A new industry is coming to Â鶹ӳ», and the Â鶹ӳ» College of Engineering has the infrastructure to educate students for semiconductor and microelectronics manufacturing. All are encouraged to celebrate the grand opening of the Nanofabrication Lab in the Davidson Foundation Cleanroom at the William N. Pennington Engineering Building at noon April 18. The event promises remarks by an elected official and a presentation from Mary Tang, managing director of the Stanford Nanofabrication Lab, as well as tours of the Nano Fab.
The Nanofabrication Lab, located in the class 100 Davidson Foundation Cleanroom, is equipped with tools for lithography, deposition, etching, wire bonding and metrology. Collectively, these tools enable the manufacture of electronic, photonic and quantum devices. Such capacity will catalyze faculty innovation, facilitate industry collaboration and propel student learning and workforce development.
“The students are hungry to learn how to use the tools in the lab,” Davidson Foundation Cleanroom Director Russ Renzas said. “We have students who spend every spare moment they have outside of class helping me set up the lab and learning to make devices. Companies are interested in moving operations to Â鶹ӳ», but they need a workforce trained in these tools and technology. That’s what we provide.”
The cleanroom was initially constructed as part of the Pennington Engineering building, which opened in 2020. Pandemic lockdowns and lack of funding stalled the procurement and installation of critical tools. In 2023, Sen. Jacky Rosen supported a Department of Education appropriation to outfit the Nanofabrication Lab and hire a cleanroom director. After two years, students, researchers and industry professionals are using this facility.
“The Nanofabrication Center at the Â鶹ӳ» will revolutionize education and research in Northern Â鶹ӳ» by providing state-of-the-art facilities,” College of Engineering Interim Dean Indira Chatterjee said. “This center will not only enhance the hands-on learning experience for students but also foster cutting-edge research and innovation, positioning Northern Â鶹ӳ» as a hub for advanced technology and workforce development. The Nanofabrication Center will be a catalyst for innovation, helping local industries to thrive and expand.”
The Semiconductor Materials, Advanced Research, and Technology in Â鶹ӳ» (SMART NV) consortium of academic, government and industry partners is working to identify regional semiconductor supply chain gaps and bring in businesses that can address them.
“The ubiquitousness of chips in our daily lives and the nature of its supply chain present Â鶹ӳ» with an opportunity to catalyze the domestic semiconductor industry by harnessing our state’s natural resources, our deep expertise in the characterization of critical materials and precision manufacturing,” Senior Director of Strategic Programs and Innovation for the Â鶹ӳ» Governor’s Office of Economic Development Karsten Heise said. “The SMART NV consortium, including its industry-university collaboration, will play a crucial role in fostering supply chain resilience for the benefit of national security and economic development.”
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