The National Science Foundation has granted UNM a $2.4 million, three-year grant to partner with Central New Mexico Community College and Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute Advanced Technology Programs to continue the work of the Southwest Center for Microsystems Education. The center educates instructors and students about micro systems and the way they work.
SCME is located at the UNM Manufacturing Training and Technology Center (MTTC) which operates a clean room facility to educate future technicians and engineers while providing small tech industry and researchers a place to develop new Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS). Examples of MEMS devices include micro pressure sensors, cantilever based sensors, actuators, small mirror arrays, and microfludic pumps with applications in biomedical, homeland security, aerospace, automotive and gaming systems.
This fall SCME will host two workshops to teach how to build micro pressure sensors.
“It’s a great opportunity for instructors to learn and subsequently give their students an understanding of how MEMS devices are fabricated. It’s an experience that will let them actually build a MEMS device. The instructors are given hands-on kits and educational materials to bring this experience back to the classroom,” says Matthias Pleil, the principal investigator of the grant. “Having a chance to work in a real clean room environment makes the whole field come alive for the students.”
The center draws students and instructors from across the southwest region and most recently hosted a group of community college students from San Antonio, Texas. The students learned about Microsystems - how they work, how they are created, how they can be used in devices to entertain or to make life easier for people. Their nanotechnology instructor, Qiaying Zhou, who attended with her students was so pleased with the experience she even sent the facility testimonials from the students.
Testimonials...
Tim – “…this trip was one of the coolest trips I have ever been on, I got to learn so many interesting things it really surprised me, it was really cool.”
Marcus- “This trip to UNM was an eye opening experience for me, as well as everyone else that took part in the field trip. I remember in my introduction to nanotechnology class reading about semiconductors and doing energy band gap calculations. As well as reading about Micro Electrical Mechanical Systems and wondering what it all means in the real world. I started at North West Vista College going towards a biology degree and after introduction to nanotechnology my interest quickly changed because of the need for people in this degree plan."
Akeem- “On the first day we entered the lab everything seemed amazing!! So much information and so many things that we didn’t know how to do at first in making pressure sensors. In every experience in the clean room, we were given hands on experience with a lecture, and teacher guides to help us if we had any problem or question."
Students who like the work and want to go further can take classes at CNM, SIPI or UNM and can go as far as they want in the field. Senior research engineers for companies can make over $60 an hour for their expertise and technicians receive $25 an hour with a two year degree.
Companies also use the MTTC clean room on a contract basis to make prototypes or do limited manufacturing of parts. Companies that have worked on projects in the clean room include AgilOptics, Defiant, Emcore, HT MicroAnalytical, Incitor, K-tech, Mechtronic Solutions, MicroNano Platforms, Qynergy, Radiant, Advent Solar and Sandia National Laboratories.
If you are interested in learning more visit: Southwest Center for Microsystems Education or contact Matthias Pleil at, mpleil@unm.edu.
Media Contact: Karen Wentworth (505) 277-5627; kwent2@unm.edu