Cleanroom Fundamentals & Semiconductor Technologies

Overview

This entry-level online course offers a brief overview of silicon-based semiconductor fabrication, geared toward engineering undergraduates, graduate students, and pre-college learners exploring career paths in the semiconductor field. No prior experience is required. Students receive an introduction to cleanroom facilities and the environment in which microfabrication takes place. They will then apply their knowledge in a hands-on virtual lab that walks you through University at Buffalo's Davis Hall Cleanroom (among the most advanced in the region) that demonstrates the core processes of Photolithography and Etching.

Syllabus

Welcome to Cleanroom Fundamentals & Semiconductor Technologies!
Lecture Part 1

This section of the course covers essential topics related to cleanroom operations and semiconductor fabrication. Key areas include an Introduction to Transistors, the Fundamentals of Cleanroom Environments, Semiconductor Materials, an Overview of Vacuum Science, and the Principles and Processes of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD).

Lecture Part 2

An Overview of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Semiconductor Doping, Thermal Oxidation of Silicon, Wet and Dry Processing, and Photolithography.

Virtual Hands-on Lab

This two-part lab experience provides students with an immersive, hands-on introduction to fundamental semiconductor fabrication processes, specifically within the Photolithography Bay (Yellow Light) and the Etching Bay (White Light). Through direct work with silicon wafers, students will learn how intricate patterns are transferred and developed in microfabrication.