The Michigan State University College of Engineering offered new summer camps for K-12 students in 2024.
One pilot project was a Semiconductor Camp, which was run by Nelson Sepulveda, professor and interim chair of the MSU Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.
This free residential camp was made possible through a $148,000 grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) awarded to MSU in 2023.
The six-day experience helped incoming ninth graders learn about semiconductors – a fundamental component of everyday electronics. Students saw firsthand how semiconductors can conduct or block electrical currents in modern devices and circuits and how they are used in a wide range of applications found in everything from mobile devices, televisions, cars, sensors and more.
Student teams rotated between a classroom and a cleanroom. They assembled circuits in the classroom and fabricated a micrometer sized sensor in the cleanroom using optical lithography. During their final two days, each team integrated the fabricated microsensor with the circuit they have built in the classroom and created various systems.
“Over the course of this camp, we saw many students become interested in careers involving semiconductors,” said Sepulveda. “At a minimum, I hope that this camp gave them a clearer understanding of what they may want to pursue for a career.”
Sepulveda said participants in next year’s Semiconductor Camp will be incoming 11th grade students.
To read more on camps hosted by MSU Engineering, visit: summer programs.
Written by Maggie Dillon, a student writer and public relations assistant in the MSU College of Engineering Marketing and Communications office.
College of Engineering Media and Public Relations page