Exposing freshman to microelectronics fabrication as part of an innovative materials science course

An innovative materials science course for first year students has been developed with the support of the National Science Foundation. The goal of this course is for students to be able to make design decisions based on experimental data. To attain this goal, an interactive recitation has replaced the lecture as the key learning experience, and the laboratory exercises are fully integrated into the course. There is no separate laboratory component, as laboratory exercises are used to illustrate course material and required as part of the homework assignments and subject matter on examinations. When discussing relationships between electrical properties and performance, student teams take part in the fabrication of a semiconductor chip. Each team performs one step and presents their results to the class. The experience has very been successful.