For Release: Immediate – June 6, 2018
Contact: Steve Ference, Director of University Communications
(518) 956-7319 | sference@sunypoly.edu

Unique Program in Semiconductor Processing and Nanomanufacturing Technology to Bolster Highly Educated Workforce for Innovation-Focused Companies in the Region;

Applications Now Being Accepted for Fall 2018

Albany, NY – As part of SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s (SUNY Poly’s) academic mission to provide students with the advanced skills required to find success in New York State’s advanced economy, the institution announced a new degree program: Master of Science in Advanced Technology with a focus on Semiconductor Processing and Nanomanufacturing Technology. This program is unique in the region, providing a strong background in semiconductor processing and the manufacture of nano-based technologies, especially for professionals looking to advance their current high-tech careers.

“SUNY Poly’s M.S. in Advanced Technology is a great example of how SUNY Poly continues to provide the in-depth education that partnering companies and other advanced organizations demand to maintain the most innovative and qualified job candidates,” said Dr. Bahgat Sammakia, Interim President of SUNY Poly. “We are proud that our top-tier faculty and world-class resources will be able to offer this program in response to valuable feedback from area industry to help give professionals in the nanotechnology arena the edge they need to thrive in a challenging, advanced technology-centered career.”

This new, course-based advanced degree program is designed for professionals seeking to expand their knowledge, learn new skills, and advance their careers in the semiconductor industry as well as in other areas of advanced manufacturing. Focusing on the enabling technologies for semiconductor processing and nanomanufacturing, this program uses an applied learning approach, which is centered on topics that include cutting-edge patterning, fabrication, metrology, and device characterization methods for current and next-generation high-volume nanoelectronics manufacturing. Students can gain an unparalleled education from SUNY Poly’s expert faculty and benefit from taking classes at SUNY Poly, where the program leverages the on-site process flow development activities and resources at the Albany NanoTech Complex, in addition to offering a number of convenient evening and online courses.

"We are excited to provide this degree program to further enhance the high-tech workforce and help professionals attain the skills that will strengthen the high-tech industry in the Capital Region, Mohawk Valley, and across New York State,” said Dr. Michael Carpenter, Interim Dean of the SUNY Poly College of Nanoscale Engineering and Technology Innovation and Associate Professor of Nanoengineering. "This program truly is one-of-a-kind for this area, allowing students to target specific areas of knowledge to strengthen or add to their competencies in areas that include Nanoelectronics, semiconductor metrology, and innovation and entrepreneurship in nanotechnology.”

Students who enroll in this exciting program take a number of required courses but can also tailor their remaining courses to gain more focused knowledge in in-demand areas, such as data analytics, metrology, and semiconductors, in addition to being able to take business-related courses. The program focuses on going beyond foundational material to provide hands-on practical experiences that can enable students to succeed in the advanced workplaces that are prevalent throughout Tech Valley and across New York State, providing an ideal educational advancement opportunity for professionals who currently hold bachelor’s of science degrees in one of the physical sciences or an engineering discipline and who may already be working in industry at Tokyo Electron (TEL), GlobalFoundries, IBM, Applied Materials (AMAT), or LAM Research, for example.

“At TEL Technology Center America, we have been a steadfast partner of SUNY Poly as the institution provides the academic background necessary to achieve success in the semiconductor industry,” said Alex Oscilowski, TEL Technology Center America President, and member of the SUNY Poly industry advisement board. “We are eager to see the launch of this new program, which we strongly believe will provide students with even more skills that can help them advance in this highly technical, highly specialized industry, where innovation tends to evolve from a deeper understanding of the materials and processes involved in fabricating computer chips.”

“GLOBALFOUNDRIES relies on its highly qualified, expert workforce to enable our world-class semiconductor foundry. While we are proud to count a number of SUNY Poly alumni among them, we look forward to seeing the potential for a number of our employees to enroll in this M.S. in Advanced Technology program to obtain an even more complete and advanced education in this targeted, critical area,” said George Gomba, Vice President of Technology and Development for GLOBALFOUNDRIES.

The overarching structure of the Semiconductor Processing and Nanomanufacturing Technology curriculum encompasses the design and development of process flows for advanced design rules, material sets, and device architectures at its core. Designated electives allow students to delve further into specific subjects, such as metrology and process control, reliability, lithography, data analytics, optoelectronics, or photonics. The coursework will be supplemented with actual case studies that will teach systematic problem solving methodologies for yield and process issues. In addition, the M.S. in Advanced Technology program will provide a step-by-step approach to following an industry-relevant FINFET process flow, the process with which modern processors are designed and built. This includes courses that will provide hands-on experience in lot tracking and inspection practices over multiple process sectors including lithography, etch, and chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), key processes employed to fabricate computer chips.

SUNY Poly is currently accepting applications through the summer. Students admitted to the program typically have earned an engineering, engineering technology, chemistry, materials science, physics, or similar baccalaureate degree; transfer credits for post-baccalaureate courses or certificates may be considered for awarding advanced standing on a case-by-case basis. For more information about this program, please visit: https://sunypoly.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/ms-advanced-technology.html

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About SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly)

SUNY Poly is New York’s globally recognized, high-tech educational ecosystem. SUNY Poly offers undergraduate and graduate degrees in the emerging disciplines of nanoscience and nanoengineering, as well as cutting-edge nanobioscience and nanoeconomics programs at its Albany campus, and undergraduate and graduate degrees in technology, including engineering, cybersecurity, computer science, and the engineering technologies; professional studies, including business, communication, and nursing; and arts and sciences, including natural sciences, mathematics, humanities, and social sciences at its Utica/Rome campus; thriving athletic, recreational, and cultural programs, events, and activities complement the campus experience. As the world’s most advanced, university-driven research enterprise, SUNY Poly boasts billions of dollars in high-tech investments and hundreds of corporate partners since its inception. For information visit www.sunypoly.edu.