How Applied Materials Became America's Biggest Semiconductor Equipment Maker

Applied Materials is America's biggest semiconductor equipment manufacturer. They are a R&D leader and without the work they do, we would not have the sophisticated chips we have today.
Just as the number of foundries capable of fabbing at the leading edge is shrinking, the set of potential manufacturers capable of making leading edge chip making tools is shrinking too. The two or three who are left are some of the very best in the business.
In this video, we will continue our exploration of the chip making supply chain and do a deep dive into this unheralded but vital company.
Errata:
17:08 - It says Samsung on both pie charts, but the one on the right should say "Intel", not "Samsung". Fail whale.
Links:
- The Asianometry Newsletter: asianometry.com
- Patreon: / asianometry

[@Asianometry]

I hope you enjoyed the video. Consider subscribing. Check out other company profile videos: kzbin.info/aero/PLKtxx9TnH76Qod2z94xcDNV95_ItzIM-S

[@AndrewMellor-darkphoton]

hi

[@manojramesh4598]

Make videos in space research organisation like NASA, ISRO, JAXA, SAPCEX....etc

[@donaldharlan3981]

Did you know that both TSMC and Samsung are American companies? They're both owned by an American, he lives in Los Angeles. 🤯

[@AndrewMellor-darkphoton]

@@donaldharlan3981 Samsung is not owned by one guy in the usa

[@donaldharlan3981]

@@AndrewMellor-darkphoton Just the most valuable parts. There is a lot of fake media about heir children, who claim more of Samsung than belongs to them. Sorry about Papa, but I am seeing greed and ambition from Samsung now. Lots of illegal activity by Samsung in the USA. My apologies to those hardworking people at Samsung

[@dougabugg]

"Let me pause and explain what Chemical Vapor Deposition actually is" I love when you review the technical alongside the economic/financial! I've read about a lot of tech topics, but its mostly been rough overviews on wikipedia, and there's always some key technical aspect that I gloss over that has a huge impact on the economics that I fail to grasp.

[@endurachadgaming]

I just started working for Applied Materials early this year, great company, good video. I work in Physical Vapor Deposition or PVD as an engineer.

[@rubiaragagon7722]

Hi. I work PDC myself on SEM’s

[@AS-rt4xz]

@@rubiaragagon7722 lol me too

[@christophercain7343]

Hey me too

[@endurachadgaming]

Lol it just goes ro show how small the world really is, enjoying the work with AMAT everyone?

[@christophercain7343]

@@endurachadgaming yeah it’s pretty good, what region do you work in?

[@excitedbox5705]

I would love to see a video on the little no name chip makers of the industry. There are many small companies making old discrete chips, capacitors, resistors, diodes, and mosfets who operate on razor thin margins and profit based on quantity over quality. Most people don't even realize these companies exist even though they play a highly important role in the industry and the world in general.

[@sreekrishnanmuralitharan520]

The ones you are speaking about are jsc integral in belarus, mikron of Russia and tower semiconductor of Israel. I agree. I would love to see more videos on these companies

[@rob-taiwan_is_a_country_]

Some of the no names are, Seagate MN, Skywater MN, EMD NJ, Headway CA. Very small companies.

[@sreekrishnanmuralitharan520]

@@rob-taiwan_is_a_country_ damn I didnt know that there were smaller ones. But these firms if I'm not mistaken make chips for analog electronic devices right?

[@excitedbox5705]

@@rob-taiwan_is_a_country_ I wouldn't call Seagate a no name company. Same with Skywater. There are so many companies producing things like those discrete transistors or passives like resistors and caps, that literally nobody outside of Hot Chips would ever know. Moors Law is dead just claimed TSMC is 30% of the semiconductor industry but each PC has maybe 3-4 chips produced by them and 100s-1000s of those little 3 pin transistors, pmics, optocuplers, opamps, etc. An example: Micro Commercial Components Micro Commercial Components is a manufacturer of high-quality discrete semiconductors to the consumer markets. MCC's products include diodes, rectifiers, transistors, MOSFETs, voltage regulators and protection devices. I work with a company that makes sensors for all of Germany's trains. They measure the wobble in the axle on every single train car in the ICE. Each sensor is as big as a tictac and costs over $1k. There are companies that produce connectors, data bus chips, cables, lenses, ASML has 8000 suppliers for an EUV machine and only a handful people have heard about.

[@rob-taiwan_is_a_country_]

@@excitedbox5705 no disrespect to Seagate or Skywater.

[@Gray-Today]

I worked for the Perkin-Elmer Microlithography Division as a Design Engineer for 10 years during the 80s. It was the most satisfying period of my 40 year career. This vid brings back memories of a happy time for me. You guys need any help, talk to me.

