Semiconductor Technician's Bad Night - Mistakes Happen

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    Semiconductor
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the experiences of technicians in the semiconductor industry, focusing on mistakes made during technical operations and the emotional impact of such errors. Participants share personal anecdotes of mishaps, reflecting on the challenges of maintaining focus and the consequences of inattention in high-stakes environments.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant recounts a significant error involving a UV laser and a power meter, resulting in damage to an expensive lens due to a moment of inattention.
  • Another participant shares their struggle with multitasking, noting that focusing too narrowly can lead to accidents and mistakes.
  • A different participant describes a mishap in a machine shop where they overshot the depth on a reaming task, ruining a batch of parts.
  • One participant corrects their earlier estimate of the lens cost, revealing it was $7500, and discusses another incident involving a miscommunication about an experiment that could have had severe consequences.
  • Another participant reflects on the nature of mistakes, suggesting that while they are often seen as learning opportunities, the emotional toll can be significant.
  • A humorous anecdote is shared about a past incident where a participant shorted out an entire hospital, highlighting the serious implications of technical errors.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that mistakes are a common part of technical work and can lead to significant stress. However, there is no consensus on how best to cope with or learn from these mistakes, as experiences and emotional responses vary widely.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the emotional and professional challenges faced by technicians, including the pressure of high-stakes environments and the potential for costly errors. Specific details about the technical processes and the implications of the mistakes remain unresolved.

Who May Find This Useful

Technicians, engineers, and professionals in high-stakes technical fields may find this discussion relevant, particularly those interested in the psychological aspects of error management and the shared experiences of their peers.

Integral
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ARGH! Bad night!

Just a few minutes of inattention. I neglected to remove a rubber/plastic cover from a power meter, the meter was then placed in the beam path of a 7W UV laser, the melting plastic deposited on the nearby lens, toasting the coating, trashing the ~12K$ lens! I don't like making little mistakes, big ones haunt me for weeks.

Such is the life of a technician in the semiconductor industry. If are working you WILL f*ck up sometimes. I hate it when it happens.
 
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Sorry to hear about that, Integral.
Speaking of inattention, a problem I've long had is being focused too much on only one thing and not noticing the house is falling down (or that I’m about to walk into a sharp object). I've never been a good 'multitasker' on account of that. My attempts to run several operations simultaneously usually results in disaster…

Well, I hope you didn’t catch too much hell for that mistake.
Were you addressing your duties as mentor at PF at the time it happened? (ouch)
 
Once, in a machine shop, I was doing the last operation on some very intricate parts that had been milled on the CNC. All I had to do was ream a hole to size on the drill press. I got the correct reamer and whipped through the task. Turns out there was a specific depth they were supposed to be reamed to. I had overshot it on every one and ruined the whole run of fifty odd parts. I wasn't in the mood to ask what this cost.
 
Actually I was off on the cost of the lens, it was "only" $7500, gee I feel a lot better now!

That was not the only disaster for the night, I was helping an engineer do an experiment on a wet bench, I was supposed to let 50 wafers set in a bath for 2 hrs. I missed that email, I knew he wanted them in the bath, but I thought he wanted them left till they disolved, fortunately he never found out about my error, Unfortuanely the acid tank errored out and dumped his experiment down the drain. Not caused by anything I did but I am still eating at myself for screwing up the times, that would have trashed the experiment. I do not find any pleasure in mistakes what go unnoticed.
 
Sorry to hear that integral, times like these are messed up...But we all make mistakes so we can learn not to make them again. But then again, if I screwed up and I remind myself that mistakes are made to be learned from, it doesn't make any sense...Sorry about the sh*t man
 
Originally posted by Integral
Actually I was off on the cost of the lens, it was "only" $7500, gee I feel a lot better now!

That was not the only disaster for the night, I was helping an engineer do an experiment on a wet bench, I was supposed to let 50 wafers set in a bath for 2 hrs. I missed that email, I knew he wanted them in the bath, but I thought he wanted them left till they disolved, fortunately he never found out about my error, Unfortuanely the acid tank errored out and dumped his experiment down the drain. Not caused by anything I did but I am still eating at myself for screwing up the times, that would have trashed the experiment. I do not find any pleasure in mistakes what go unnoticed.

LOL! I hate days like that.
Many years ago I shorted out an entire hospital.
Boy was I popular...esp with the doctors!