts, the top three sub-factors to measure the innovativeness of a company are revenue from new products (28%), market share of new products (21%), and products that are new to the world (20%).

本研究以台灣和韓國的半導體產業為例，探討新興工業國家科技產業組織之形成與發展。在有系統地整理過相關文獻之後，本研究採取「社會資本」的概念進行分析。此一概念得將發展與組織社會學之不同觀點作適當的連結。唯在科技產業的發展過程中，存在著相互交錯的不同競爭場域，而各場域內有特定的資本形式，均得作為生產之投入，足以影響組織之形貌。本研究基於對新興工業國家之經濟社會發展與產業技術成長之不同階段所作之觀察，認為分屬於社會場域與技術場域的三種「社會資本」形式，對於產業組織之形成與發展具有重要的影響效果。 在實證分析方面，本研究以先進國家在半導體產業之發展歷程為背景，再進一步透過豐富的實證資料，論證台灣和韓國有關社會場域與技術場域之不同演變過程。在社會場域方面，台灣的技術官僚與產業聚落分別在不同時期提供半導體產業組織存續之所需，而韓國的財閥經濟自始即為產業生存的原動力。在技術場域方面，台灣和韓國的半導體產業組織都發展極為理性化的型態，並形成建構全球事業網絡之基礎。 透過對台灣和韓國半導體產業發展的實證分析，本研究發現，第一類社會資本在建構產業基礎，迅速提昇技術能力上，具有相當之功效；第二類社會資本具有輔助性，其形成與投入是延續產業組織生命之必要條件；第三類社會資本則是進一步提升組織績效，使組織得以接續全球化發展，繼而進入核心位置。 / The dissertation studies the development of high-tech industry in newly-industrialized countries (NICs), and particularly, the development of semiconductor industry in Taiwan and Korea. The development of high-tech industry is considered as results of competition between various fields (champs), in each of which specific capitals are provided as input for industrial production. We define therefore three forms of “social capitals” in two separated fields, social field and technology field, respectively, as tools of analysis. The dynamics of these social capitals is supposed to be critical in the development of semiconductor industry. Following the analysis framework of social capitals, the research is empirically carried out by analysis of secondary materials about the semiconductor industry in Taiwan and Korea. In the social field, we found that the techno-bureaucracy and industrial clusters played sequentially significant roles in the development of semiconductor industry in Taiwan, whereas the chaebol economy, which was once the initial condition, dominates all the time in the development of semiconductor industry in Korea. Both Taiwanese and Korean semiconductor firms, however, developed into a rational organizational form recently. Therefore, in the expanding technology field, rational networks between these firms and other leading companies in the world have been established. It has been shown in the dissertation that a social capital of the first form has perfect functions in transgressing a technological barrier and for establishing a developmental foundation; a social capital of the second form has a supportive function, which provides sustaining resources for an organization; and a social capital of the third form enforces the competitiveness of an organization, thus promoting the organization to the global stage, and becoming a core player of the industry in the world.

節能與環保是當今世界各國共同要面對的課題，而解決此人類共同難題所孕育而生的太陽能綠色產業是未來世界的潮流與希望，世界各先進國無不大力推展。而台灣向來致力於高科技產業發展，對於這未來的科技趨勢與產業大餅，從半導體代工、液晶面板及系統模組製造的科技大廠紛紛積極相繼投入。而本研究以半導體通路商T公司為例，以一個營業額百億規模的中型企業，由半導體矽晶圓銷售，切入太陽能矽原料買賣市場，進而建立自有太陽能模組品牌，並在歐洲市場有成功的市場實績，探討個案企業如何成功轉型，並在太陽能產業的新市場中取得競爭優勢。茲提出以下討論問題：1. 半導體通路商跨足太陽能產業的多角化動機與策略思考為何？2. 半導體產業轉型(多角化)跨足至太陽能產業的動態能耐發展及成功因素為何？希望藉此了解企業的多角化策略思考以及如何運用或產生新的能力順利跨足新事業領域。 本研究經由相關文獻探討後，以動態能耐架構，「組織與管理程序」、「定位」、「發展路徑」三構面來分析研究個案企業多角化發展歷程，資源與能力的改變與新生。採用個案研究法深入訪談個案公司相關高階主管，以了解其多角化跨足太陽能產業的實務作為。由個案分析與研究發現得出研究結論如下： 結論一：企業轉型動機為提昇企業價值，實踐永續經營。為延續以往成功經驗，多角化轉型常選擇相關多角化經營策略。 結論二：在組織與管理程序方面，企業多角化歷程中，新事業多會延續原企業的制度與流程。在組織學習與人才培育上，新事業則會偏重外部資源。 結論三：在組織定位方面，相關多角化的發展初期，新事業運用現有資產，能夠快速獲得成功。但是公司的資產定位與優勢，會隨著產業狀況變化而改變。 結論四：在企業發展路徑方面，企業過去發展歷程中的經營策略調整的經驗對多角化經營的發展，有正面助益。 結論五：策略選擇會對企業本身動態能耐造成影響，當企業的經營形態改變，會使公司專屬資產地位的優/劣勢產生變化。 / Nowadays, shortage of crude oil and global warming are major issues that every country in the world must to confront. To solve these problems, all advanced industrial countries are making a lot of efforts in researching and developing alternative energies, including solar energy, which is taken as one of the most effective and mature solutions at the moment. High-tech industries have been well developed and prosperous in Taiwan during past decades. To take the trend of solar energy, many leading companies in semiconductor, LCD panel and computer system manufacturing industries are actively participating in solar industry. This research is to take T-company, one of the major material distributors in semiconductor industry, as example to study how it succeeds in diversification and gets advantages in the new market of solar industry. The major two subjects in this research are as below: 1. What are the motives and strategies for a semiconductor distributor to diversification in order to enter solar industry? 2. What are the success factors and dynamic capabilities needed when a company transforms or diversifies itself from semiconductor industry to solar industry? Case-study method is applied in this research to analyze the actions taken by T-company. To track the diversification and the changes of resources/ capabilities in T-company, the analysis of dynamic capabilities are divided into three dimensions: “organization and managerial processes”, “positioning” and “path of growth”. As a result, the conclusions of this research are as below: 1. The motives of business transformation/ diversification are to ensure the growth and sustainability of corporation. To continue the successful experience, transformation or diversification to related industry is often chosen. 2. In the transformation/ diversification, systems and processes of new business often follow the original ones. As to human resource and professional training, external resources are preferred. 3. Regarding organization positioning, in the initial stage of diversification, the new business has the advantages of using existing resources and reputation to speed up to success. However, the existence of advantages will depend on the industrial situation in the long run. 4. On the paths of enterprise growth, the experiences of strategy adjustment are positively helpful when the corporation goes diversification. 5. The choice of business strategies will influence the dynamic capabilities of a company. When the business model is changing, the advantages/ disadvantages of company exclusive assets will also change.

