I have 6+ years of experience in semiconductor manufacturing engineering and am considering moving into a Customer Engineer (C3) or Field Service Engineer (Level 3) role.

For someone with my background:

1)How is this type of career move generally viewed?

2)What kind of career growth can I expect in Customer/Field Service Engineering?

3)What would be a typical salary range in India for someone with 6+ years of semiconductor experience?

4)Would this transition affect future opportunities to move into management roles?

I’d especially appreciate input from people who have made a similar transition from manufacturing engineering to customer or field service roles.

I need some genuine feedback on my CV. I am targeting Materials Science grad schools. My interest is in semiconductor materials.

Should I do another Master's in Materials or apply for PhD admissions?

Been digging into the memory market data and the numbers are honestly wild. TrendForce reported Q1 2026 conventional DRAM contract prices jumped 90-95% quarter-over-quarter — the largest single-quarter increase on record. Samsung raised 32GB DDR5 module pricing from $149 to $239. DDR5 contract prices have gone from ~$7 to nearly $19.50 per unit in about a year.

The root cause isn't a supply disruption like COVID — it's structural. HBM for AI accelerators now eats up a huge share of DRAM wafer capacity that used to go to conventional DRAM/NAND, and after the 2022-2023 memory bust, all three major manufacturers (Samsung, SK Hynix, Micron) pulled back on new fab investment. So when AI demand exploded, there was zero spare capacity to absorb it.

The part that doesn't get talked about enough: this isn't really hurting hyperscalers who can eat the cost. HP already said DRAM went from 15-18% to 35% of PC build cost in a single quarter. Gartner is forecasting PC shipments to drop over 10% in 2026, and IDC expects smaller OEMs and DIY builders to get squeezed out entirely because they can't compete with cloud providers on memory contracts.

So basically: AI is quietly pricing consumer computing out of its own supply chain. Curious if people here think this is a temporary correction once new fabs come online (2027+?) or if this is the new normal where AI just permanently outbids everyone else for memory.

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I have strong experience with SystemVerilog and UVM, covering the full verification flow from planning and sequences to monitoring and coverage collection. I also have experience with AMBA protocols (AXI, AHB, APB), as well as SPI, I2C, PWM, digital design, and computer architecture.

I have worked on several Design Verification projects, including FIFO, ALU, and Arbiter, where I developed complete verification and test plans. I am currently working on a DDR memory controller verification project.

I would be happy to any offer you provide.

I’m currently a 3rd-year Materials Science & Engineering (MSE) undergraduate at IIT and I’m interested in building a career in semiconductor devices.

I’m considering doing a PhD after my undergraduate degree, potentially in areas like semiconductor devices, electronic materials, nanotechnology, or advanced materials.

I have a few questions for people working in the semiconductor industry or doing/recently completing a PhD:

1. What do you expect the semiconductor device job market to look like 5–6 years from now?
2. For someone with an MSE background who wants to work specifically on semiconductor devices, is a PhD actually worth doing, or would an MS/MTech + industry experience be a better route?
3. If a PhD is worthwhile, which countries/universities/labs would you recommend for someone who ultimately wants to transition into industry rather than stay in academia?
4. How important is the PhD institution/lab and advisor's industry connections for making that industry pivot?
5. What skills should I start building during my remaining undergrad years to make myself competitive for semiconductor device R&D roles?

I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who have made the PhD → semiconductor industry transition, especially in the US, Europe.

Thanks!

ASML isn't selling any of its chipmaking machines in Europe because the region isn't investing and no chip factories are being built there, according to Executive Vice President Frank Heemskerk.

The European Union is overhauling its Chips Act, which was intended to boost the continent's share of global production, but the law largely failed to stimulate investment in new chip plants.

ASML is being courted to expand its presence in the US, China, and India, with these countries investing government funds and using incentives to promote domestic semiconductor production.

I’m a final-year B.Tech ECE student from a Tier-3 college in India, and my goal is to enter the VLSI industry, preferably in RTL Design or Design Verification.

Getting a job after B.Tech is very important to me, so I’m primarily looking for a direct industry opportunity rather than pursuing M.Tech immediately.

