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The Edible Microchip: A Hands On Overview of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 2011

Stacy H. Gleixner
Stacy H. Gleixner*
Affiliation:
Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA
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Abstract

The Edible Microchip is a hands on workshop where participants fabricate on wafer (sugar wafers, that is) transistors. The transistors may not have cutting edge gate lengths. They may not have the industry standard for oxide thickness. Technically, they won't even work. However, they will be the tastiest microchips ever made, guaranteed!

The “fabrication” of the edible microchip will be used to step through semiconductor manufacturing using the medium of decorating cookies to explain each process step. The main steps that are covered in the demonstration are doping, deposition, and photolithography. By actively replicating these steps on cookies, the participants gain a good overview of the semiconductor process sequence regardless of their technical background.

The scope of technical information in the Edible Microchip program can be tailored for a range of ages and technical backgrounds. It can be used as a materials engineering recruitment tool for grades 6–12 audiences and lower division college students. The workshop can also be used to give an educational and entertaining introduction to semiconductor manufacturing for engineering students of varying disciplines.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 632: Symposium HH – Materials Science and Engineering Education in the New Millenium , 2000 , HH5.2
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2000

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References

REFERENCES

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