Who are you trying to kid. All it takes is a couple of those Intel trained Taiwanese whiz kids to go back home and teach them everything Intel knows about process and more. Who is to say there aren't a couple of Dirk Meyers working for Intel just chomping at the bits, just waiting for the right opportunity. Several times you have mentioned Intel getting first dibs on machines, but I can't believe process is a machine thing , but rather a personel thing; and personel can walk out the door. Not only that, there is always someone better than you out there, just itching for the right moment.
I don't completely agree. Process Engineering is a "personal (personnel?) thing" only to a certain extent. The success or failure of Process Improvement, IS partially dependent on the Process that you have to work with.
Certainly there are general Process Improvements that will scale across multiple Processes, but it is difficult enough to transfer Process Improvements from generation to generation, much less how difficult it would be to Transfer from one company's Process Equipment to another's. THAT'S the issue, not some ASIC/MPU thing. I don't think the ASIC/MPU issue is significant, IMO.
That being said, If I were to drive across town to MOS12, and walk inside their Fab, I'm sure there would be SOME amount of Process Knowledge that could immediately apply to their Process, from General Knowledge of Semiconductor Processes, but If I was expecting MOS12's Process to equal the Process at another Site, I would be in for a disappointment. In my experience, It just doesn't happen that way.
Close...... Maybe. Equal...... Doubtful. Better...... I don't see how. And it isn't going to be easy, there's allot of "variables" to overcome...... I think that was Yousef's point.
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