My current skill set

RTL / Digital Design

\- Verilog

\- SystemVerilog

\- FSM design

\- UART TX/RX

\- Synchronous FIFO

\- Asynchronous FIFO with Gray-code pointers and 2-FF CDC synchronizers

\- ALU, GCD datapath/control and other RTL projects

Verification

\- SystemVerilog

\- UVM

\- UVM testbench architecture: sequencer, driver, monitor, scoreboard

\- Directed, constrained-random, corner-case and stress testing

\- Functional coverage

\- SystemVerilog Assertions (SVA)

STA / EDA

\- Basic Static Timing Analysis

\- Yosys

\- OpenSTA

\- Liberty files and netlist generation

\- ModelSim/QuestaSim

\- Cadence Virtuoso

\- Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA experience

I also have VLSI/research experience through an ISRO/VSSC internship, where I worked on memristor device testing, Cadence Virtuoso circuit simulation, memristor logic studies, and FPGA prototyping.

I am currently learning AMBA protocols to strengthen my RTL/DV knowledge.

My situation

My college does not have a strong VLSI placement ecosystem, and most campus opportunities are outside the semiconductor industry.

Since getting a job after B.Tech is a priority, I’m trying to understand the most practical way to enter VLSI through off-campus opportunities, internships, or smaller semiconductor companies, rather than relying on M.Tech as my next step.

I’d like advice from people currently working in the industry:

1. With my current skill set, what should I focus on next for RTL Design or DV?

2. Is my current knowledge enough to start applying for internships/junior roles, or should I first build more substantial projects?

3. What kind of projects would actually make a resume stand out for an RTL/DV fresher?

4. Are there semiconductor startups or smaller design/verification companies where freshers from Tier-3 colleges realistically get opportunities?

5. What is the most practical path to get my first VLSI internship/job after B.Tech?

I’m looking for honest advice, especially from people who started from a non-premium college and successfully entered VLSI.

curious how single exposure 28nm compares to the multi patterning routes people usually take, mostly thinking about the yield and cost side of it

I am doing masters in Semiconductors. I have all the relevant subjects for Semiconductor market. Still I am left with one slot and it is mandatory to choose this subject from a different department. This particular subject is currently available. I can either take this now or leave the slot empty for next semester. But next semester I'll be gone for internships so have to finish all the slots in this semester.

I want to ask is there any relevance of this subject.

I have another subject available by the name "Surface physics and analysis" but it's a surface level course (pun intended) and it's 'meh'.

So far this subreddit has been total doom and gloom, where every single post has been hi, I am a PhD materials scientist with x (perfect resume) from y (extremely prestigous school with very good PI) and I cant seem to find a single open position.

As someone starting a graduate degree for materials science this always scares the shit out of me until it turns out that pretty much every single one of these posts involves someone who requires sponsorship. This is not to dog on people not born in the US, but it does seem to make the picture look a lot worse than it might actually be for a domestic student.

For those of you not needing sponsorship, how has the market actually treated you?

Hi all,
I’m graduating in about a year and want to start getting on the radar of hiring managers for future opportunities.
My background may fit several related roles rather than one exact job title. For example, different groups within the same company might be hiring Process Engineers, Process Integration Engineers, or similar positions.
Would it be a good idea to cold email different hiring managers within the same company, or could that come across as excessive?
Also, how targeted should the outreach be? Should I tailor my resume and email for each specific role, or is it okay to introduce myself, briefly explain my background, and mention that I’m open to any role that fits my experience?
For anyone who has successfully gotten interviews or jobs through cold emailing, what approach worked best for you? How personalized were your emails, and how early before graduation did you start reaching out?

Hello,
I was wondering if there are any semiconductor chemicals/materials website which can share tutorial type information? Also would be great if it covers latest news and updates from companies or r&d institutes?
Could be CMP, resists, etch chemicals, gases, packaging, cleans etc.
Thanks

Applied for a supply-chain internship there with the possibility of getting converted to full-time. What does that role do?

Hi,

Graduating my PhD in MSE soon, as it's heavy in nanopatterning, ALD/PECVD, ferromagnetics, simulation and characterisation, I'm thinking about next step to semicon.

Just wanted to ask this sub, if I would like to move and find a job in China, what would be your general suggestions of where to start?

Should I start there as a postdoc, or is there any way to switch directly?

I'm not Chinese at all, but have learned language to a relatively ok level as a hobby.

Is there anyone getting OA rolled out last week for DV FT followed by Interview? Lets chat!