Mosfet mist?

How many posters have spent any time in a fabrication facility seeing how semiconductors are made?

point is, Woof, that some knowledge of how semiconductor devices is made would go a long way to help people understand what they are buying into. Toss in a dose of device physics and than you can talk.

Talking about a particular tech having certain characteristics is generally a no-win with many other factors tossed into the mix.

I worked in-fab since the early 70s, first making quartz lo-frequency oscillators and later CMOS / BiPolar and other integrated devices and still later making discrete HexFets, IGBTs and FREDs. It was a lot of fun, with the first ICs I worked on having 6 or 7 micron geometries on 3" wafers!

But anyway, show me a good design using any device and you'll be hearing good sound. Bad sound can come from any technology.

If anyone has any curiousity about how any of this stuff is made, I'll do my best to answer or find out.

Never ever worked test /probe. Did some Reliability (1000 hour burn in) on some tests I ran with induced leaks in a vacuum system, but NEVER probe.
I think that would be some valuable information about some of the differences between MOSFET and BiPolar designs.

I was into diffusion.....oxide growth (insulator) and implant diffusion. Also spent lots of time with metalization. Aluminum interconnects and various backmetals and some platinum silicides. I also worked in photo / etch but that wasn't where my heart was.

One entire fab I worked in was sold to the Chinese. Every machine, valve, pump, filter, bit of plumbing and microscope. The works right down to the flooring. I even caught 'em photographin the Specification Book.....A VERY NO NO thing to do. BUT, the bosses didn't give a XXX.

Sorry Wolf.....a typological error.

There is a fab within 25 miles of here with a capacity of 20,000 (!!) 6" wafers per week. At least. The class 100 area is almost 2 acres....no kidding.
They make power devices, FREDS, IGBTs and who knows what else.

I carried a pedometer with me for a week or so and even before the expansion, never walked LESS than 3 miles per day.

You simply would not believe the electric bill......and the low power factor surcharge. Each furnace, for example, has a 100 amp breaker. The same as the service to my house. And....they come 4 to a 'stack' and there quite a few stacks. Each implanter has a transformer the size of a Smart Car.....only a slight exageration...but you get the idea.

Many companies use 'foundaries' for overflow capacity. Also, companies like Intel simply don't want the mask set (layer by layer blue print, if you will) out of there grasp. All Intel is made in the US of A.

Many comodity devices....like OPAMPS are made in these foundaries and pretty much sold by the bushell.