New Cleanroom Facility at Alfred State College

The Electrical Engineering Technology Department at Alfred State College will open a brand new class 10,000 cleanroom laboratory facility specifically designed for semiconductor manufacturing technology for the upcoming spring 2008 semester. Through a recent NYSTAR (Science, Technology, and Academic Research) grant opportunity, Alfred State has been able to complete this new microelectronics laboratory facility at a fraction of the cost of comparable industrial equipment. The laboratory has been equipped with Modu-Lab semiconductor device manufacturing equipment, which gives students realistic exposure to the semiconductor planer process. An important concept of this laboratory is hands-on training. Although it is unlikely that the students will work with this exact type of equipment in industry, the understanding of general processes gained through laboratory experiences will prepare them to either continue their education in the microelectronics field or work in a modern industrial laboratory. Oxidation, diffusion, photolithography, etch, and vapor deposition stations allow the student the opportunity to design, fabricate, and test their own simple integrated circuits while gaining experience in working in a cleanroom environment.

Pictured here, students Samuel Parent, Gouverneur, and Shefia Youssoufou, Bronx, get a preview of this state-of-the art facility.