My journey at TSMC as a summer intern
Company Background
TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) is the world's leading contract chip manufacturer, pioneering the "pure-play foundry" model, making advanced processors for tech giants like Apple, Nvidia, and AMD, powering everything from smartphones to AI systems.
❇️ Project Goal
Enhance the dispatch reporting interface used in the photolithography (yellow light) process.
❇️ Methods I choose
Interviews, surveys, and Kansei Engineering (qualitative analysis)
❇️ Project Duration
1 month
💥 Pain Points
- Error alerts or extreme conditions were not easily noticeable → resulting in inaccurate workload estimation for each machine → reduced efficiency and increased errors
- No clear communication channel between the interface development team and engineers; the outdated report interface caused long-term cognitive overload for employees
- Various reports were not prioritized by user needs in terms of layout, nor did they follow WCAG or readability-focused typography guidelines
🤔 Constraints
- Short project timeline
- Solo execution
- Limited interview opportunities
💡 My Approach
❇️ Selected research methods suitable for the actual workflow
❇️ Used data analysis to synthesize and converge insights
❇️ Provided quantitative evidence to strengthen persuasiveness
🍀 Reflections
✨Preserved the core logic of the original system
✨Applied effective and proven methods
✨Communicated across departments
✨Asked proactively and clarified uncertainties
✨Stayed focused on task goals
During this summer internship, I am especially grateful for the support and trust of my supervisor, Rui-Pei Ｗang. At the TSMC Southern Taiwan Science Park F15b fab, I met many engineers and gained a deeper understanding of how countless “small screws” work together to accomplish highly complex tasks within the semiconductor industry.
Large companies often focus on interfaces designed for the general public, while overlooking the cognitive burden created by the internal interfaces employees rely on—leading to reduced work efficiency. Through this internship, I developed a much clearer understanding of the various reporting systems used in semiconductor manufacturing and how they communicate only the most precise and essential information.
