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Campus News - December 10, 2001 |
Cleanroom trains tech students
By Michael Padilla
The
first phase of UNMs new semiconductor cleanroom in the Manufacturing Training
and Technology Center (MTTC) is now operational and used to train and prepare
students to work at semiconductor manufacturing companies and research laboratories.
Although some research will be conducted there, the MTTC cleanroom is distinguished
from such facilities at other universities by being primarily a teaching tool.
The MTTC cleanroom is also intended to support co-training of engineers and
technicians, simulationg an actual manufacturing (fab) facility.
UNM Provost Brian Foster recently toured the new cleanroom and had the opportunity
to meet with Beth Fuchs, research engineer, and several students in her lab
class. This is what UNM is all about, Foster said. We are
fortunate to have the capability to offer our students the chance to work with
some of the most sophisticated equipment available.
Joe Cecchi, School of Engineering dean, said the cleanroom is designed to train
students to work at places such as Intel and Phillips Semiconductor.
We will also be working collaboratively with TVI to train their technicians,
who will work along side the UNM engineering students, Cecchi said.
John Wood, director of MTTC, said the cleanroom, in addition to supporting
unique training paradigms, will position UNM to be competitive for federal grants
in a variety of fields, as well as providing a venue for start-up companies
to prototype devices prior to large-scale production.
We are appreciative of the combined support that Federal agencies (EDA
and NSF), the State, and industry have given us to make this project a reality,
Wood said.
The MTTC cleanroom is designed to support multi-level training. This includes
UNM undergraduate and graduate level engineers, plus technicians from regional
community colleges such as TVI or SIPI, research and development, and
incubation of manufacturing technologies.
The Phase I portion of the cleanroom uses silicon wafers, such as those used
to create computer chips and apply and pattern photoresist. This is the first
step to creating the multiple metal and oxide layers that are patterned to make
up microelectronic circuits, or micro electromechanical systems (MEMS).
Wood said the next goal for the cleanroom is the move to a Phase II construction,
pending additional funding from the State during the 2002 Legislature. A request
of $1.5 million for Phase II construction, which would further build out the
cleanroom, and install more than 30 major pieces of donated equipment. MTTC
received $925,000 from the State Legislature for Phase I construction.
We anticipate a need for a Phase II of construction to complete the build-out
process and tool installation. As we add more tools (equipment), we will be
in a better position to do research, said Wood.
Major equipment, donated from industry such as Intel Corporation and Philips Semiconductor, are used on the process line.
AT&T and Sandia National Laboratories have also provided equipment for the cleanroom project. Wood said Intels donation of $1.7 million in equipment, although the street fair market value at the time was higher, was the largest gift UNM received in 1996.
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