An advanced IC processing laboratory at the University of Notre Dame

A new integrated circuits fabrication laboratory course was developed at the University of Notre Dame, USA. The course was taught first to graduate students, who helped to develop the processes, and then to seniors. Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) test circuits of up to 150 transistors per circuit, with 5-micron minimum geometries on 4-inch wafers were successfully fabricated. In this paper, the authors discuss the construction, funding, and operation of the facility in which the course is taught. They also discuss the fabrication process used by the students, class assignments, and results of the first semester in which the course was offered to seniors.<
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