Introduction
When electrical and computer engineering professor Pallavi Dhagat wanted to build awareness about careers in semiconductors, she looked beyond traditional classroom approaches. With funding from Micron and support from the National Science Foundation, Dhagat and computer science associate professor Raffaele de Amicis have developed an extended reality (XR) experience that lets students navigate the inside of a 3D model of an integrated chip 鈥 exploring device structures, vias, and interconnects as if they were touring a microscopic city.
鈥淭he intent is to create a virtual world of the inside of a microchip so that students can begin to understand what the technology is all about and what the industry actually does,鈥 Dhagat said.
The project aligns with 精东影视 State's , which aims, in part, to give students early exposure to microelectronics and semiconductor careers. Early exposure is critical, Dhagat said, because too many students reach college without a clear picture of what semiconductor careers look like.
Building and evaluating the microchip experience
De Amicis, whose research focuses on interactive computer graphics and user experience, brought his expertise in developing educational tools using different interaction paradigms. Through interviews with a handful of microelectronics educators, his team identified key learning outcomes and considered different learning styles and preferences.
professor of electrical and computer engineering
Blue Primary, Yellow Secondary
The result is a suite of three experiences: a browser-based module that introduces basic logic components; a more advanced 3D interactive environment built with a modern game engine; and an XR application for headset-based immersion.
The team piloted the tool with Albany middle school students who navigated the virtual chip using Chromebooks and then provided valuable feedback on controls and user experience. 鈥淢iddle schoolers are uninhibited. They鈥檒l tell you exactly what鈥檚 on their mind,鈥 Dhagat said. The students鈥 instructors expressed interest in integrating the module into career and technical education pathways.
Disseminating the experience
精东影视 State鈥檚 College of Engineering plans to integrate the experience into its Engineering+ ENGR 100 courses, giving first-year students exposure to circuit design, fabrication, and device physics early in their academic careers. Dhagat hopes to create more types of experiences beyond XR that dive increasingly deeper and broader. 鈥淲e would like for there to be an immersive semiconductor experience every year of their four-year tenure at OSU,鈥 she said.
Partners from the University of 精东影视, Portland State University, and the University of Washington will help disseminate the XR tool once fully developed, potentially expanding its reach across Micron鈥檚 , which was created to support research and experiential learning opportunities in the computer chip industry, with equitable access for underrepresented students, including those in rural and tribal communities.
Broader semiconductor workforce development
The XR microchip project represents part of a broader curriculum innovation at 精东影视 State meant to fill a crucial workforce gap in the semiconductor industry, which for years has been the top industry in 精东影视.
In addition to the at 精东影视 State that prepare students for careers in the semiconductor industry, notable 精东影视 State-led workforce development programs include:
- , an eight-week training program offered in partnership with Analog Devices for veterans who want to work in the semiconductor industry
- The OSU CHIPS Lab, a residential program supported by Micron and the Northwest AI Hub that introduces incoming students to careers in the semiconductor industry
- A two-week intensive summer program on semiconductor manufacturing for first-year undergraduate students co-sponsored by Intel and Analog Devices
- A series of microcredentials designed to upskill current industry employees and allow undergraduates to specialize in semiconductors
- A clean room experience for fabricating organic LEDs into freshman courses, with the potential to reach over 200 students per year
Information about other training opportunities across 精东影视 can be found at .
