The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) was launched on 12/20/2011, and is a passively managed exchange traded fund designed to offer broad exposure to the Technology - Semiconductors segment of the equity market.Passively managed ETFs are becoming increasingly popular with institutional as well as retail investors due to their low cost, transparency, flexibility and tax efficiency. They are excellent vehicles for long term investors.Investor-friendly, sector ETFs provide many options to gain low risk and diversified exposure to a broad group of companies in particular sectors. Technology - Semiconductors is one of the 16 broad Zacks sectors within the Zacks Industry classification. It is currently ranked 10, placing it in bottom 38%.Index DetailsThe fund is sponsored by Van Eck. It has amassed assets over $7.56 billion, making it one of the largest ETFs attempting to match the performance of the Technology - Semiconductors segment of the equity market. SMH seeks to match the performance of the MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index before fees and expenses.The MVIS US Listed Semiconductor 25 Index tracks the overall performance of companies involved in semiconductor production and equipment.CostsInvestors should also pay attention to an ETF's expense ratio. Lower cost products will produce better results than those with a higher cost, assuming all other metrics remain the same.Annual operating expenses for this ETF are 0.35%, making it one of the least expensive products in the space.It has a 12-month trailing dividend yield of 0.53%.Sector Exposure and Top HoldingsIt is important to delve into an ETF's holdings before investing despite the many upsides to these kinds of funds like diversified exposure, which minimizes single stock risk. And, most ETFs are very transparent products that disclose their holdings on a daily basis.Looking at individual holdings, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co L (TSM) accounts for about 14.37% of total assets, followed by Nvidia Corp (NVDA) and Asml Holding Nv (ASML).The top 10 holdings account for about 68.42% of total assets under management.Performance and RiskThe ETF has lost about -5.93% so far this year and is up about 29.11% in the last one year (as of 01/10/2022). In that past 52-week period, it has traded between $216.22 and $316.56.The ETF has a beta of 1.13 and standard deviation of 34.17% for the trailing three-year period, making it a high risk choice in the space. With about 26 holdings, it has more concentrated exposure than peers.AlternativesVanEck Semiconductor ETF holds a Zacks ETF Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), which is based on expected asset class return, expense ratio, and momentum, among other factors. Because of this, SMH is an excellent option for investors seeking exposure to the Technology ETFs segment of the market. There are other additional ETFs in the space that investors could consider as well.SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) tracks S&P Semiconductor Select Industry Index and the iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) tracks PHLX SOX Semiconductor Sector Index. SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF has $1.52 billion in assets, iShares Semiconductor ETF has $9.70 billion. XSD has an expense ratio of 0.35% and SOXX charges 0.43%.Bottom LineTo learn more about this product and other ETFs, screen for products that match your investment objectives and read articles on latest developments in the ETF investing universe, please visit Zacks ETF Center. Want key ETF info delivered straight to your inbox? Zacks’ free Fund Newsletter will brief you on top news and analysis, as well as top-performing ETFs, each week.Get it free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH): ETF Research Reports NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA): Free Stock Analysis Report ASML Holding N.V. (ASML): Free Stock Analysis Report Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSM): Free Stock Analysis Report iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX): ETF Research Reports SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD): ETF Research Reports To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research