[@Gameboygenius]

Watching Asianometry is like solving a jigsaw puzzle. For every video, you find out where one piece fits with another piece.

[@frontspring1]

Exoskeleton

[@thomas.02]

the Asianometry cinematic universe heh

[@gatoloco1873]

I love how this is one of the few channels that talking about semiconductor industry. The another channels just talking about more superficial things like big tech software companys, and almost no one think about what is actually truly important, The semiconductors.

[@circuitboardsushi]

I work in a fab and it is so nice to find your videos clearly explaining how the semiconductor industry works.

[@IverJ]

I started working for Varian Semiconductor Equipment in 2007, which was bought by AMAT around 2011. I am a senior engineering tech at AMAT/Varian SE in Gloucester, MA, and work mainly on the High Current Trident (XP2) implanters. Great job on the video. Very interesting to see so much of the history of the company and the industry as a whole. Cheers.

[@odaialzrigat]

Wow! what a great content! Looking forward for your content on LAM research and KLA

[@cedarjason5517]

Jim Morgan and Michael A McNeilLy two legendary celebrities show you the differential importance of operation director and principal eng'r, great video for all the semi man!

[@andersjjensen]

Oh yeah! Keep them coming John! I want to know everything about this industry, and you're a top dollar educator on the subject! :D

[@RunTheNumbers]

Another fantastic video! I start at ASML tomorrow morning, your videos helped me to get the job. Keep up the great work!

[@flybekvc]

Good luck!

[@ArpanMukhopadhyay93]

Wow! Cool

[@soorajjp1847]

Need a comparison video between ASML, Applied & LAM

[@rob-taiwan_is_a_country_]

You cant really compare ASML to Applied Materials. Completely different equipment. They don’t compete. ASML is photo imaging and Applied is basically everything else.

[@siliconvalleyengineer5875]

Here is a real comparison. LAM's purchasing department (buyers) do not ask for or except under the table pay off's from suppliers like AMAT's corrupt purchasing buyers do.

[@pesto50]

Would be great to hear how ASM/LAM fits into the equipment market alongside TEL/Applied. Also would be really cool to see the equipment provider breakdown for the biggest Fabs. For example, what share of TSMC equipment is from each equipment provider?

[@odaialzrigat]

Would be a great video!

[@excitedbox5705]

True, but that info would be very hard to get. I guess you could calculate it based on sales figures and from stock reports but more than a rough estimate will be impossible.

[@valopf7866]

Whats ASM?

[@odaialzrigat]

@@valopf7866 he meant ASML

[@valopf7866]

@@odaialzrigatAh okay, thanks!

[@UNVIRUSLETALE]

11:40 isn't that a Pentagon rather than an hexagon? Other than that amazing videos

[@reehji]

Applied is everywhere along with ASML and LAM and KLA in a semiconductor fab. Their machines sometimes require onsite engineers in our fab (or the one i used to work in). They make a lot of things such as CVD, PVD as well as etchers. Our equipment engineers sometimes could not fix their machines and we have to: 1. either hire someone who had worked for applied. 2. hire an onsite engineer who just sits around for the most part.

[@davidkras7160]

Company rep is a plum job. Until the market turns.

[@JJRicks]

I've only ever been in Intel fabs but this sounds like Intel, haha

[@jparniawski]

Sounds about right to me! (Source : I work for AMAT)

[@AS-rt4xz]

Lol #2 not possible if you work on legacies 😅

[@jakeoswald8017]

@@JJRicksI don’t work at Intel, but I work in the Hillsboro area as a supplier. It’s crazy to see how many satellite buildings there are for KLA, AM, ASML, IMS that are just there for service techs to be on site at Intel.

[@gameon5502]

Thanks John ! Your channel amd videos are really full of knowledge with all histrry and future. Keep it flowing.

[@sith4923]

I'm an operator for the Metal area of our fab and I'm surrounded by the AMAT Enduras that I load/unload and run quals for daily. I'm glad to have stumbled across your channel and for providing an in-depth perspective into an industry I'm not familiar with but am slowly absorbing.

[@demonic.lionfish]

You working with Endura Barriers? I'm in wet and plasma etch at the facility I'm in but I've got some buddies who are shackled to the Enduras and it's a love hate relationship to operate those from what I hear from them.

[@sebastiendine4834]

Great video as usual! Please do the same for Lam Research Corp. !!!

[@emilydrinkswater]

As someone signing on at a company that produces all their equipment- I’m stoked. Thanks for making this!

