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June 7, 2021

Meet Dr. Mousumi Bhat of Micron: SEMI Southeast Asia’s First Female Regional Advisory Board Member

Micron is a global leader in innovative memory solutions that transform how the world uses information. For over 40 years, the company has been instrumental to the world’s most significant technology advancements, delivering optimal memory and storage systems for a broad range of applications.

I recently spoke with Dr. Mousumi Bhat, senior director of External Manufacturing at Micron Technology, about the company’s role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution, her passion for sustainable business practices, her work driving the transformation of Micron’s manufacturing plant in Singapore, and how she’ll be leveraging her deep industry experience in her new role as the first female member of the SEMI Southeast Asia Regional Advisory Board.  

SEMI: Last year, Micron joined the Global Lighthouse Network. How has Micron done its part to apply the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to drive operational and environmental impact? What measurable improvements has your Singapore plant seen?

Bhat: Micron’s manufacturing approach includes implementing artificial antelligence (AI) tools, smart control systems and predictive maintenance to improve production efficiency and automation. We integrate internet of things (IoT) and analytics platform with AI and machine learning automated diagnostic capabilities to identify anomalies in real time, while providing root cause analysis.

In the process we collect petabytes of in-house manufacturing data from more than 8,000 sources and more than 500 servers around the world. Our data scientists across these manufacturing networks scour this data for insights to develop models for AI and machine learning to improve and enhance factory processes. Some of our notable improvements include:

  • Automation of production and maintenance produced a 4% tool availability improvement.
  • The IIoT-enabled smart factory led to a 22% scrap and product downgrade reduction.
  • Advanced analytics for process optimization with OEMs reduced time to ramp new products by 50%.
  • Deep learning optical-defect detection created a 2% yield improvement.
  • The integrated deviation management platform reduced time to resolve quality issues by 50%.

 

Micron Global Lighthouse Network


Micron Singapore is a member of the Global Lighthouse Network. (Photo Credit: Micron)

 

SEMI: You’ve long been passionate about creating sustainable business practices and truly believe that corporations are perfectly positioned to drive social and economic parity through technological innovations. What initially sparked this passion?

Bhat: My passion in creating sustainable business practices is fueled by the people around me. For instance, my daughter who is a staunch advocate of our planet and animals, continues to inspire me in driving environmental equity, while a recent journey to India with a friend enlightened me on the urgent need to champion for social and economy parity.

For that, I am proud to be part of Micron, which has a deep history in investing in the communities where we live, learn, work and play dating back to our foundation. Back in 1999, Micron created Micron Gives to help our communities by promoting human potential through science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, basic human needs, and equitable opportunities. We believe that STEM education is key to unlocking that world of possibilities. When students make the connection between the power of their mind and the thrill of creating, exploring, working, playing and doing, they realize they can change the world.

SEMI: Is the COVID-19 pandemic playing a role in driving social and economic parity through the innovations it is inspiring?

Micron BhatBhat: The spread of the pandemic is reminding us of “forgotten” societal challenges that include increases in economic inequality, the finite nature of global resources, the burden placed on the environment by the earth’s limited ability to absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), and the maintenance of health and safety. Along with bringing changes to people’s lifestyles, the pandemic also marks the arrival of an era in which companies will increasingly be called on to contribute to creating a sustainable society.

Three key areas that brought about a greater reliance on and acceleration in innovation were work-from-home and remote community engagements, supply chain temporal and regional decentralization, as well as borderless service economies. Digital transformation efforts in organizations across all business sectors saw incredible growth. We realized that the world increasingly relied on data to enrich every aspect of society from scientific discovery to community experiences.

This reliance on data presents companies like Micron with the unprecedented opportunity to help shape the future of technology’s positive influence on society through innovations in memory and storage technologies. We believe that leading with purpose is good business, and we are using our influence to contribute not only as innovators but as global stewards of a more equitable world.

SEMI: One of your key strengths is transforming organizations, people and processes. How have you leveraged your prowess in this area to drive transformation at Micron’s Singapore plant?

