The manufacturing strategy of the semiconductor
industry stands out by frequent changes of the
manufacturing technology and a high production
utilization of 90-95%. The frequent technology changes
are mandatory to meet the demanding performance and
cost requirements of their biggest customer group, which
— according to the German Electrical and Electronic
Manufacturers' Association — include the data
processing (42%) and telecommunication industry
(22%) [16]. On average, the number of transistors per
chip has doubled every 24 months over the last 40 years.
It is expected that constant innovation in chip
manufacturing will uphold short technology life cycles
[17]. In addition, a high capacity utilization is made
necessary by the high investment cost and the fierce cost
competition in the semiconductor market.