[@jwbowen]

I'd love to see a video on manufacturing silicon crystals for SC production

[@kelamulenga9164]

Same here.

[@johntitor7600]

They have plenty of videos on that on KZbin. Just type that in the search bar.

[@0277242420]

I deeply appreciate your style of explaining in-depth information. Its like listening to an audio Wikipedia to be honest. I would wish to see you publishing videos on different topics too.

[@pf2611]

Nearly 100k. I remember you were at 10k. Congrats when you inevitably get it :)

[@jasonw8124]

Awesome video! I used to work on the 8300, P-5000, Centura and Endura. Spent many years in fabs!

[@wigglyk2796]

Can you make a video on Lam research as well? It's a very interesting company.

[@Dr_Kens]

LAM is doing a lot of interesting work in selective atomic later deposition and selective atomic layer etching. From my experience, compared to AMAT, LAM is the more interesting of the two. TEL has since interesting tools, especially their NT333's that dov spacial ALD by rotating a large quartz disk with wafers in pockets.

[@vend6276]

Superb content!!! If you can keep this non technical person engaged the way you do you are doing a phenomenal job. I don't have the expertise or knowledge to suggest any topics of interest, but you seem to have a knack for choosing the right content be it nuts and bolts of semi-conductor business or topics on southeast asia. 👏👏

[@gabrielayan9251]

High-quality videos! Thank you for sharing this with us! Very grateful!

[@Flyingmachines350]

Very insightful video! I wish I had this background info growing up.

[@5555amba]

the video is very informative as always! I love listening to your video while getting ready in the morning. If I could suggest just one thing to improve your content, it's the audio level. I always have to max out my phone speaker to hear your video.

[@christechtime4297]

Fascinating! I sure have been enjoying your content! Thanks so much!

[@Mark-sl8xs]

I know I'm late but gotta give props where they're do. Another absolute banger @asianometry! Thankful for the amazing content

[@brettryan3298]

Thank you. Learned a lot about this company and I didn't know that it was so big.

[@theWaltVegas]

One note: A major advantage of CVD is the lower thermal budget. Thermal oxidation requires 1100 C. You can't do that after metallization. CVD provides a lower temperature process for depositing dielectric layers.

[@blainn7788]

hey bro. even though your presentations are quite dry, i still keep coming back to them. i don't know what to suggest as you seem very technical, but i really like the history aspects of things. i especially like when you given clear diagrams of said spoken equipment. anyway cheers keep up the good work

[@johnrobertson2520]

Thank you so much for producing these exceptional videos

[@HereGoesKevin]

I work in the semiconducting industry, it's not easy! I actually didn't know what semiconducting really is until I watch this video, you learn something new everyday!

[@tuannguyen-cuocsongmytexas6048]

There are two field on semiconductor : Equipment and Process which would you want to work ?

[@JamesWattMusic]

FINALLY gonna be one of your best videos!

[@nzoomed]

You need to do a video on the small New Zealand company called Buckley Systems that makes these electromagnets for all the chip companies!

[@youxkio]

Enlightning! Thank you and greetings from Kaohsiung.

[@dwchen1]

Next episode will be LAM Research founded by David K. Lam. Applied Materials competitor.

[@JamesWattMusic]

prove its next

[@jimseah8974]

no worries, any stock that moves will go up...no need work...most pple are millionaires ...buy buy

[@youdodat2]

Some of the best stuff on KZbin

[@helmutzollner5496]

Great info! Thank you.

[@hilmiyigit2714]

Thanks for valuable insight on this very specific area.

[@apidas]

this is the most valuable channel on youtube

[@pdsnpsnldlqnop3330]

Never heard of them!!! So thanks a lot.

[@luisfuentes5405]

Exciting company! Excited to join them as a process support engineer next year !

[@jamesocker5235]

Worked on AMAT, Lam and Tel dry etchers in same fab, 12” and older 8” tools. Was very fun

[@randomsample6144]

Thank you so much for your content and this video. Would it be possible to and as a request to also cover the semiconductor metrology and inspection processes including players like KLA. I am a huge fan of your channel and thank you for all the work you do here.

[@ahdoah]

Applied Materials just as big as ASML

[@tommysalami6301]

FYI, no one in the chip industry calls them Applied. Most insiders refer to them as AMAT.

[@bodhidharma9363]

not true, I never heard anyone say 'AMAT' always 'Applied'

[@randyh5465]

@Tommy Salami, Yes you are correct, most fab/cleanroom people call Applied as AMAT. I made my career in semiconductor for over 35yrs. Started in 80 in silicon valley. I have been to AMAT facilities many times on Bowers ave. Santa Clara.

