Semiconductors can be a hard industry to understand, especially for investors without a technical background. Here are a few of the books that really helped me understand semiconductors better. In order of approachability - a 🧵
1/ In the beginning there was Fairchild. I think that is the best way to start. Makers of the Microchip by Christophe Lécuyer is the best book to begin with IMO.
2/ Fairchild of course birthed Intel - which is where "The Intel Trinity" by Michael Malone transition well into. Intel of course is *the company* in semiconductor history and this was one of the better books I read about this topic.
3/ After Intel I think it's worth looking at it's Texas neighbor - Texas Instruments. "Engineering the World - Stories from the first 75 years by Caleb Pirtile" did the best job at covering TI's long and storied history IMO.
4/ After TI - I think it's fair to start to look East. The book that is frustratingly academic but filled with information is "Tiger Technology by John Matthews & Dong-Sung Cho" Filled with amazing information about the histories of Taiwanese & Korean semi industries
5/ Now I think it's time to get a bit more specific. In particular I think it's time to read Fabless by @DanielNenni / @paulmclellan Fabless IMO is one of the best books of the bunch, and the last chapter's predictions hold up shockingly well.
@DanielNenni @paulmclellan 6/ This is where the reading track is starting to fall apart IMO. I'm going to recommend a book if you can get your hands on it called "Information for Everyone: The Applied Materials Story" This is a pretty good history book on Applied and one of the few I've found.
7/ Given how hot Automotive is right now - I really liked Sensors in Automotive by @junkoyoshida It's just a really easy to read no-jargon series of interviews that really brought me up to speed on automotive sensors
@junkoyoshida 8/ 400 level classes begin now! I can't pretend like I understood everything - but I did benefit massively from comprehending ~30% of these books. Computer Architecture: A Quantitative Approach The most recent editions foreword blew my mind and started me down the rabbit hole
@junkoyoshida 9/ Semiconductor Packaging: Materials Interaction and Reliability This book is really good for an overview of all the basic packaging types and pros and cons. In a world of flipchip / ball bonding / tcb / and a lot more this one was crucial. I prob need to reread
@junkoyoshida 10/ I wrote my lithography primer of ASML after I read this book. It pretty much taught me a lot about litho from the DUV era + coating / spin process steps. Fundamental Principles of Optical Lithography: The Science of Microfabrication
@junkoyoshida 11/ HONORABLE MENTIONS! Some of these I know will be good - some I am in the midst of reading - some are only slightly relevant. (In midst of reading) Handbook of Silicon Semiconductor Metrology
12/ just a good book anyone with an interest in tech and investing should read Technological Revolutions and Financial Capital
13/ The Big Score: The Billion Dollar Story of Silicon Valley To read but Malone was up earlier on the list
14/ Chip War: The Fight for the World's Most Critical Technology I finally got to reading this book, and this actually is the best general primer in existence haha.
15/ The Soul of a New Machine - Tracy Kidder Pretty much how a new machine was spun up before I think CPUs even existed, and in some ways is likely similar to how they are done today (but just 1000x more complex and demanding). Making a new machine is an art, and this is the
@_fabknowledge_ this is why twitter sucks...if this was reddit this would be pinned somewhere
@jordanschnyc Pinned for you
@_fabknowledge_ If you had to pick one, which would it be? I unfortunately don’t have the time to read 9 books about semiconductors, but i do want a better grasp on it!
@TechnologyPat what do you want to learn about! I really liked fabless the most. if you're history oriented I think intel trinity
@_fabknowledge_ The part about a scheduled Bloomberg interview being bearish didn't make sense to me, because I think this happens every quarter.
@dreverts Wrong post but it’s just pure speculation lmao
@_fabknowledge_ Any thoughts about the relatively recent Huawei Book?
@jeffmreyes No I’ll read
@_fabknowledge_ No chips and change? Chips and Change: How Crisis Reshapes the Semiconductor Industry (MIT Press) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0262...
@Green_Analyst I read the book and it’s okay… there’s a lot that didn’t go into this thread.
@_fabknowledge_ Love the post. Could you recommend beginner texts for chip design yoo?
@_fabknowledge_ Hey @_fabknowledge_ have you heard / seen recent developments of 4DS, a small Aussie startup with a lab in Calif? Just done some great work validating their tech…worth a look.
@jameslechte have not
@_fabknowledge_ @witeken Does Tiger Technology cover Japan as well?
@ChipsSaas @witeken forgot - but yes :)