Microelectronic Engineering Program Overview
Microelectronic Engineering is the area of technology associated with the design and fabrication of electronic devices/systems or subsystems using extremely small components - integrated circuits.
What are integrated circuits?
These are extremely small electronic circuits performing intended functions built on monolithic semiconducting substrate. The integrated circuit (IC) has changed virtually every aspect of our lives. The hallmark of the integrated circuit industry over the past four decades has been the exponential increase in the number of transistors incorporated onto a single piece of silicon. The rapid advances in the number of transistors per chip have led to integrated circuits with continuously increasing capability and performance. As time has progressed, large, expensive, complex systems have been replaced by small, high performance, inexpensive integrated circuits. ICs are dominated by silicon electronics, and about eighty percent of these is complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Silicon is the most common semiconductor substrate because it is abundant, has excellent physical properties and forms a high quality oxide for insulating and fabrication purposes.
IC Technology
The integrated circuit (IC) technology makes use of many diverse fields of science and engineering.
- The physics and operation of semiconductor devices involve understanding of band theory of solids, statistical distribution of electrons and holes in semiconductors, and fundamentals of electrostatics fields.
- The design of microelectronic circuits requires a sound knowledge of electronics and circuit analysis.
- The optical lithography tools, which print microscopic patterns on wafers, represent one of the most advanced applications of the principles of Fourier optics.
- Plasma etching and chemical mechanical planarization involve some of the most complex chemistries used in manufacturing today. Ion implantation draws upon understanding from research in high-energy physics.
- Thin films on semiconductor surface exhibit complex mechanical and electrical behavior that stretches our understanding of basic materials properties.
- Computing skills are necessary to design, model, simulate and predict processes and device behavior, extremely vital to manufacturing.
- A thorough knowledge of statistics is required to manipulate data and process control.
As the devices are shrinking in size approaching nanoscale regime where molecular and atomic scale phenomena come into play, elements of quantum mechanics become important.
One of the great challenges in integrated circuit manufacturing is the need to draw on scientific principles and engineering developments from such an extraordinary wide range of disciplines. Scientists and engineers, who work in this field need broad understanding and the ability to seek out, integrate and use ideas from many fields.
Academic Programs offered by the Department of Microelectronic Engineering
The department offers both undergraduate and graduate programs in microelectronic engineering.
The Bachelor of Science in Microelectronic Engineering Curriculum
This ABET-accredited, five-year program provides this broad interdisciplinary background in electrical and computer engineering, solid-state electronics, physics, chemistry, materials science, optics, applied math and statistics necessary for entry into the semiconductor industry.
Highlights
- Multidisciplinary, hand-on modern curriculum
- State-of-the-art laboratory facilities
- Highly renowned faculty
- Nationwide Co-Op opportunities
- Strong industrial support
- Research exposure
- Small class sizes
- Excellent placement
- Wide career prospects
The curriculum begins with introductory courses in microelectronic engineering and microlithography (micropatterning) for integrated circuits. The first two years of the program build a solid foundation in mathematics, physics and chemistry. The fundamentals of statistics and their applications in design of experiments, semiconductor device physics and operation and IC technology are covered in the second year preparing students for their first co-op experience. The third year constitutes the electrical engineering coursework necessary for understanding of semiconductor devices and integrated circuits. The fourth and fifth years are dedicated to VLSI design, optics, microlithography systems and materials, semiconductor processing, professional electives, and a two-quarter capstone senior project known as Seminar/Research. In this course, students propose and conduct individual research/design projects and present their work at the Annual Microelectronic Engineering Conference organized by the department that is well attended by industrial representatives. The choices of professional electives and the senior project offer students an opportunity to build a concentration within this unique interdisciplinary program such as advanced CMOS, VLSI chip design, analog circuit design, electronic materials science, micro electro mechanical (MEM) devices and nanotechnology.
Important issues such as technology roadmap, ethics, societal impact and global perspectives are built into the program beginning with the freshmen courses in the first year. The program is laid out in a way that keeps students connected with their home department throughout the course of study. The liberal art component of the program consists of six core courses, a three-core concentration and a Senior Seminar.
Students gain hands-on experience in the design, fabrication and testing of integrated circuits (microchips), the vital component in almost every advanced electronic product manufactured today. The undergraduate microelectronic engineering laboratories at RIT are the best in the nation that include modern IC fabrication (cleanroom) and test facilities. The teamwork emphasized in laboratories and technical presentation opportunities in seminars prepare students for building team spirit and effective communication skills.
Students participate in the required co-op portion of the program after completion of their second year of school. Microelectronic engineering co-op students work for most of the major manufacturers of integrated circuits across the United States. Upon graduation students are well prepared to enter the industry immediately or to go on to advanced work in graduate school. This program also prepares students to work in emerging technologies such as nanotechnology, microelectromechanical (MEM) devices and microsystems.
As the worldwide semiconductor industry continues to grow at an astounding pace, RIT graduates will continue to be a valuable resource to the industry. For the students, this program offers an unparalleled opportunity to prepare for professional challenge and success in one of the leading and modern areas of engineering of our time. The microelectronic engineering department has highly accomplished and dedicated faculty who are committed to quality engineering education. They provide students with a sound foundation, creative and analytical thinking skills, state-of-the-art laboratory experiences, and the vision to navigate the semiconductor roadmap now and in the future. The availability of state-of-the-art laboratories taught by experienced faculty, strong industrial support, double quarter alternating co-op blocks with nationwide co-op opportunities and smaller class sizes makes this one of the most value added programs in the nation.
