New minors and certificates target semiconductor industry readiness

Signed into law in August 2022, the CHIPS and Science Act has kickstarted chip manufacturing in the United States, especially in Ohio. Last September, Intel broke ground on the first of two massive semiconductor fabrication plants worth $20 billion in central Ohio.

In response to the burgeoning demand for semiconductor-savvy talent, The Ohio State University College of Engineering is launching two undergraduate minors, two undergraduate certificates and six graduate certificates for the upcoming autumn semester.

"We already have faculty with semiconductor expertise in addition to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities," said College of Engineering Dean Ayanna Howard. "Now it's time to make these assets accessible to more students in Ohio and the Midwest so they can pursue fruitful careers in a rapidly growing industry."

Undergraduate minors and certificatesA minor and an embedded certificate will be offered in signal processing, in which students will gain competence with linear systems as approximate models of physical systems, master Fourier series and transforms techniques, and learn the fundamentals of sampling and reconstruction. A minor and embedded certificate in semiconductor devices will explore advanced semiconductor physics, electronic and optical properties of semiconductors, and the principles of new electronics devices as new technologies develop.

Currently enrolled undergraduate students interested in the new minors and certificates can learn more from their advisers.

Graduate certificatesCurrent Ohio State graduate students in engineering, math and the physical sciences can choose an embedded certificate in semiconductor devices, fabrication technology or optoelectronics. The semiconductor devices certificate encompasses advanced physics and electronic and optical properties of semiconductors. The fabrication technology certificate will teach processing technologies used in very large-scale integration circuit manufacturing, as well as process integration for metal-oxide semiconductors and memory-integrated circuits. The semiconductor optoelectronics certificate will focus on advanced optical properties of materials and devices as well as optical processes in semiconductor devices.

Current Ohio State graduate students should contact their advisers to learn more.

Professionals with at least an undergraduate degree in engineering, math or physical science have the same three certificates from which to choose: semiconductor devices; semiconductor fabrication technology; and semiconductor optoelectronics.

Current graduate students and professionals may take additional courses to earn more than one graduate certificate.

"By design, the slate of minors and certificates are intended to provide opportunities to a wide audience of students in engineering and in physical and chemical sciences," said Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair Balasubramaniam Shanker. "We also intend this to be a gateway for those outside the university system to enable their migration to this industry."

For more information about these stand-alone certificates, contact Graduate and Professional Admissions at 614-292-9444 or [email protected].