Samsung to hire 300 fab engineers in Texas

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Samsung Austin Semiconductor will hire 300 engineers and technicians in the first six months of 2011 as part of the $3.6-billion expansion of the semiconductor's plant.

"In 2010, we hired more than 600 employees as part of the current expansion, bringing total employment to approximately 1,700," said Charmaine Winters, senior human resources manager at Samsung Austin Semiconductor, in a statement.

Samsung is actively seeking experienced and entry-level process and equipment engineers and technicians. Engineers must have an engineering degree or a degree in a like science such as chemistry or physics. For upper-level engineering positions, experience working in semiconductor-related fields is preferred. Technicians should have an associate's degree in a technical field or experience in a related industry.

Amid a major capital spending program, South Korea's Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. last year moved too expand the capacity of its 300-mm fab in Austin, Texas with a $3.6 billion investment.

At the same time, Samsung has opened an R&D center in Austin. The expanded fab will now produce logic devices for Samsung's System LSI business. Previously, the Austin plant only made NAND flash memory chips. The production of those chips will continue.

Most of the production is geared for one foundry customer-Apple Inc., sources said.