This video features an in-depth interview with Andy Brawley, a 55-year veteran of the Australian semiconductor industry, chronicling the history of Australia's only commercial wafer fabrication plant. Brawley details his career, which began at AWA Microelectronics in 1967, and follows the facility's evolution through various international owners, including Quality Semiconductor, IDT, and Peregrine Semiconductor.
Throughout this period, the Sydney-based fab was responsible for manufacturing critical components for world-leading Australian innovations like the Cochlear implant and Telectronics pacemakers. It later became a key player in developing and commercializing advanced silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) technology for the global mobile phone market and supplied high-reliability components for defense primes like JPL for the Mars Rover.
The interview culminates with the facility's compulsory acquisition by the NSW Government in 2019 for the Sydney Metro project, an event Brawley describes as a "blunder" that destroyed a unique sovereign capability. He reflects on the risk-averse Australian investment culture compared to the US, the strategic global importance of semiconductors, and the future potential for Australia in niche areas like compound semiconductors.
A 55-Year Journey Through Australia's Semiconductor Industry with Andy Brawley
0:01:03 Early Career and AWA Microelectronics: Andy Brawley recounts starting his career at AWA Microelectronics in 1967. He details the facility's technological progression from 1.25-inch wafers with 20-micron geometries to a state-of-the-art facility at Homebush Bay in 1988, running 6-inch wafers at 1.2-micron technologies.
0:09:53 Pioneering Australian Innovations: The fab was instrumental in producing chips for globally significant Australian medical devices, including the Cochlear implant for 25 years and the first integrated circuit for a Telectronics pacemaker.
0:08:53 A History of Acquisitions: The facility operated under several international owners, each marking a new chapter:
Quality Semiconductor (1996): Acquired the facility but mandated an exit from the medical electronics sector.
IDT: Merged with Quality Semiconductor. The Australian fab proved more cost-efficient than IDT's US-based plants.
Peregrine Semiconductor (2000): Transitioned the fab's focus to advanced silicon-on-sapphire (SOS) technology.
0:23:03 Success in Silicon-on-Sapphire (SOS): The Australian team successfully commercialized SOS technology, which was ideal for RF switches in the burgeoning mobile phone industry. They also developed radiation-hardened products for defense and space applications, including components for the Mars Rover.
0:22:54 The Silanna Era: In 2008, to prevent the fab's closure ahead of Peregrine's IPO, Brawley helped orchestrate its sale, creating Silanna Semiconductor. The new company invested $30 million to develop next-generation technologies like deep UV LEDs using compound semiconductors.
0:45:24 Compulsory Acquisition by Sydney Metro: In October 2019, the NSW Government announced the compulsory acquisition of the site for the Sydney Metro project, giving the company just 18 months to vacate and effectively ending Australia's only commercial wafer fab.
0:53:03 Strategic Importance of Semiconductors: Brawley stresses that semiconductors are the world's most important industry, warning of the geopolitical risks of global reliance on production in Taiwan and China.
0:55:33 The "Factor of Pi" Rule: A key lesson from his career is that any project's initial time and cost estimates should be multiplied by pi (~3.14) to account for unforeseen complexities and challenges.
0:58:18 Contrasting Investment Cultures: He highlights a major difference between business cultures, noting that US investors are willing to fund many high-risk ventures to find one massive success, whereas Australian investors are far more risk-averse, which stifles innovation.
1:05:43 Need for a Sovereign Manufacturing Ecosystem: Brawley argues that Australia must develop a high-technology manufacturing base to create a supportive ecosystem, retain engineering talent, and ensure it isn't just a servant to the rest of the world.
1:11:02 The Future for Australian Semiconductors: He believes Australia's opportunity lies not in commodity chips but in niche, high-value compound semiconductors (e.g., Gallium Nitride) for advanced power devices, amplifiers, and sensors.