First silicon is an important milestone in semiconductor development, but it is not the end of the engineering process. In many ways, it marks the beginning of a new phase: turning a working design into a reliable, scalable, and manufacturable product.

In my latest article, “1st Silicon Begins the Productization Learning Cycle,” published in Electronics Product Design & Test (EPDT), I look at what happens after first silicon arrives and how engineering priorities evolve as a semiconductor moves toward high volume manufacturing.