An Interdisciplinary Program of Engineering and Science

Ken VickersDirector, microEP Graduate Program

Research Professor, Physicsvickers@uark.edu 501 575-2875

1. Program Scope2. Program History3. Philosophy4. Curriculum issues

5. PhD Candidacy Exam6. Student Results7. Implementation Barriers8. Summary

Scope of microEP Research(also known as living in the boundary layers)

[110]

[1-10]

50º 30º

30º

(a)

15nm

from NanoscaleQuantum Dots andDevices…

…to 3-dimensional HighTemperature Superconducting

Electronic-Photonic Systems

History of microEP Program

08/9703/9806/9806/9907/9908/9905/0006/0007/0008/0008/0008/0009/00 12/0001/0102/0102/01

NSF EPSCoR grant (Ultra-Fast Electronics/Interdisciplinary Ed)Program Director hired (Ken Vickers, Engineering Manager, TI)Cohort 1 formed: Eleven BS graduatesCohort 2 formed: Eight BS graduates, four MS graduatesMS Microelectronics-Photonics (microEP) fully approvedmicroEP is educational base for UA 1999 NSF IGERT awardmicroEP Program Specialist hired (IGERT funding)Cohort 3 formed: Nine BS graduates, seven MS graduatesPhD microEP fully approvedmicroEP is research/ed base for UA 2000 NSF MRSEC awardmicroEP is concentration area for UA 2000 NSF PFI awardSix Cohort 1 students enter industrymicroEP is educational model for UA 2000 FIPSE (Physics)Four Cohort 1 students enter industry, one continues for PhDmicroEP Accountant hired (FIPSE funded)microEP Education Outreach Director hired (MRSEC funded)microEP Innovation Incubator Director hired (FPI/FIPSE funded)

Comparison of Industrial and Academic Research and Work Practices

1. Management aligned job goals support group goals/objectives.

2. Creative work is balanced between management assigned tasks and self defined tasks.

3. Work hours are set in a coordinated fashion to optimize group performance.

4. Technical organizations require staff to work at a common location to support ad-hoc work groups.

5. Compensation systems first reward group performance, then reward individual contribution.

6. Not collaborating in problem solving is viewed as a negative attribute in technical personnel.

1. Job goal alignment is voluntary to other departmental efforts.

2. Creative work is self defined, with possible voluntary collaborations on large projects.

3. Faculty work hours are self scheduled to meet personal goals and institutional assignments.

4. Faculty independently set hours between home and campus to meet needs and office hours.

5. Compensation systems reward individual accomplishments, not departmental success.

6. Student collaborations are not allowed in typical class room or research efforts.

Enhancement of Traditional Graduate Degrees through microEP Program Methods

Traditional Departmental Education

Technical Knowledge•Core classes in undergrad dept•Most electives in department•Few other technical electives

Research Methods•Slow student initiated linkage to research prof•Professor’s group meetings

Team Skills•Project teams in classes

Supplemental microEP Elements

Technical Knowledge•Core of interdisciplinary classes•Applied technical electives•Business classes

Research Methods•Design of Experiments class during summer•Quick assignment to research prof•Formal research project plan

Team Skills•Pseudo-industry engineering group•Weekly operations management seminars

Invention and innovation•Individual mentoring within research group

Invention and Innovation •Summer inventiveness workshops•Personality and learning methods mapping•Intro summer camp for all microEP students

Results in

Sound technical graduate degree•Broadened technical knowledge•Rapid acclimation to first job•Early leadership roles•Earlier significant personal success

Areas of Emphasis for curriculum definition

• Photonics – The study of light and its interaction with matter• Microelectronics – The study of electronic devices and systems at

the micro and nanoscopic level• Materials and Processing – The study of the science and

engineering necessary to fabricate microelectronic-photonic devices and systems

Matrix of classes required by Area of Emphasis

Primary Area of Emphasis

Second Area of Emphasis

Third Area of Emphasis

Technology Management

MS One One One One

PhD Six Two One Two

microEP Program Curriculum Planning

Traditional University of Arkansas Science/Engineering Process• Research proposal presented to committee for review.• Written exam based on content of specific undergraduate and

graduate course knowledge content.• Oral examination by faculty of all subject matter.

