The US and Japan semiconductor industries announce agreement on “emergency measures” needed to provide greater access to Japan’s chip market.


Nearly 200 technologist gather in Dallas, Texas for semiconductor industry technology workshop designed to produce a roadmap for the nation’s semiconductor research needs for the next fifteen years. By creating a consistent vision for semiconductor research, the aim is to more effectively leverage industry and government funding in a united effort to remain at the forefront of semiconductor and semiconductor manufacturing technology. This National Technology Roadmap is the precursor to today’s international roadmap.


The SIA’s $3.7 million epidemiologic study of worker health in the semiconductor industry is completed. Based on the study results, the industry announces a four-part action plan, including the phasing out of certain glycol-ethers used in manufacturing chips, to ensure a safer worker place for industry employees.


SEMATECH successfully gains passage of US government legislation earmarking $10 million dollars for research into environmentally sound semiconductor manufacturing processes.


1993 SIA introduces market surveys in specialized areas such as microprocessors and field programmable logic.


Through efforts led by the SIA, the US semiconductor industry regains number one position, overtaking Japan in worldwide chip sales. At its lowest point, the US had fallen 14 percentage points behind Japan. The SIA efforts to stop dumping, open the Japan market, and improve manufacturing competitiveness, coupled with US companies’ success in the fast-growing microprocessor market, is credited for the comeback.


Japan and the US announce that foreign semiconductor manufactures achieved a 22.2 percent share of Japan’s chip market in the fourth quarter of 1992, in accordance with the US-Japan semiconductor trade pact.


SEMATECH announces achievement of a primary technical goal: demonstrating 0.35 micron


manufacturing capability on all American-made equipment. The accomplishment places US semiconductor companies on the leading edge of the effort to develop 0.35 micron integrated circuits.


SRC and SEMATECH activities are aligned with the mission and direction of the SIA Technology Workshop Conclusions.


1994 A joint news conference is held with SIA executives, Vice President Al Gore, Commerce Secretary Ron Brown, Energy Secretary Hazel O’Leary and other high ranking administration officials to announce an expanded public-private partnership to bolster US leadership in technology.


The SIA and its worldwide partners conduct the first-ever world semiconductor summit on worker safety, health and the environment held in Brussels, Belgium. All participants pledge to share information and practices leading to more environmentally beneficial manufacturing processes.


The US Department of Labor names the semiconductor industry as America’s second safest, reflecting a dramatic reduction in work-related injury- and illness-incident rates for domestic semiconductor workers.


The SIA succeeds in achieving Congressional approval of the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations that establishes the World Trade Organization (WTO), lowers semiconductor tariffs, strengthens intellectual property protection and maintains effective anti-dumping provisions.


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