Experimental Learnings
Micron Educator Hub
The Micron Educator Hub continues to expand as a valuable resource for educators and students, offering industry-aligned learning materials across semiconductor manufacturing, AI, memory technology, and STEM education. Recent additions over the past three months include modules on photolithography fabrication, data science in memory manufacturing, a comprehensive AI glossary, high-bandwidth memory engineering reports, the 2025 Sustainability report, and K-12 STEM activities like cookie wafer fabrication and SSD building exercises.
Upcoming content will cover problem-solving methodologies (5 Whys), supply chain analytics, neural networks for K-12, dry etch processes, and advanced AI concepts including attention mechanisms and storage-focused glossary terms. All materials are free, open-access, regularly reviewed for relevance, and designed to help educators enhance their curricula with real-world semiconductor industry applications available at micron.com/EducatorHub.
Senior Design Project
Undergraduate senior design project mentorship serves as a cornerstone of Virginia Tech's UPWARDS program, providing students with hands-on exposure to cutting-edge semiconductor industry and academic developments during their final year. Ph.D. student Muhammad Farhan Azmine leads weekly discussions for one ongoing project focused on quantum dot laser process development, running from August 2025 to May 2026 with support from cleanroom manager Don Leber and subject matter expert Purv Bavishi under Dr. Luke Lester's guidance.
Recent completed projects showcased at Virginia Tech's Major Design Experience (MDE) Expos include "A Germanium Laser for Future Quantum Technologies," which investigated ε-Ge/InGaAs quantum well laser structures for mid-infrared integrated photonics applications, and "Simulation of Thermal Transport in Resistive Memory Arrays," which addressed thermal management challenges in ReRAM devices with Ph.D. student support. Most recently, at the April 2025 MDE Expo, a UPWARDS-supported team presented their work on designing and fabricating a quantum dot single-mode laser for telecom applications, successfully demonstrating that S-bend waveguide structures effectively suppress higher-order modes through analytical modeling, Lumerical simulation, and physical device fabrication using deposition and wet etching techniques.