Are you a fan of semiconductors? We’re willing to bet you are, even if you’re not sure what they are or what they do. You can think of them as the tiny chips that power pretty much everything electronic in the modern world. Televisions, smartphones, computers, cameras, automobiles…the list goes on and on. In fact, it’s probably easier to list the things in your daily life that DON’T rely on semiconductors.
Not all semiconductors are created equal, however. A basic scientific calculator doesn’t require the latest and greatest in semiconductor technology. Your smartphone, though? It needs the smallest, thinnest, most powerful semiconductors that modern manufacturing facilities (known as “chip fabs”) can produce. But guess what? Even those smartphone semiconductors pale in comparison to new semiconductors being developed for extreme applications.
A recent Manufacturing.net article explains that Raytheon has announced a new contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) “to develop foundational ultra-wide bandgap semiconductors (UWBGS) based on diamond and aluminum nitride technology. These semiconductors could revolutionize semiconductor electronics, increasing power delivery and thermal management in sensors and other applications.”
What kind of applications would need such specialized semiconductors? Raytheon’s Advanced Technology team indicates that its “goal is to spearhead the development of these materials towards devices that are well suited for both existing and future radar and communication systems with extended capability and range, including cooperative sensing, electronic warfare, directed energy, and circuitry in high-speed weapon systems such as hypersonics.”
According to the article, “[t]he unique material properties of UWBGS offer several advantages over traditional semiconductor technologies, enabling highly compact, ultra-high power radio frequency switches, limiters, and power amplifiers. Their high thermal conductivity also allows the ability to operate at higher temperatures and in more extreme environments.”
This exciting new semiconductor work “will take place at Raytheon’s foundry in Andover, Massachusetts.” This increase in domestic semiconductor manufacturing continues the trend experts have seen in increased semiconductor manufacturing across the U.S. after passage of the Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors (CHIPS) and Science Act (“CHIPS Act”) during the summer of 2022.
The resurgence of semiconductor manufacturing in the U.S. faces hurdles common to other sectors, namely finding enough highly skilled workers to staff these modern facilities filled with advanced automation technologies. Employers must not only find new skilled workers, but also must often upskill current workers to teach them the new skills they need to effectively work alongside advanced equipment.
For those interested in establishing a pipeline of skilled talent for future chip fabs, the task of training the next generation of semiconductor technicians might seem like a daunting challenge. Fortunately, educational institutions and industry partners don’t need to recreate the wheel.
Amatrol’s unique combination of real industrial training equipment paired with cutting-edge eLearning curriculum can be used to create a modern semiconductor technician training program that will set up students for success.
With over 30 years of experience, Amatrol remains the world’s leader in technical education. The experts at Amatrol regularly guide educational institutions and industry clients through the process of customizing training programs to achieve specific goals.
For more information about how Amatrol can help you inspire and train the next generation of semiconductor manufacturing workers, visit the Amatrol website to download the Amatrol 2024 Semiconductor Manufacturing Career Playbook.
