http://www.rit.edu/kgcoe/eme/meme

Program overview

The master of engineering degree in microelectronics manufacturing engineering provides a broad-based education to students with a bachelor’s degree in traditional engineering or science disciplines who are interested in a career in the semiconductor industry.

The ME degree is awarded upon successful completion of an approved graduate program consisting of a minimum of 45 quarter credit hours. The program consists of one transition course, seven core courses, two approved 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.

Program outcomes

After completion of the program, a student should be able to:

• Design and understand a sequence of processing steps to fabricate a solid state device to meet a set of geometric, electrical and/or processing parameters.
• Analyze experimental electrical data from a solid state device to extract performance parameters for comparison to modeling parameters used in the device design.
• Understand current lithographic materials, processes, and systems to meet imaging and/or device patterning requirements.
• Understand the relevance of a process or device, either proposed or existing, to current manufacturing practices.
• Perform in a microelectronic engineering environment, as evidenced by a three-month internship.
• Appreciate the areas of specialty in the field of microelectronics, such as device engineering, circuit design, lithography, materials and processes, and yield and manufacturing.

Curriculum

Microelectronics

The Microelectronics I, II, and III course sequence covers major aspects of integrated circuit manufacturing technology, such as oxidation, diffusion, ion implantation, chemical vapor deposition, metalization, plasma etching, etc. These courses emphasize modeling and simulation techniques as well as hands-on laboratory verification of these processes. Students use special software tools for these processes. In the laboratory, students design and fabricate silicon MOS and bipolar integrated circuits, learn how to utilize most of the semiconductor processing equipment, develop and create a process, and manufacture and test their own integrated circuits.

Microlithography

The microlithography courses are advanced courses in the chemistry, physics, and processing involved in microlithography. Optical lithography will be studied through diffraction, Fourier, and image-assessment techniques. Scalar diffraction models will be utilized to simulate aerial image formation and influences of imaging parameters. Positive and negative resist systems as well as processes for IC application will be studied. Advanced topics will include chemically amplified resists; multiple-layer resist systems; phase-shift masks; and electron beam, X-ray, and deep UV lithography.

Laboratory exercises include projection-system design, resist-materials characterization, process optimization, and  electron-beam lithography.

Manufacturing

The manufacturing courses include topics such as scheduling, work-in-progress tracking, costing, inventory control, capital budgeting, productivity measures, and personnel management. Concepts of quality and statistical process control are introduced. The laboratory for this course is the student-run factory functioning within the department. Important issues such as measurement of yield, defect density, wafer mapping, control charts, and other manufacturing measurement tools are examined in lectures and through laboratory work. Computer-integrated manufacturing also is studied in detail. Process modeling, simulation, direct control, computer networking, database systems, linking application programs, facility monitoring, expert systems applications for diagnosis and training, and robotics are supported by laboratory experiences in the integrated circuit factory. An online (distance delivery) version of this program exists for engineers employed in the semiconductor industry. Please refer to RIT’s Online Guide for details.

Internship

The program requires a 5 credit internship, which is equivalent to at least three months of full-time, successful employment in the semiconductor industry. The purpose of the internship is to provide a structured and supervised work experience that enables students to gain job-related skills that will assist them in achieving their desired career goals.

Students with prior engineering-related job experience may request “credit by experience.” This request must be made with the department head and supported by a letter from the appropriate authority substantiating the student’s job responsibility, duration, and performance quality. Upon approval, the student is advised to deposit the incurred fee to Student Financial Services after the transfer of credit is granted.

For students who are not working in the semiconductor industry while enrolled in this program, the internship can be completed at RIT. It will involve an investigation or study of a subject or process directly related to microelectronic engineering under the supervision of a faculty adviser. An internship may be taken any time after the completion of the first quarter, must total at least 5 credits, and may be designed in a number of ways. For example, one 5-credit internship (typically a three-month, full-time work experience), five 1-credit experiences, or any combination of separate credits interspersed throughout the graduate program may be used, as long as the total is the equivalent of three months of work. In these cases, full graduate tuition is charged. At the conclusion of the internship, submission of a final internship report to the faculty adviser and program director is required.