Talk like a … nanofabrication expert

Electroplating — coating a metal object with another metal through the use of electrolysis

Metal sputtering — a metal coating technique that uses high-energy particles to create a thin layer of metal on a surface

Nanofabrication — the process of making devices and structures at the nanoscale level

Semiconductor — a solid substance whose conductivity varies according to its impurity levels

Semiconductors are the most important component of computer chips and form a cornerstone of our modern technological world. “Global demand for semiconductors has risen sharply in recent years, but supply is falling short,” says Associate Professor Francis Cartieri from the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC). “Back in the 1990s, the US was the world leader in chipmaking, but these days it provides less than 10% of global need.” Nevertheless, semiconductors remain a crucial US export, supporting around 250,000 jobs in the US – and Francis and his colleagues believe that there is huge potential for the US to become a leader once more in semiconductor fabrication, boosting the nation’s economic and national security.

Computer chips are made through nanofabrication: making structures and devices at the nanoscale, which requires highly sophisticated machinery and knowledge. Currently, growth of the US chip industry is limited by a shortage of qualified technicians able to create and innovate semiconductor technology. Francis and his colleagues – Michael Baba from CCAC and Zachary Gray and Treylor Shirley from The Pennsylvania State University – are working on a solution: developing a lab manual that outlines low-cost ways to train students in nanofabrication. “The project will explore ways to increase chipmaking workforce numbers by eliminating the expensive and complex infrastructure traditionally required for this training. We are developing accessible experiments and hands-on lessons that closely represent the methods used in industry,” explains Zachary.

Semiconductor supply and demand

Society is becoming increasingly automated, and every automated technology requires computer chips. Technology is also becoming more complex – artificial intelligence, in particular, needs vast amounts of computing power. “This is driving demand for sophisticated, efficient semiconductors, which, in turn, is driving demand for people who can understand, manufacture and troubleshoot them,” says Treylor.

Currently, chip manufacturers are focusing on recruiting engineering graduates to fill these roles, but the team says that these are not the ideal candidates. “The number of these graduates – especially those who want to work in the semiconductor industry – is limited,” says Zachary. “What the chip manufacturers really need are technicians who are trained in community colleges through shorter, specialised training programmes like ours.”

The challenge is fitting the knowledge that employers expect into a two-year course that prepares students to jump into work in this advanced field. “One way to ease this process is to begin introducing nanofabrication at the high school level,” says Treylor. “This requires designing practical lessons that high school teachers are able to deliver with the resources they have access to.” Because semiconductors are complicated and expensive, semiconductor education has so far tended to be complicated and expensive too. But the team think this is not necessarily the best approach. Through their own expertise, as well as developing and testing ideas with their students, they are coming up with approaches that demonstrate the concepts involved in nanofabrication at much lower cost. “The core aim is for our practical learning modules to give students a head start before they reach community college,” explains Zachary.

The Nanofabrication Lab Manual

These learning modules, or ‘labs’ as they are known, form the content of the lab manual that the team is developing. “The colleges and universities involved, such as us here at CCAC, are developing the labs,” says Francis. “We really value involving our students in the research process. For example, within an advanced materials course I run, students prototyped a variety of different metal sputtering devices to see which would be the best fit for a lab.” The team focused on affordable versions of the device that can be made in high school environments and tested and analysed them using sophisticated equipment such as an electron microscope that CCAC has access to. “Our students learnt about nanofabrication through actually building the lab with me,” says Francis. “The students really loved it – they became competitive and unafraid to take intellectual risks.”

The labs introduce a variety of topics that, together, cover almost every aspect of semiconductor manufacturing. “One topic is electroplating, which involves getting a super-thin nano coating of one metal onto another, which is a critical part of making a semiconductor,” says Michael. “The lab covers the physics behind the process and the practicalities of cost-effective electroplating in the industry.” The team is now partnering with high schools to trial some of the labs that Francis, Michael and their students have devised. “The high schools give us feedback, which we use to improve our labs,” says Francis. “It’s just like any product prototyping process.” The nanofabrication labs can then be integrated into high school physics or chemistry courses, introducing students to a possible future career path.

Francis and Michael are enjoying seeing how their work is impacting students at CCAC and at the partner high schools. “We like using this project as a tool to tie our students’ knowledge to things in the real world,” says Francis. “Semiconductors are embedded in literally every aspect of our lives, yet we often don’t realise it. It’s eye-opening for students to realise their dependence on this technology, how it works, and how it’s made – and what they could contribute to this vital industry.”

Francis Cartieri
Assistant Professor of Mechatronics & Entrepreneurial Manufacturing

Michael Baba
Makerspace Technician and Instructor of Community Education workshops
Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), Pittsburgh, USA

Zachary Gray
Project Lead, Assistant Research Professor

Treylor Shirley
Research Technologist
Penn State College of Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, USA

Field of research: Nanofabrication and the semiconductor industry

Research project: Creating a nanofabrication lab manual that can bring low-cost nanofabrication learning techniques into schools and colleges

Funder: US National Science Foundation (NSF ATE DUE 2301137)