TSMC（As a leading semiconductor foundry in the world, TSMC's interview process is relatively standardized for software and hardware development positions, and the types of questions and focuses of the interviews are closely aligned with the needs of the semiconductor industry. In this article, we will analyze TSMC Interview The whole process, sharing real questions and preparation suggestions, taking you deeper into the key points of the interview!
First Round - Coding Round
The first round of the TSMC Software Engineer interview usually focuses on algorithm and program design, with questions related to actual business scenarios, and emphasizes on the candidate's programming skills and logical thinking. Unlike LeetCode, which focuses on algorithmic complexity, this round of interviews places more emphasis on code correctness, modular design, and understanding of hardware-related scenarios, such as wafer test data processing or production scheduling optimization.
Exclusive True Questions
Topic Description:
Given a stream of wafer test data (input as an array), each data point represents the test result of a wafer (1 means pass, 0 means fail). Design a function that counts the number of wafers that pass within an arbitrary time window (of size k) and returns the maximum number of wafers that pass.
Input Example:
tests = [1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 1, 0], k = 3Output:
3Explanation: In window [1, 1, 1], three consecutive tests are passed, and the maximum number of passes is three.
Round 2 - Hardware-Related Coding
This round of interviews focuses on TSMC's business characteristics and examines the candidate's understanding of hardware or embedded systems. Questions may involve low-power optimization, sensor data processing, or on-chip test scripting. Candidates will be required to demonstrate proficiency in C/C++ or Python, taking into account hardware constraints (e.g., memory, real-time).
Exclusive True Questions
Question: A function is implemented to simulate a chip test device that reads temperature data from a sensor and detects if the safety threshold is exceeded. If k consecutive readings exceed the threshold, an alarm is triggered.
Input: Temperature Data Stream [25, 30, 35, 40, 38, 36, 41], k = 3, threshold = 35
Output:[40, 38, 36] (First window of three consecutive overtemperatures).
Examination points: real-time data processing, state machine design, memory optimization.
Round 3 - Debugging
System debugging is a specialty of the TSMC interview, which focuses on the candidate's ability to solve complex system problems. Typically, a simulated wafer test script or production scheduling system code (which may be based on Verilog, Python, or C++) will be provided, and the candidate will be asked to locate and fix the problem. For example, given a test script, if the output is not what is expected, logic errors need to be identified or performance needs to be optimized.
Exclusive True Questions
Question: Given a Python script to calculate the yield rate of a wafer test. The script returns incorrect results on some inputs, locates the problem and fixes the code.
Code snippets (with bugs):
def calculate_yield(tests): total = 0
total = 0
passed = 0
for test in tests: total += 1
total += 1
if test == 1: passed += 1
pass += 1
return passed / total # Bug: Not handling the total = 0 caseHundreds of students have made it to the bank, and you're next!
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