Education and Training for the Analyst

Analysis of semiconductor components is an increasingly complex task. Today’s analyst is called on to find a needle in a haystack. Every year, the needles get smaller, the haystacks get bigger, and the customer wants them found faster. With this in mind, how should we train analysts to perform this daunting task? There are several major thrusts that our education/training efforts need to take if we are to successfully analyze modern semiconductor components. These thrusts include: process, technology, cross-training, and techniques. This article discusses the history of training activities in the failure/product analysis discipline and describes where this area is heading.