An Undergraduate Micro Fabrication Course at the Northern Malaysia University College of Engineering

Abstract

This paper presents the development of a new course conducted by the School of Microelectronic Engineering at the Northern Malaysia University College of Engineering or Kolej Universiti Kejuruteraan Utara Malaysia (KUKUM) in the area of microfabrication. Two related courses offered by the School are namely, semiconductor process technology and microelectronic fabrication. The course consists of a lecture and laboratory component. It is a new approach, as compared to the conventional undergraduate program, which is designed with 60% of the students' contact time, is dedicated to laboratory and workshop work, while the other 40% is for lectures. Therefore, a new 115 m2 cleanroom was developed and equipped with all basic tools that is necessary to fabricate and test microelectronic devices. The setup is mainly to expose the student with actual cleanroom operation environment. The course content and the format of the courses are presented. The detail of the synopsis and the list of custom designed experiment for both courses are also provided. Such curriculum developed and offered by KUKUM is geared towards promoting the National Industrial Master Plan, especially in the semiconductor industry.