[@wongth8689]

Yes you are correct, unless you have worked with them indrectly or directly, Applied is usually does called as AMAT.

[@Knight_Kin]

AMAT is the stock ticker, i've never heard anyone call it that. That must be insider only terms.

[@demonic.lionfish]

@@Knight_Kin fab employee here: we only call em AMAT

[@SBAzulay]

Very interesting report and Professional presentation ☑️

[@saretgnasoh7351]

I really admire your knowledge

[@ChaosStar16]

I work at the Oak Hill Fab is Austin and will be looking for that tool when I go back into work

[@penmax5137]

Great video on AMAT!

[@alexanderphilip1809]

Obligatory comment for the Algorithm. Come on people let this man hit a 100k before this month ends. We owe him more than a million subs for making videos on subjects varying from macroeconomics, economic history to the minutiae of semiconductor industry and its history in east amd south east asia. topics that interact with each other in ways that cant be explained by your avg youtube edu content creators. Cheers in advance for hitting a 100k.

[@musafawundu6718]

Hello, Asianometry. Will you in the future do a feature on Chinese IC chip and semiconductor manufacturing equipment makers such as Naura, AMEC, and SMEE?

[@nightowl1on1]

Love your videos

[@boycottnok1466]

I thank god that TEL was not allowed to merge with Applied Materials. Since TEL has now financially become very strong in last 5 years but TEL was weak around early 10s so they favoured the deal. Now TEL will not agree on these type of deal anymore.

[@dave8599]

I used to work on an Applied Materials atmospheric pressure CVD tool, used a conveyor belt to move wafers on a graphite try into the heat zone where SiH4, O2, and PH3 were injected. Air was kept out, and the toxic gasses kept inside by a nitrogen air curtain on either end of the heat zone. You could watch the wafers being deposited by peering down the conveyor belt. the gasses came in from above the wafer trays, and exited below via an exhaust fan. Fun stuff. We ran 70% PH3 in Ar in one process, one whiff will kill yoh!

[@b122717953]

Nice video! Can you do one of these videos for KLA also ?

[@albeit1]

Specialization keeps increasing, as it always has in a maturing industries. But it seems vertical integration is big when things are changing in big and unpredictable ways where total control is essential. Companies don’t always figure which is right way to go.

[@janami-dharmam]

It is also horizontal integration: sequential processes being integrated has quality implications

[@jaysmail]

APPLIED MATERIALS has been an American gem of a company for a long time. We wish them years of success in the future.

[@Kreatorzone]

Informative video

[@ssarkar2996]

This is great and very informative. Could you do one on Lam Research?

[@RS-jh2kl]

Great videos.

[@jimirving3235]

If you want to profile other semi companies I own a tiny piece of, you have my blessing! Thanks for this.

[@MoritzvonSchweinitz]

I'd be interested in a video about more second and third tier semicundoctor companies. Tha companies that make the billions of LEDs, diodes and so on. They are still super hightech companies, but IMHO operate in the shadows. Speaking of which: could anyone explain to me how ICs and super small components like LEDs and diodes are cut from their wavers? I thik I heard "diamond saws" being used, but that sounds rather brute-ish, messy and slow, especially when producing dozens of thousands of units per day?

[@reehji]

that depends. Usually for ICs (at least for high performance ones), your diodes and LEDs are integrated in the circuits. Actually, diodes are super easy to make and not at all complicated. You have zener (surface or buried with a highly concentrated n- dot in a p+ surrounding)/Schottky(thin platinum surface on top of the silicon - n type usually), and any sort of p/n junction. You would then clean the surface and make contacts (coppers or coppers aluminum) for each of the junction. Diodes are LEDs as components dont make much money so most of those companies are operating with thin margin. As for LED, usually it's not a silicon substrate but a GaAs one. These are too niche and I have never worked on them prior. MEMS is another technology that bites the dust due to small margin. When you cut chips from wafers, there are something between chips called "scribelines". These are where you would put test structures to test for each wafer after fab out (scan for defects probably). They are isolating the whole chip with full metal/contacts from top to bottom at a certain width. Designers are not supposed to design super close to it either. After that, yes you just saw them out :) Disclaimer: these are mostly my experience from being a process development/device engineer in an analog semi company not named...TI

[@janami-dharmam]

@@reehji The chips are broken off along the scribe lines: just like a glass sheet is cut. Because the substrate is a single crystal, you need to make sure that you scribe along a crystal plane. Diamond saws are useful while making the wafer from the block. That is the reason bigger size wafers are more popular. You waste considerable material (equivalent to the thickness of the saw + polishing losses).

