The RIT Semiconductor & Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory: Challenges in Supporting a Growing Research Agenda

The RIT Semiconductor & Microsystems Fabrication Laboratory (SMFL) has 10,000 sq. ft. of class 1000 clean room space, and provides fabrication resources for CMOS and MEMS devices on 100 & 150 mm silicon substrates. The primary mission of the facility, since its completion in 1986, is to provide support to the academic programs in microelectronic engineering. This support is for both teaching laboratories that are integral to the curriculum, as well as senior projects and graduate research activities. The process toolset is comprehensive, including ion implantation and e-beam maskmaking systems; tools not typically found in university laboratories. This enables all process sequences to be done completely "in house", providing our students with the unique hands-on experience of integrated circuit fabrication from design to final test. Around a decade ago RIT introduced a Ph.D. program in Microsystems Engineering, which was around a decade after RIT had introduced its first Ph.D. program in Imaging Science. Since that time the emphasis on research at RIT has increased dramatically, with the current number of Ph.D. programs at six. The priorities in support of research in the micro/nano arena (microsystems, nanophotonics, nanoelectronics, etc.) are quite different than the priorities in support of educational programs in microelectronic engineering. The teaching labs require process capabilities that are representative of what the students will see or use in an industrial facility, and cover all aspects of CMOS fabrication. While research activities may utilize CMOS processes, they also typically involve specialized tooling to do specific processes that do not necessarily benefit a significant fraction of the lab users. Faculty investigators may bring in funding for unique capabilities for their research, however, they typically do not bring in funding to help upgrade general-use process equipment, nor are they accustomed to securing equipment acquisitions through donations by industrial affiliates. In 2001 the decision to operate the SMFL as a separate unit outside of the Microelectronic Engineering Department was made by the administration in an attempt to expand the user base to other departments in engineering and science, and to support specific research initiatives. This began a series of changes in the operation of the SMFL, and presented several challenges involved with supporting research activities while ensuring that the quality of the services provided to the educational programs was not compromised. Internal funds have been provided to a number of research groups that utilize the SMFL resources, while the funds allocated for SMFL infrastructure and equipment upgrades has decreased significantly. In addition to financial considerations, there has also been an allocation of space to investigators for research activity in what was formerly general-use space. These trends have resulted in increased expenses associated with researchers who are not broad-spectrum users of the SMFL, and therefore do not pay significant lab fees to support the overall lab operations. While these trends are somewhat counterproductive, we have been successful in maintaining our facility and upgrading our toolset while continuing to provide a quality lab experience to our students. As times change and priorities evolve there must be certain concessions and compromises in order to support new initiatives while continuing to advance the state of the facility for the benefit of all lab users. This presentation will provide a reflection on the past, an update on the present, and a look toward the future of the SMFL at RIT.