ANNLab Outreach Activities
ANNLab connects semiconductor research to students at every level — middle-school workshops, high-school camps, community college programs, undergraduate research experiences, and open educational resources used well beyond the University of Arizona.
August 2026: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave an invited lecture on nanoelectronics and the future of semiconductors at the 2026 Arizona Quantum Bootcamp, University of Arizona.
July 2026: ANNLab deployed an AR spin-coating training module in FASTLab with Prof. Mehmet E. Belviranli (Colorado School of Mines) — built and run by Jack Hall (Mines) and Howard Yawit (ANNLab) — used this summer to train NSF NewFoS REM undergraduates.
June 2026: ANNLab welcomed two undergraduate students, John Keleman and Luke Thoresen, for a two-month summer internship in the design, fabrication, and characterization of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices for advanced RF applications, through the NSF New Frontiers of Sound (NewFoS) Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) Program. They worked under the close mentorship of Ph.D. student Howard Yawit and received full training in cleanroom protocols, semiconductor processing, and device fabrication techniques.
March 2026: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave a talk on RF devices as part of the NewFoS Center’s educational initiatives during the virtual Community College Research Workshop.
March 2026: Prof. Zafer Mutlu was featured in University of Arizona news for leading hands-on semiconductor process training at the NanoFabrication Core Facility.
January 2026: Prof. Zafer Mutlu taught the Semiconductor Processing Laboratory course in Spring 2026 in the newly renovated cleanroom at the University of Arizona, where students gained hands-on experience ranging from new equipment setup and qualification to electronic device fabrication and characterization.
December 2025: The SEMILITHO Semiconductor Lithography Tool Prototype capstone team has released a video highlighting their progress. The project was executed under the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program, based on the idea and technical direction of faculty sponsor Prof. Zafer Mutlu. Watch the video.
November 2025: FASTLab is featured in BizTucson. FASTLab (Future Advanced Semiconductor Technology Laboratory), co-led by Prof. Zafer Mutlu and Prof. Weigang Wang, is based in the University of Arizona Physics Department and provides hands-on training in the fabrication of logic, memory, quantum, and communication devices for next-generation semiconductor research and education.
October 2025: The Microelectronics and Advanced Packaging Technologies (MAPT) Roadmap 2.0 has been released by the Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC). Prof. Zafer Mutlu contributed to the Workforce Development chapter, which sets out a framework for strengthening the semiconductor talent pipeline through education, training, and industry collaboration, and to the Digital Processing chapter.
October 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu presented ARCA (Augmented Reality Cleanroom Assistant) at SEMICON West 2025, held October 7–9, 2025, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. ARCA is a training platform that makes cleanroom training more immersive, engaging, and widely available for semiconductor workforce development. The project is supported by the Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub.
August 2025: This summer, ANNLab welcomed one undergraduate student from Wayne State University and two from the University of Arizona for a two-month internship in semiconductor and microelectronics research. The program was part of the NSF NewFoS REM Program. Under the mentorship of Ph.D. student Howard Yawit, with support from Postdoctoral Research Associate Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta, the interns learned to design and fabricate surface acoustic wave devices and gained hands-on experience in their characterization. They also received full training in cleanroom protocols, semiconductor processing, and device fabrication techniques.
🏅 Award Update — April 2025: The SEMILITHO capstone team secured 3rd Place in the 22nd UA/ASU Materials Bowl Competition. The winning project was developed based on the idea and technical direction of faculty sponsor Prof. Zafer Mutlu. Congratulations to presenters Maryah (Materials Science and Engineering) and Nataly (Systems and Industrial Engineering) for their outstanding work on “SEMILITHO: Semiconductor Lithography Tool Prototype.”
April 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave a presentation on telecommunications, focusing on microchips in the U.S., as part of the NewFoS Center’s educational activities during the Community College Research Workshop, held online. The session aimed to introduce students to cutting-edge research in STEM and highlight career pathways in topological acoustics, telecommunications, semiconductors, and microelectronics. More than 40 students from across the U.S. participated in the workshop.
March 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu joined as a speaker and panelist for Shape the Future with SWAP Hub on Workforce Development Day, held on March 25 at ASU in Phoenix.
December 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu was selected for the Course-based Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) program. This grant will support the development of an online Semiconductor Processing Laboratory course, featuring a specialized Semiconductor-sector CURE (S-CURE), which launched in Spring 2025. The course advances student learning and contributes to semiconductor research.
November 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu attended the Microelectronics Commons Annual Meeting and National Semiconductor Technology Center Symposium in Washington, D.C., and presented our semiconductor workforce development activities at the University of Arizona. He also introduced our recent project on developing an interactive training platform for semiconductor manufacturing, part of the Southwest Advanced Prototyping (SWAP) Hub.