[@imeakdo7]

Lasers are used to scribe the wafers and then they are cut by inflating the tape that support them

[@sepolopez6706]

Good video. In this sector the best company is undoubtedly ASML.

[@dylangoran7337]

finally a channel on electrical engineering

[@rajdeep7124]

Thanks for the information, can you also compare Lam research?

[@kevinbrown7830]

Thanks for your valuable information. I just wanted to know how we can have your consultation regarding setting up a small fab for university?

[@rdiznfriends]

you make some of the best videos on youtube. really great stuff man

[@a.r.5779]

Excelent!!

[@wekker090]

I was in South Korea @ doing install @ hynix when the hole espionage crap with applied came to air... man it was hard to get you test equipment and laptops in and out after that. But always worked well with the crew af all machine manufactures including applied.

[@kelamulenga9164]

What's the story behind Hynix and espionage? Can you share?

[@wekker090]

@@kelamulenga9164 look up 2010 scandal south korea , applied materials, hynix , samsung.

[@robertromero5528]

I work for AMAT. I love your content. Actually, this video inspired me to apply at AMAT. Thank you. The company has sent me to Taiwan for training. If I am blessed with an opportunity to go back to your beautiful country again, I’d love to grab some coffee with you. Could you report on the Raptor/Sculpta system we have developed? I would appreciate your thoughts on it. I love your channel. It keeps me passionate about my job. Thank you.

[@lilacswithtea]

I grew up near the freescale in Austin but I didn't realize they were cool enough to have a ***Precision 5000***! 😱

[@demonic.lionfish]

Can you do one on KLA-Tencor? They're the bane of my existence as a fab employee that started in yield metrology haha

[@karehaqt]

I'd love a TechTechPotato x Asianometry collab at some point.

[@KokoroKatsura]

A N I M E N I M E

[@joela.4058]

do one on Entegris

[@JigilJigil]

Applied Materials is biggest semiconductor equipment maker in the *world* , not just America's.

[@Tappaja-Ahven]

So Applied acquired the Finnish ALD company Picosun. Interesting to see how that will develop.

[@dwchen1]

Next chapter will discuss about the software part of the semiconductor world with company such as Synopsys and Cadence who lead in the front.

[@rob-taiwan_is_a_country_]

Good video

[@richardrisner921]

Could you help us learn about KLA Tencor?

[@RikkiCat09]

In 2000, I visited several chip making equipment manufacturers to adapt their equipment to Renesas' 300mm FAB. Every manufacturer seemed to be fumbling and worried, but AMAT's response was good, so I didn't have any problems. By the way, Brad Mattson (ex VP of AMAT) seems to be a respectable person.

[@chessified_only]

How is the career growths for software support engineer at applied materials?

[@ryanrazer1]

Funny to hear about tools i encounter at work. Now, thanks to you, i know a bit more about them :)

[@drm4857]

thank you

[@ajaibhatnagar8124]

Why no video on KLA ?

[@raylopez99]

@7:54 Three people and all bright white teeth. Not a single discolored or yellow tooth in the bunch. A classic photo opportunity!

[@oidpolar6302]

Please normalize the sound level to the medium as now it's too quiet but ads are too loud

[@Liferoad371]

Screaming.........Great Video

[@dougm275]

Silane looks like wicked stuff

[@UniqueBreakfastTaco]

when it burns, silicon falls from the flame.

[@andymouse]

How come I never hear 'Ion Implanters' mentioned ?....cheers.

[@MahatmaMichael]

User friendliness and communication Improvement - please focus on your breath while speaking - relax and breathe using your belly diaphragm to have strong, confident voice and straighten your back.

[@GewelReal]

"The machine looks like a hexagon" _shows pentagon_

[@douginorlando6260]

Self serving CEOs often from the outside are rewarded with huge financial incentives if they sacrifice the company’s future by cutting R&D. The short term boost in profitability justifies huge bonuses for the CEO as stock price rises. I think of Steve Jobs who was forced out of his own company Apple because he wanted to invest big in software. His foe ended up very rich as he cut R&D and drove Apple to near extinction. Then Jobs returned and turned Apple around.

[@msdesf]

"Dirty disgusting humans were involved ..." 😂 man, you are great!

[@jasonkocher3513]

I wonder if there could be a new Gold rush in 70s and 80s era semiconductor manufacturing just to take up shortages in low end microcontroller and discrete semiconductor parts that are so critical to everyday life. Some of those old concepts are probably more easily doable with today's technology and control electronics, for example in making CVD equipment or controlling gasses with used or refurbished mass flow controllers / vacuum pumps / etc that are pretty low cost these days.