- Lam is partnering with U.S. universities to educate students about semiconductor technology
- Top tier universities are deploying Semiverse® Solutions in their programs
The United States semiconductor industry is heating up: in fact, industry experts project that public and private investments could total more than $250 billion by 2032. But two critical bottlenecks threaten this trajectory:
- Talent shortage: Industry demand far exceeds the pipeline of skilled engineers. In fact, one report finds that current workforce development efforts are unlikely to meet the demand for more than 160,000 U.S. semiconductor workers.
- Education barriers: U.S. universities lack affordable access to cutting-edge fabrication processes and tools that provide students with the expertise necessary to develop next-generation chips.
Lam Research is already working to directly address these challenges by providing Semiverse® Solutions to multiple leading universities across the country and developing curricula with semiconductor engineering departments.
Lam's Efforts in U.S. Education
Semiverse Solutions includes SEMulator3D®, Lam's industry-standard 3D virtual fabrication platform used by major semiconductor manufacturers for production modeling. The same software has been implemented in one California university’s process integration curriculum.
The virtualization software enables university students to deeply explore semiconductor architectures without expensive equipment or cleanrooms. Two major U.S. universities have also deployed SEMulator3D for advanced semiconductor research projects.
Semiverse Solutions Helps Teach Students About Advanced Chips
Semiverse Solutions fills a need in engineering education, since even top U.S. universities lack access to cutting-edge semiconductor engineering processes and equipment. Knowledge of the latest devices and processes is critical for students seeking employment at leading-edge chip manufacturing companies.
For example, the lab capability at one large U.S. university is limited to planar transistor technology, while the logic chip industry is manufacturing more advanced FinFETs. With SEMulator3D, students can learn about the latest technologies, including FinFETs, in a virtual environment.
Supporting Jobs Across the U.S. Semiconductor Industry
Semiverse Solutions can be used to educate students about the fundamentals of semiconductor chips—the processes, structures, transistors, and memory devices—preparing them with up-to-date knowledge for various roles in the semiconductor industry.
Lam continues to increase investments in U.S. education with Semiverse Solutions. The overall goal is to educate students across various majors, not just future process engineers, about advanced semiconductor technology through these programs, so they can join any sector of the industry.
David M. Fried, CVP, is the head of Lam’s Semiverse Solutions group.
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