CNF launched the ATLAS (Accelerated Training for Labor Advancement in Semiconductors) Program in the fall of 2022. This program brings high school seniors from the Tompkins, Seneca Tioga (TST) BOCES New Visions Engineering program for an in depth look at the world of micro and nano-fabrication. During the two week course, students enter into the CNF cleanroom and learn about the key areas of cleanroom operation.
Visit 1- Cleanroom Facility and Infrastructure Tour:
Students learn about the world of nanotechnology and general cleanroom safety, then gown up for an in-person tour of the cleanroom and its service chases while focusing on one specific piece of plasma equipment. Immediately after, they embark on a tour of the Duffield Hall infrastructure, learning about the various aspects of air handling, water treatment and chemical handling that keeps a cleanroom operating smoothly.
Visit 2 - Educational Plasma System Deconstruction:
Students engage in a hands-on educational deconstruction of a plasma system as a group. CNF’s expert staff guide this experience, educating the students from the systems level (power, pneumatics, robotics, etc) down to the component level (MFCs, valves, pressure measurement devices, etc.).
Visit 3 – TCN:
Students attend our three-day virtual Technology and Characterization at the Nanoscale (TCN) short course, where they learn the science behind the many processes in the cleanroom facility.
Visit 4 – Hands-on Device Fabrication:
Students gown up and work with CNF staff in groups of 4-5 in the cleanroom to fabricate the ATLAS Program logo on a silicon wafer. Students are given a detailed process flow ahead of this endeavor. Staff guide the students through a complete photolithography, deposition and plasma etch process while exploring metrology at each critical step.
Special thanks
to David Syracuse, instructor of the TST BOCES New Visions Engineering Program for working with the CNF staff to develop this program and for continually bringing top tier students to our facility for advanced education.