This entry-level online course offers a brief overview of silicon-based semiconductor fabrication, geared toward engineering undergraduates, graduate students, and pre-college learners exploring career paths in the semiconductor field. No prior experience is required. Students receive an introduction to cleanroom facilities and the environment in which microfabrication takes place. They will then apply their knowledge in a hands-on virtual lab that walks you through University at Buffalo's Davis Hall Cleanroom (among the most advanced in the region) that demonstrates the core processes of Photolithography and Etching.
Cleanroom Fundamentals & Semiconductor Technologies
Cleanroom Fundamentals & Semiconductor Technologies
Instructor: Jeff Salzmann
Access provided by Interbank
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Beginner level
Recommended experience
9 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
What you'll learn
In a semiconductor cleanroom, you learn how to work in a highly controlled environment where cleanliness and safety are essential.
Learn how devices are fabricated on silicon wafers via techniques like Photolithography, Etching, Deposition, and more.
Skills you'll gain
- Time Management
- Goal Setting
- Engineering
- Self-Starter
- Higher Education
- Safety Standards
- Laboratory Procedures
- Manufacturing Processes
- Thermal Management
- Electrical Engineering
- Semiconductors
- Mechanical Engineering
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
- Laboratory Equipment
- Materials science
- Emerging Technologies
- Electronic Components
- Skills section collapsed. Showing 11 of 18 skills.
Details to know
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Assessments
1 assignment
Taught in English
Recently updated!
January 2026
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There are 4 modules in this course
What's included
3 videos3 readings
This section of the course covers essential topics related to cleanroom operations and semiconductor fabrication. Key areas include an Introduction to Transistors, the Fundamentals of Cleanroom Environments, Semiconductor Materials, an Overview of Vacuum Science, and the Principles and Processes of Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD).
What's included
5 videos10 readings1 discussion prompt
An Overview of Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD), Semiconductor Doping, Thermal Oxidation of Silicon, Wet and Dry Processing, and Photolithography.
What's included
6 videos12 readings1 discussion prompt
This two-part lab experience provides students with an immersive, hands-on introduction to fundamental semiconductor fabrication processes, specifically within the Photolithography Bay (Yellow Light) and the Etching Bay (White Light). Through direct work with silicon wafers, students will learn how intricate patterns are transferred and developed in microfabrication.
What's included
6 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt
Instructor
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