Hacker Fab

Catalog description

Discover the Hacker Fab, an unparalleled open?source micro? and nanofabrication facility where students collaborate to design and build state?of?the?art process equipment while fabricating functional semiconductor and emerging devices on a chip. Open to driven learners from all backgrounds (with instructor permission), this course emphasizes interdisciplinary teamwork, practical experience, and advanced innovation. Participants select projects aligned with their interests, spanning hardware, software, robotics, materials science, electrical and computer engineering, chemistry, and mechanical engineering. Previous initiatives have produced a lithographic stepper, an ALD system, a thermal evaporator, a sputter deposition instrument, a spin coater, tube furnace, dispensing station, and robotic gantry. These systems directly support device fabrication—such as NMOS transistors—and ongoing research explores PMOS, plating, doping, and etching. Current and future endeavors will investigate emerging material?based transistors (including those utilizing carbon nanotubes, 2D materials, and oxide semiconductors), novel IoT sensors, and much more. The course incudes minimal lectures and reading assignments that cover the background material necessary to execute projects and weekly labs. Project milestones include three demos in lieu of exams. Class time is split between lectures and group meetings to work on projects with other students. Cross?listed as 18?410/18?610, the course gives priority to ECE graduate students for 18?610 and ECE undergraduates for 18?410. Although both groups attend joint lectures, 18-610 participants receive more challenging project assignments. Enroll to develop practical semiconductor fabrication skills, master collaborative problem?solving, and contribute to pioneering open?source research at the forefront of technological progress. Join us and help…