Bhat: Micron in Singapore plays a critical role in developing leading-edge NAND. Our presence here, composed of two wafer-fabrication facilities and one assembly and test facility, serves as the base for worldwide operations. With over 500,000 square feet of cleanroom space, the location is also a designated NAND Center of Excellence, driving the implementation of the company’s leading-edge 3D NAND production for use in mobile phones, solid-state drives, digital cameras and more. Micron is indeed the platform to drive and establish initiatives that directly impact our environment, society and people positively.

Bringing about equity requires a mindset change and sometimes a dramatic change in your business process. This journey usually does not happen overnight. Personally, I am proud to have the opportunity to engage with our experts within the various parts of the value chain to bring about positive change. This includes responsible sourcing from our suppliers, innovations that can decrease our process carbon footprint, and technologies that help us upcycle our waste.
 

Micron Diversity


Micron uses new tools such as AI to promote diversity in talent acquisition, reduce bias in candidate application, and reinforce Micron's inclusive culture. (Photo Credit: Micron)

 

SEMI: We’re honored that you’re SEMI Southeast Asia’s first female Regional Advisory Board member. When you started working in technology 25 years ago, there weren’t many female engineers in the chip industry and today you’re a champion of females in the field. What were some of your biggest challenges entering the industry as a female and how did you overcome them?

Bhat: To be honest, I was unaware of being a minority in my early years. I was so excited, euphoric, and confident of what I was doing that I did not “see” anything else. I suspect that a lot of our new hires are experiencing the same thrill as I was. They are excitable, keen, and hungry, and it is our responsibility to recognize their passion and nurture that.

As I grew through the ranks and at one point moved from a heterogeneous organization to a more homogeneous company both in gender and in race, I became increasingly aware of my solitude. There were more questions than answers, and a general awareness that although we have fair amount of progress in our diversity intake, we are still lacking women in leadership.

Lately there is a lot of deliberate effort to improve diversity and female representation, and that set us on the right course. Now the marathon needs to be run so that future generations may inherit a more balanced world from us.

SEMI: As a new Regional Advisory Board member of SEMI Southeast Asia, how can you apply your industry experiences and achievements to the scope of this role? What opportunities lie ahead for the region?

Bhat: Despite the challenges of being a minority in my field of work, I have been fortunate to have worked across the end-to-end value chain of semiconductor manufacturing, from innovation to customer and supplier management. In addition, I have had the opportunity to work in three different continents and experience the professional, social and gender-related diversity and the biases associated with all that intersectionality. On a positive note, this experience has equipped me to work harder at finding ways to bring my experience to the table.

One of those areas is using technology to transform organizations. Today, I’m working with my partners at Micron and with thought leaders in the community to bring awareness to and active support of sustainable business and sustainable living. I see immense opportunities for the semiconductor companies in the region to leverage our market position not only as technology leaders, but also as influencers for good to support social justice and human rights. I am fortunate to have a partner in Micron technology where we are powering a future that enriches all lives.
 

Micron Top 10


Micron Singapore ranked 7th on the country’s Top Ten Best Work Places in 2020, the only semiconductor company on the list. (Photo Credit: Micron)

 

SEMI: The data is clear that diverse organizations are more innovative and financially successful, yet the semiconductor industry still struggles with an underrepresentation of women, particularly in executive roles. What more can the industry do to prepare females for leadership positions?

Bhat: Education, allyship, and mentoring are what we need to bridge this gap that exists in the industry today. Resources are available for companies to deploy but leaders need to take accountability to drive real change.

SEMI: What steps has Micron Singapore taken to increase the number of women in its workforce?

Bhat: Building a diverse workplace and nurturing an inclusive culture take years. At Micron, our progress in women’s representation in technology is advancing gradually. To further enable our progress, we are expanding our initiatives with DEI partners in the Micron Foundation and through our talent attraction efforts.

We are working to increase the pipeline of female technical talent by advocating through our foundation for more diversity in college and university engineering programs. We have launched a global women’s mentoring program to connect early career engineering talent to our senior leadership, and we continue to use our influence to increase female representation, not just for Micron but for the broader technology industry.

Bee Bee Ng is president of SEMI Southeast Asia.