History of semiconductor manufacturing in Australia

[vk3yedotcom]

Interesting article here https://www.pearcey.org.au/blog/2020/the-rise-and-fall-of-semiconductor-manufacturing-in-australia/

[julian1]

It's a bit surprising there's no collective interest from universities for a research grade facility, to experiment with low-density processes.
Kind of like the lucas heights breeder reactor, but for semi-conductor research.   

[coppice]

It's a bit surprising there's no collective interest from universities for a research grade facility, to experiment with low-density processes.
Kind of like the lucas heights breeder reactor, but for semi-conductor research.

A number of universities in a number of countries were acquiring semiconductor production facilities in the early 70s, when Australia dropped out of the market. They mostly regretted the acquisitions, as commercial development moved so fast they couldn't keep up financially, even if they were doing leading edge research. Some were lucky, and able to direct the equipment to fine non-semiconductor lithography applications, like SAW research, which was very active at that time.

[VK3DRB]

"National Semiconductor opened a factory in Bayswater, Victoria and began the manufacture of silicon transistors about 1973."

Fairchild had a plant in Bayswater, Victoria in the very early 70's that manufactured some of the old 7400 series of logic gates. That is more significant, because to my knowledge, it was the only solid state IC manufacturing on a commercial scale in this country. Sadly, gone.

The biggest manufacture of discrete semiconductors in Oz, would have to be Bosch in Clayton, Victoria. At one stage a few years ago the world's biggest manufacturer of zener diodes for the automotive industry. I designed a machine to test each of 525 diodes whilst still on their wafer about ten years ago and it is still running today.

[.RC.]

If I recall correctly in one of Dave's videos, Dick Smith says people blame him for the demise of the electronic manufacturing industry in Australia, when from the reality was he was just in the right place at the right time with the right know how and drive, the industry was going to be killed off by the removal of the government protection and he simply procured components from overseas.

If it was not him, someone else would have simply imported the components.  The 1970's saw a lot of removal of Australian manufacturing.   Machine tool makers went out of business, large steel manufacturing, ship building, etc etc etc.  All started their demise in the 1970's.

then the 1980 came and then the "equity maaaaate" "Aussie will save you" 1990's.  And here we are today, which I think all stems back to the government decisions of the early 1970's.

[VK3DRB]

If I recall correctly in one of Dave's videos, Dick Smith says people blame him for the demise of the electronic manufacturing industry in Australia, when from the reality was he was just in the right place at the right time with the right know how and drive, the industry was going to be killed off by the removal of the government protection and he simply procured components from overseas.

If it was not him, someone else would have simply imported the components.  The 1970's saw a lot of removal of Australian manufacturing.   Machine tool makers went out of business, large steel manufacturing, ship building, etc etc etc.  All started their demise in the 1970's.

then the 1980 came and then the "equity maaaaate" "Aussie will save you" 1990's.  And here we are today, which I think all stems back to the government decisions of the early 1970's.

In the 1960's even. The CSIRO wanted funding from the federal government to research semiconductors and help develop an industry here. The government rejected the idea, saying we should stick with what we are good at - valves.  We missed the boat and still miss the boat because of politicians generally know nothing about electronics or basic technology beyond that of a typical 12-year old.

[5U4GB]

There's an interesting video:



arguing that East Germany's attempt to do this in the 1970s and 80s helped bankrupt the country, and a more recent one on Europe as a whole:



Given those failures despite the staggering amounts of money invested, it's unlikely a less-well-resourced country like Australia could have succeeded.

[julian1]

If I recall correctly in one of Dave's videos, Dick Smith says people blame him for the demise of the electronic manufacturing industry in Australia, when from the reality was he was just in the right place at the right time with the right know how and drive, the industry was going to be killed off by the removal of the government protection and he simply procured components from overseas.

If it was not him, someone else would have simply imported the components.  The 1970's saw a lot of removal of Australian manufacturing.   Machine tool makers went out of business, large steel manufacturing, ship building, etc etc etc.  All started their demise in the 1970's.

then the 1980 came and then the "equity maaaaate" "Aussie will save you" 1990's.  And here we are today, which I think all stems back to the government decisions of the early 1970's.

Agree with this. Dick Smith was also limited to the consumer/retail side, and has always been pretty vocal in his support of manufacturing and industry.
"Aussie will save you" was perhaps the most played advertising campaign in the media from an independent loan provider back in the day.
If the exchange rate was allowed to float lower, it would have hit national reputation/prestige.
But perhaps offset the relatively lower manufacturing competitiveness and productiveness of the local economy. 
Other countries in Asia appear know how to manage these things more effectively.


 

[.RC.]

Other countries in Asia appear know how to manage these things more effectively.

You work or you starve to death is a great incentive.