A Model for Workforce Development for the Semiconductor Industry

Microelectronic Engineering Education at Rochester Institute of Technology: A Model for Workforce Development for the Semiconductor Industry
Santosh Kurinec
Professor of Electrical and Microelectronic Engineering
Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT)

Microelectronic Engineering talent is of critical importance to the United States global leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, for economic competitiveness & national security. Demand for high-skilled technical semiconductor talent is projected to be very high as leading-edge fabrication facilities in the U.S. are expanding.

Rochester Institute of Technology started the nation’s first Bachelor of Science program in Microelectronic Engineering in 1982 after a study revealed a critical national need for engineers suitably qualified to drive the PC revolution that had just begun. The program has been constantly advancing its integrated circuit fabrication laboratory in order to educate students with state-of-the-art facilities for becoming immediate and efficient contributors. This facility today serves as a key infrastructure for research in semiconductor devices, processes, nanotechnology, photovoltaics and microsystems. The BS curriculum combines essential electrical engineering courses with optics and lithography, semiconductor processing and manufacturing. It consists of a year of mandatory co-op experience integrated throughout the five years. Students are given the ‘cleanroom’ experience right from the first semester they join. Subsequently, novel Masters and PhD program have been developed. Over 1500 graduates have been placed in the semiconductor industries nation/worldwide related to design, IDMs, pure play foundries, national labs and to universities as well prepared lab oriented PhD students.