August 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave a presentation on undergraduate student research and education at the University of Arizona during the S-CURE Development Workshop for Faculty. Thanks to Prof. Kevin Bonine, Executive Director of Undergraduate Research and Scholar Development in the Office of the Provost, for the kind invitation. This workshop was aimed at faculty interested in developing a semiconductor-sector course-based undergraduate research experience. If you are interested in creating such an experience for undergraduate students, see the Undergraduate Research & Inquiry Collaborative.
August 2024: Proud of Alexandra Winkelman, a chemical engineering undergraduate researcher, who recently completed her internship at TSMC and is featured in the TSMC 2024 Summer Intern Experiences video. She is passionate about semiconductors and serves as an excellent role model for future engineers and scientists.
July 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu contributed to the short film “Semiconductor U.S.A.,” sponsored by the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing. The film features 8th graders from Booth Fickett Middle School alongside University of Arizona faculty and students, exploring the role of semiconductors in everyday life. This educational product aims to spark curiosity about semiconductor careers among teens and their families. Watch the video.
July 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu established the Advanced Nanoelectronics & Nanostructures Group Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) team to attract and engage students in the semiconductor field through hands-on, long-term research experiences. The VIP program connects undergraduate and graduate students with active research groups, offering a multidisciplinary learning environment that supports leadership development, peer mentoring, and faculty collaboration on real-world semiconductor projects. This effort is supported by a Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) Program Catalyst Seed Fund Award, which has helped lay the foundation for a sustainable pipeline of student involvement in semiconductor research and innovation.
June 2024: ANNLab members served in the Chips and Wafers summer camp in Chandler, Arizona. This camp aims to increase access to semiconductor career training for high school students. They provided demonstrations and contributed to the camp’s success.
May 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu gave a mini workshop on semiconductors for a group of enthusiastic middle-school students and teachers from Booth Fickett Middle School at the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing at the University of Arizona.
May 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, together with students from the “Semiconductor Processing Laboratory” (MSE 447L/547L) course, created a series of educational online videos on semiconductor manufacturing, filmed inside the NanoFabrication Core Facility cleanroom. This effort is part of the Digital Resources for Expanding Access to Modernized Semiconductor Laboratory (DREAMS Lab) project, supported by the Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing. The video content was instrumental in launching an online version of the Semiconductor Processing Laboratory course in Spring 2025, and has also been used, and continues to be used, to help community college instructors develop and teach semiconductor-related courses.
April 2024: ANNLab members contributed to an MRS TV film showcasing research, education, and workforce development in microelectronics and other emerging fields at the University of Arizona’s Materials Science and Engineering Department and Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing. The film premiered at the 2024 Materials Research Society Spring Meeting. Watch the film.
March 2024: Christina Dinh was featured in an interview with KGUN-TV in Tucson, where she highlighted, “Once you’re in the cleanroom, you could be like, oh, this is what this machine does.” We thank Christina for representing ANNLab’s work in semiconductor research and education so well. Read the interview.
February 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu organized the FUSENANO 2024 Workshop in Tucson, AZ, bringing together students and professionals from academia, industry, and government to engage in conversations around semiconductor research and innovation. A key component of the event was the student poster session, where undergraduate and graduate students showcased their research and had the opportunity to network directly with experts in the field. The workshop provided a platform to highlight student talent, encourage collaboration, and strengthen connections between the university and the broader semiconductor community.
January 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu reintroduced and modernized “Semiconductor Processing Laboratory” (MSE 447L/547L) in Spring 2024, offering the course for the first time in nearly 10 years at the University of Arizona. Through this course, more than 25 students received hands-on training in semiconductor processing at the NanoFabrication Core Facility. The course is set to continue in future semesters. Its goal is to prepare students for careers in semiconductor research and the microelectronics industry by providing direct experience with the tools and processes used in the field.
✅ Funding Update — February 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, Principal Investigator, has received a grant from the University of Arizona Foundation Board of Trustees, awarded through the Small Grants Committee’s University Strategic Priority Awards. The funded project, titled “Research Initiative for Semiconductors at the University of Arizona (RISE Arizona),” aims to attract, train, and prepare students and researchers for impactful careers in semiconductor research and the semiconductor industry.
January 2023: Prof. Zafer Mutlu was an invited panelist at the Academic Panel on Microelectronics Training Needs during the 2023 Microelectronics Education and Workforce Development (MEWD) Workshop held at ASU. He contributed insights on addressing the evolving educational and workforce demands in the field of microelectronics, highlighting the importance of academic-industry collaboration.
