Scratching my head on these two articles from Oregonian

[dant]

What's the big deal importing 300 Israelis families (a special group?) to work for Intel in Oregon?
_http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2011/04/intel_surprises_beaverton_and_hillsboro_schools_with_influx_of_israeli_families_sending_principals_and_teachers_scramb.html

Rehashing Rajaneeshees: the untold story of crimes?
_http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/04/rajneeshees_in_oregon_25_years_after_the_collapse_of_rancho_rajneesh.html

Perhaps these two could be posted on SOTT?

(edit: rephrasing)

 

[rs]

Intel follows a "copy exact" philosophy with their semiconductor FABs. They are extremely anal about it, even the bathrooms are in the same place. When they build a new FAB or upgrade an existing FAB to a new process technology, it is routine for them to temporarily relocate a large number of people to an existing FAB so they get to learn the process and machinery. Since they have this "copy exact" philosophy, the training they receive in one facility is directly relevant to what will happen in the new or refurbished FAB. After the FAB is finished, these people return to their original location and continue almost as if they stepped through a worm hole. Intel does this all the time. It is newsworthy in this case only because it involves a large influx of foreign nationals to a domestic FAB.

 

[dant]

Thanks rs, that is interesting. Sounds mechanical (robotic) to me!
Learned something new!

Dan

 

[rs]

Sounds mechanical (robotic) to me!

Actually, that is *precisely* the point. Intel spends billions of dollars on a FAB, yes, that is with a 'B'. They are quite simply one of the best in the world at manufacturing semiconductors and the intense mechanical methodology behind what they do is responsible.

 

[mcb]

Sounds mechanical (robotic) to me!

Actually, that is *precisely* the point. Intel spends billions of dollars on a FAB, yes, that is with a 'B'. They are quite simply one of the best in the world at manufacturing semiconductors and the intense mechanical methodology behind what they do is responsible.

Yes, what they do works well (ex-employee that I am). DNA replication (not recombination) seems to employ a "copy exact" approach as well, and is reputed to work very well too. If you want a new facility to perform like the prototype, it makes sense to put the bathrooms in the same place. Do the experimenting in the research FAB.

Israel strongly influences Intel from within. I am not saying this is good, bad, or anything else, but it was a fact of life where I worked within the company (design, not manufacturing or process development), and it had both its pros and cons. Always there are issues with cultural differences, and what they are doing in Oregon makes a lot of sense to me.