UCF to Contribute to Optimization of Semiconductor Manufacturing Process Through New National Institute

t the heart of every electronic device is a semiconductor chip. These tiny circuits can improve fuel efficiency in your car, allow your computer to process and store data, or enable you to download the latest apps on your phone. But the process of manufacturing semiconductor chips is tricky and ripe for improvement. One small mistake can cost millions, but advanced technology can help eliminate flaws during fabrication and transform the industry overall.

UCF will aid in the development of this technology through a new regional research hub led by the University of Florida. The goal is to use digital twins, virtual representations of physical objects or processes, to optimize semiconductor manufacturing. The Florida/Caribbean hub is one of seven research hubs across the U.S. that comprise the Manufacturing USA institute called SMART USA, which was funded through a $285 million award from the federal administration earlier this year.

The funding was highly competitive and is a result of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s CHIPS Manufacturing USA Institute competition, which selected the SMART USA proposal from dozens of entries. SMART, which stands for Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins, is led by the Semiconductor Research Corporation.

“The focus of this hub is going to be on digital twins,” says Professor Reza Abdolvand, the chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering who co-led UCF’s portion of the proposal alongside Grace Bochenek ’98PhD, the executive director of the Pegasus Research Institute and the director of the Institute for Simulation and Training. “The goal is to accurately virtualize the manufacturing process so we can find out what could go wrong before starting the costly and time-consuming manufacturing process.”

Read More!