Knowledge creation and diffusion in the semiconductor industry
Appleyard, Melissa McComb; PhD
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY, 1997
ECONOMICS, GENERAL (0501); ECONOMICS, COMMERCE-BUSINESS (0505); BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT (0454)
Innovation propagated through improvements to physical capital, human capital,
and production
processes, is vital to the long-run competitiveness of the firm and the country.
Few studies in the
economics literature have attempted to understand mechanisms of innovation in
an industry context,
and this dissertation fills this void by dissecting the process of innovation
in a technology-intensive
industry. This research examines the tensions and challenges surrounding the
creation and diffusion of
knowledge in the semiconductor industry. What emerges is an intricate system
of technological change
that links innovators both within companies and between companies. Firms in
the semiconductor
industry face a tremendous amount of technological uncertainty, which requires
them to hone their ability
to transfer knowledge both within their boundaries and with the outside world.
This dissertation presents
a framework for modeling the willingness of an innovating firm to share its
knowledge. Using this
framework as a departure point, this research analyzes how firms coordinate
their internal resources
during new process introduction and cooperate with other firms to determine
the evolution of process
and equipment technologies. Long-term success in this industry requires that
firms rapidly and efficiently
introduce new production processes dictated by a technology roadmap and implemented
through a
well-orchestrated system that coordinates resources across development and manufacturing
operations.
Complementing their internal systems, semiconductor firms also create interfirm
systems of knowledge
sharing. Horizontal ties to other semiconductor producers allow them to reinforce
their understanding of
process technology. Survey data presented in this dissertation provide empirical
evidence that frequent
exchange of technical knowledge occurs between semiconductor firms in both the
United States and
Japan. In addition, vertical ties linking semiconductor producers with their
equipment suppliers help
advance the processing capabilities of capital equipment. As modeled in this
dissertation,
co-development projects between semiconductor producers and their equipment
suppliers contribute
to knowledge accumulation at suppliers, which bolsters the technological capabilities
of the industry. An
understanding of these internal and external knowledge sharing mechanisms afforded
by this
dissertation permits innovators to heighten their rate of technology development
and guides public
policy makers in the construction of institutional environments that facilitate
economic growth.
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