This research explores a novel in-situ technique for monitoring film thickness in the reactive etching process that incorporates a micromachined sensor. The sensor correlates film thickness with changes in resonant frequency that occurs in the micromachined platform during etching. The sensor consists of a platform that is suspended over drive and sense electrodes on the surface of the substrate. As material is etched from the platform, its resonant vibrational frequency shifts by an amount that is proportional to the amount of material etched, allowing etch rate to be inferred. This RIE monitoring methodology exploits the accuracy of resonant micromechanical structures, whereby shifts in the fundamental resonant frequency measure a physical parameter. A majority of these systems require free-standing mechanical movement and utilize a sacrificial layer process as the key technique to develop and release the structure on a substrate. A sacrificial layer technique that incorporates a low temperature sacrificial polymer was utilized to develop and release the suspended RIE sensor with excellent performance and is capable of fabricating other low cost, high performance and reliable suspended MEMS devices. The integration of sensors and electronic circuitry is a dominant trend in the semiconductor industry, and much work and research has been devoted to this effort. The RIE sensor relies on capacitive transduction to detect small capacitance changes and the resulting change in resonant frequency during the RIE process. The RIE sensor's overall performance is limited by the interface circuit, and integration with the proper circuit allows the RIE sensor to function as a highly sensitive measure of etch rate during the RIE process. A capacitive feedback charge amplifier interface circuit, when configured with the RIE senor at the input achieves very low noise sensing of capacitance changes and offers the potential for wide dynamic range and high sensitivity. As an application vehicle, process control was demonstrated in the PlasmaTherm SLR series RIE system located in the Georgia Tech Microelectronics Research Center.

In this thesis, we study three emerging applications of OR/MS, namely, (i) disease spread modeling, intervention strategies, and food supply chain management during an influenza pandemic, (ii) the practical applications of production planning and scheduling in the commercial lithographic printing industry, and (iii) packing/placement problems in chip design in the semiconductor industry. In the first part of the thesis, we study an emergency response planning problem motivated by discussions with the American Red Cross, which has taken on a responsibility to feed people in case of an influenza pandemic. During an emergency such as an influenza pandemic or a bioterror attack, regular distribution channels of critical products and services including food and water may be disrupted, or some of the infected individuals may not be able to go to grocery stores. We analyze the geographical spread of the disease and develop solution approaches for designing the food distribution supply chain network in case of an influenza pandemic. In addition, we investigate the effect of voluntary quarantine on the disease spread and food distribution supply chain network. Finally, we analyze the effect of influenza pandemic on the workforce level. In the second part, we study a real life scheduling/packing problem motivated by the practices in the commercial lithographic printing industry which make up the largest segment of the printing industry. We analyze the problem structure and develop efficient algorithms to form cost effective production schedules. In addition, we propose a new integer programming formulation, strengthen it by adding cuts and propose several preprocessing steps to solve the problem optimally. In the last part of the thesis, motivated by the chip design problem in the semiconductor industry, we study a rectangle packing/placement problem. We discuss the hardness of the problem, explore the structural properties, and discuss a special case which is polynomially solvable. Then, we develop an integer programming formulation and propose efficient algorithms to find a ``good' placement.