Experimental microEP approach• To provide guidance to student and faculty on likelihood of

student’s success in PhD studies.• Research proposal in NSF format submitted to committee, and

presented in open forum for comments and approval.• Written exam is a scenario based complex technology problem

• One week duration (spring break), answer limited to 15 pages• Open written resource, no discussion allowed• Includes technical solution, implementation method, etc.• Oral presentation may be required by committee if needed

PhD Candidacy Examination Practice

microEP Cohort 3 (AY 2000-2001)Career prior to microEP program application

Career prior to student entering microEP programNumber of

Students

Graduated from UA Engineering BS 2

Graduated from UA Engineering MS 1

Graduated from UA Applied Physics MS 1

Transfer from other university Material Science PhD program 1

Return to school from industry career 5

Graduated from other university Engineering BS 2

Graduated from other university Engineering MS 2

Graduated from other university Physics BS 1

Student Prior Degree vs Maj Prof DeptIGERT Fellows/Total microEP Students

Faculty

StudentPhysics ME ChE EE Chem Open

Physics/Apld Phy 3/8 1 4

Mechanical Eng 3/5 1/2

Chemical Eng 1.5 1/3 0.5

Electrical Eng 1/2 1 1/4

Material Science 1 1/1

Optical Eng 2

Math 1/1 1

Careers of microEP Cohort 1 Graduates

Candita Meek BS EE/MS microEP Texas Instruments Product EngJorge Vega BS EE/MS microEP Motorola, Device EngMuhammad Anser BS Physics/MS microEP Amer. Microsystems, Wafer Fab EngAlfred Estevez BS Physics/MS microEP Texas Instruments, DLP Product EngBrian Hart BS Physics/MS microEP Lucent, Optical Design EngBarry James BS Math/MS microEP Texas Instruments, Yield EngineerShi Yan BS EE/MS microEP Intel, IC Design Systems EngRoger Owings BS EE/MS microEP Entergy Corp, Systems EngWee Lee Ng BS ChE/MS microEP Texas Instruments, IC Packaging EngYue Fan BS Mat Sci/MS microEP Intel, IC Design Systems EngClayton Workman BS EE/MS microEP PhD microEP student

Rick Wise, Texas Instruments Fellow

“This is the type of training that we need in Ph.D. graduates for them to be immediately successful in our advanced development facilities.”

Barriers to success

• Student academic metrics based on individual performance• Graduate research required to be individual effort• Faculty reward and recognition based on individual performance• Resources required for “extra” industrial experience are high

Requirements to overcome barriers

• University-level administrators support general concepts• Program manager’s passionate belief in the program need• Program manager assigned only to program during startup phase• Program manager practiced in industrial teamwork atmosphere• Financial seed money support is critical• Customer feedback (industry) must be continuous

microEP Style Program Institutional Barriers to Implementation

Contact:Contact: Ken Vickers, DirectorKen Vickers, Director

Co-PI’sCo-PI’s Greg Salamo, Len Schaper Greg Salamo, Len Schaper

Phone:Phone: 501 575-2875/3175501 575-2875/3175

Email:Email: microEP@cavern.uark.edumicroEP@cavern.uark.edu

Sponsors:Sponsors: NSF IGERT & EPSCoR NSF IGERT & EPSCoR

Ark Science &Tech Auth.Ark Science &Tech Auth.

Degrees:Degrees: MS/PhD microEPMS/PhD microEP

http://www.uark.edu/depts/microephttp://www.uark.edu/depts/microep

MissionMission

University of Arkansas Graduate Program in Microelectronics-Photonics

An Interdisciplinary Program between Engineering and Science

• Summer creativity workshops• Interdisciplinary curriculum• Entrepreneurial methods seminars• Pseudo industrial work group environment

New TacticsNew Tactics

The educational objective of the microEP program is a graduate fully prepared to drive the advancement of the combination of microelectronics and photonics. A rigorous interdisciplinary graduate technical education, including soft skills training, will be used to accomplish this mission.

• Early research internships• International internships• Soft skills training and practice