ANNLab Latest Outreach Activities!
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 25th at ASU in Phoenix.
February 2025: Prof. Zafer Mutlu is hosting the "SEMILITHO: Semiconductor Lithography Tool Prototype" capstone project under the Craig M. Berge Engineering Design Program. A passionate team of students from various engineering majors is working together to create a portable tabletop photolithography tool, which will be used for semiconductor outreach activities.
January 2025: In Summer 2025, Prof. Zafer Mutlu will host two non-Arizona undergraduate students through NSF’s Research Experience and Mentoring (REM) program, as part of NewFos Science and Technology Center’s educational and outreach initiatives. The students will receive nano- and micro-fabrication training in the Otpical Sceinces Cleanroom, working closely with Howard Yawit and Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta. Their project will focus on the fabrication and measurement of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, contributing directly to ongoing research efforts within the lab.
December 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu has been 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), set to launch in Spring 2025. We look forward to providing this opportunity to advance student learning and contribute to advancements in semiconductor research.
November 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu attended Microelectronics Commons Annual Meeting and National Semiconductor Technology Center Symposium in Washington, D.C., and presented our semiconductor workforce development and outreach activities at University of Arizona. He also introduced our recent project on developing an interactive training platform for semiconductor manufacturing, part of 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 as an experience for undergraduate students, please check this link.
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 and University of Arizona faculty and students, exploring the role of semiconductors in everyday life. This educational outreach aims to spark curiosity about semiconductor careers among teens and their families. Watch the video here:
July 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu, along with Prof. Weigang Wang, is working to establish the Future Advanced Semiconductor Technology Lab (FASTLAB) in the Physics Department at the University of Arizona, supported by TRIF: Research, Innovation, Impact. Opening in Fall 2025, the lab will offer hands-on learning in fabrication techniques for logic, memory, and communications devices to University of Arizona students, as well as local college and high school students, in a semi-clean cleanroom environment.
July 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu established 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 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: Muhammed Yusufoglu, Howard Yawit, and Richard Holloway, served in Chips and Wafers summer camp in Chandler, Arizona. This camp aims to increase semiconductor career training access for high school students. The group 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 Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing at 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 Arizona Nano Fabrication Center cleanroom. This effort is part of the Digital Resources for Expanding Access to Modernized Semiconductor Laboratory (DREAMS Lab) project, supported by 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: Christina Dinh, Stafford Lorenzo Lewis, Dr. Kentaro Yumigeta, and Muhammed Yusufoglu, contributed to an MRS TV film showcasing research, education, and workforce development in microelectronics and other emerging fields at University of Arizona’s Materials Science and Engineering Department and Center for Semiconductor Manufacturing. The film premiered at 2024 Materials Research Society Spring Meeting. Check it out here.
April 2024: The talks and panel discussions from FUSENANO 2024 Workshop, titled “Molecules to Systems: The Future of Semiconductors with 1D & 2D Nanomaterials,” organized by Prof. Zafer Mutlu is Now Available on YouTube.
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 well representing our group's efforts in semiconductor research and education. The interview can be found here.
March 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu began mentoring three high school students from William B. Travis High School, Stephen F. Austin High School, and Ridge Point High School. The students are working on a project focused on graphene-based wearable electronics, gaining early exposure to advanced research and hands-on experience in a university lab environment.
February 2024: Prof. Zafer Mutlu organized 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 University of Arizona. Through this course, more than 25 students received hands-on training in semiconductor processing at the Arizona Nano Fabrication Center (ANFC). 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 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.
