Built in and on disks called “wafers” are thousands of computer chips that we use in our cars, our phones and more.
Inside a lab, Clarkson University Ph.D. student Ravitej Venkataswamy is working with Clarkson professors Jihoon Seo and Alan Rossner on something we, with our eyes, cannot see.
“You have a lot of tiny, tiny transistors inside the wafer that are built like a skyscraper,” the student added.
It's hard to believe because you can't see it and, really, you can't feel it. But these seemingly smooth wafers are not actually flat at all. And for these chips to work at peak performance, they need to be. And this is where Clarkson comes in.
Micron has committed to building the largest semiconductor fabrication facility in the United States in Central New York. The facility would be less than a three-hour drive from Clarkson.
“We are looking very forward to collaborating with them and ask them a lot of questions how we can make this better,” Venkataswamy said.
Clarkson is working with Micron to ensure microchip wafers are flattened without harmful waste entering the environment.
“Our goal is to plan them and then to increase the yield without any scratches on them,” See said.
As it begins a testing phase, the lab has a buffering machine to get the job done. It also uses what's known as slurry, almost a liquid sandpaper, to get the finishing flatness that's needed.
“So that acts like a sandpaper and that polishes it away,” Venkataswamy said.
However, when that slurry is done doing its job, it could also contain some contaminants that, when disposed of, could harm the environment. So as part of a three-year deal with Clarkson and Micron, the goal is to figure out how to dispose of that slurry as safely as possible.
“How do we make this process more efficient? And part of inefficiencies are waste materials. So if you can minimize those, then it probably it gives you a competitive advantage down the road,” Rossner said. “If you can design it in in the beginning, it costs you less if you have to go retrofit it later.”