The Graduate Programs
Master of Science in Microelectronic Engineering
The objective of the Master of Science program is to provide an opportunity for students to perform a master's level research as they prepare for entry into the semiconductor industry or a Ph.D. program. The program requires strong preparation in the area of microelectronics, takes two years to complete and requires a thesis.
The prerequisites include a BS in engineering (such as electrical or microelectronic engineering), including one year of study of device physics and fabrication technology. Students from RITÕs BS in microelectronic engineering will meet these prerequisites. Students who do not have all of the prerequisites can take these courses at RIT and still complete the master of science program in two years. The prerequisite courses will be completed during the first few quarters at RIT and will not count toward the 36 credits worth of graduate courses required for the MS degree.
The program consists of eight masterÕs level (700 level or higher) courses, including five core courses and three elective courses and 4 credit seminars. A nine-credit thesis is required of all students in this program that include dissertation submission and oral defense. The total number of credits needed for the Master of Science in microelectronic engineering is 45.
Master of Engineering in Microelectronics Manufacturing Engineering (On Campus and Online)
The master of engineering in microelectronics manufacturing engineering program provides a broad based education to students with a bachelorÕ degree in traditional engineering or science disciplines who are interested in a career in the semiconductor industry.
The master of engineering degree is awarded upon successful completion of an approved graduate program consisting of a minimum of 45 credit hours. The program consists of one transition course, seven core courses, two elective courses and a minimum of 5 credits of internship. Under certain circumstances, a student may be required to complete more than the minimum number of credits. The transition course is in an area other than that in which the BS degree was earned. For example, a chemistry major may be required to take a two-course sequence in circuits and electronics. The core courses are microelectronics (processing) I, II, and III; microelectronics (manufacturing) I, II, and microlithography materials and processes and microlithography systems. The program requires an internship, which is at least three months of full time successful employment in the semiconductor industry. The internship can be completed in industry or at RIT.
The Semiconductor Industry
The semiconductor industry, with the invention of the transistor in 1947 at ATT Bell Labs, and the debut of the integrated circuit (IC) at the beginning of the 1960s, was born as a promising and soon to be a formidable industry. From this modest beginning in which ICs were used in only a limited number of specialized applications, has grown a technology that is pervasive in todayÕs world. The introduction of the personal computer (PC) by IBM in 1980 made semiconductor microchips a household term. This large-scale integration has continued over the decades due to innovations, process advancements in manufacturing, and rapid implementation into new applications.
The semiconductor industry consists of many groups of companies and institutions, all of which contribute to its vitality. At the center are the chip-manufacturers; but they are supported by a large number of outside organizations including manufacturers of chip-processing and metrology-tools, suppliers of materials and chemicals, analytical-laboratories, industry-associations that provide manufacturing standards and organize co-operative research efforts, and colleges and universities that provide technically trained workers.
At the beginning of the 2000-millennium, the electronics-industry exceeded $1 trillion in sales per year, and semiconductors constituted $150-$200- billion of that number. "There is a nationwide shortage of students pursuing educational goals of math and science, resulting in fewer industry innovators," says Victoria Hadfield, president of SEMI North America. "This is a national problem that affects every other high-tech center in the U.S. Without interested, qualified students, America will lose its edge as the global leader in technology innovation and semiconductor manufacturing." San Jose, Calif.-based SEMI is a trade group representing more than 2,500 companies in the semiconductor sector and related industries. The industry's future demands that we create new knowledge and develop it into technologies that drive our economy, guarantee our national security, and improve our health and quality of life.
Semiconductors are dominated by silicon electronics, and about eighty percent of that is complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology, as illustrated in Figure 1. For this reason, graduates in the microelectronic field must be well versed in silicon processing.
 |
 |
Figure 1. Estimated share of IC technologies in 2000. (Source: Semiconductor Industry Association)
Microelectronics fabrication today probably employs the most highly trained engineering workforce of any manufacturing industry. As the density of integrated circuits rises (and therefore device feature size decreases) and as industry shifts to large wafer sizes, the complexity of microelectronic fabrication processes creates a demand for an ever more highly educated and trained workforce. The BS program in Microelectronic Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology has been designed to meet this critical need. Stanley Wolf, author and former professor at UCLA said in an article published by "Solid State Technology" magazine in December 1999,"There is a shortage of engineering graduates, especially those from the pioneering and renowned IC manufacturing program at the Rochester Institute of Technology".
With the dawn of the new millennium, semiconductor technology has advanced into the deep submicron era (entering nanoscale regime) with new challenges and there is a critical need for engineering workforce to meet these challenges.
Major Employers of RIT Microelectronic Engineering Grads
- Motorola
- Intel
- IBM
- National Semiconductors
- AMD
- Micron
- Texas Instruments
- Infineon
- Analog Devices
- Cypress Semiconductor
- Eastman Kodak
- Fairchild
- Xerox
- HP
Recent Graduate Schools Joined by Microelectronic Engineering Grads
- Cornell University
- Stanford University
- Carnegie Mellon University
- University of Texas, Austin
- RIT
- Purdue University
- Penn State University
Reference