Semiconductor Technician Job Description

Salary Range

$45,640 - $65,010

Experience

Entry-level to principal

Work Environment

Cleanroom, in full gown

What Does a Semiconductor Technician Do?

Semiconductor technicians load silicon wafers into furnaces, etchers and deposition tools, set each run to its approved recipe of times, gases and temperatures, then inspect the results for scratches and pattern defects. All of it happens in full gown, inside the cleanrooms of chip plants and university fabrication labs. Their charts usually catch a drifting process first.

Also known as: Senior Wafer Fabrication Operator, Principal Semiconductor Technician, Wafer Fabrication Operator

Other Job Titles for This Work

Workers in this occupation report titles such as Device Processing Engineer, Diffusion Operator, Manufacture Specialist, Manufacturing Technician, Metalorganic Chemical Vapor Deposition Engineer (MOCVD Engineer), Probe Operator, Process Technician, Wafer Fabrication Operator.

Semiconductor Technician Duties and Responsibilities

The primary responsibilities of a semiconductor technician include:

• Load wafers into furnaces, etchers and deposition tools and run approved process recipes.
• Gown up and follow cleanroom protocols to keep particles off wafers and tools.
• Measure film thickness and line widths with ellipsometers, profilometers and microscopes.
• Inspect wafers for scratches, particles and pattern defects, and flag lots that fail.
• Coat, expose and develop photoresist on spin coaters and mask aligners.
• Log each run, reading and tool alarm in the lot tracking system.
• Handle acids, solvents and hydrofluoric acid under strict chemical safety rules.
• Perform preventive maintenance on vacuum pumps, chambers and wet benches.
• Plot measurements on control charts and alert engineers when a process drifts.
• Train students and new staff on tool use in a university nanofabrication lab.

Required Skills and Qualifications

To succeed as a semiconductor technician, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

• Cleanroom gowning and contamination control
• Photolithography, etch and deposition tools
• Metrology tools such as ellipsometers and profilometers
• Statistical process control charts
• Chemical safety, including hydrofluoric acid handling
• Vacuum systems basics
• Careful, by-the-book work habits
• Good near vision and steady hands

Education and Training

Entry to a fab with only a high school diploma might be possible, but applicants with an associate degree in electronics or semiconductor technology will have a clear lead over other candidates. Experience of cleanroom work could lead to a senior technician post. Most fabs require technicians to be on rotating shifts.

Salary and Job Outlook

BLS projects employment of semiconductor processing technicians to grow about 8 percent from 2025 to 2035, with roughly 3,400 openings a year. Demand will rise for several reasons, including new chip plants under construction in the US; more chips in everyday goods, such as cars and appliances; and research, as labs develop new devices.

Outlook source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, Semiconductor processing technicians.

Semiconductor Technician Pay Range

Highest-Paying States for Semiconductor Technicians

The states with the highest median pay for this occupation are Arizona ($78,940), Oregon ($63,330), Florida ($62,330), Washington ($58,710), Minnesota ($57,780). Pay is lowest in Arkansas ($40,610), Texas ($38,440), Nevada ($37,290).

What the Work Is Like

O*NET surveys people who work as semiconductor processing technicians about their daily conditions. Of those surveyed:

• 99% work indoors in a climate-controlled space every day
• 86% wear safety gear such as gloves, safety glasses or a hard hat every day
• 70% use their hands on tools, objects or controls for more than half the day
• 68% spend more than half the day walking or moving around
• 50% spend more than half the workday on their feet
• 39% spend more than half the workday sitting
• 39% say being exact and accurate is very or extremely important

Education Workers Say the Job Needs

Tools and Software Semiconductor Technicians Use

Tools and equipment

• Antistatic wrist straps
• Atmospheric pressure chemical vapor deposition APCVD systems
• Automatic notched wafer aligners
• Automatic wafer cleaners
• Chemical vapor deposition CVD systems
• Clean room ovens
• Clean room suits
• Clean-room air particle analyzers
• Desktop computers
• Die bonders

Software

• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office software
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Python
• Microsoft Word
• SAP software
• Camstar Systems Camstar Semiconductor Suite
• Database software
• Eyelit Manufacturing
• National Instruments TestStand
• yieldWerx

Is This Job a Good Fit for You?

People who do well in this job tend to enjoy hands-on work with tools, machines or the outdoors as well as organized work with data, records and clear procedures.

Skills O*NET rates most important: Operations Monitoring, Reading Comprehension, Critical Thinking, Active Listening, Monitoring, Quality Control Analysis.

Knowledge areas used most: Production and Processing, English Language, Public Safety and Security, Computers and Electronics, Education and Training.

Preparation: O*NET places this occupation in Job Zone 2 of 5, which means some preparation.

Applying for a Semiconductor Technician Job

• Job application letter sample
• How to write the skills section of a resume
• How to describe your work experience
• Job interview tips
• Interview thank-you note

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