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Photolithography is used to create microelectromechanical systems devices
At the Southwest Center for Microsystems Education (SCME), a U.S. National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education center, technicians receive education in photolithography, a critical process used to create microelectromechanical systems devices in sensors and other products.
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SCME offers technician education enrichment programs to support microsystems research, design, fabrication and commercialization; provides professional development opportunities ranging from one-day introductory workshops to one-week microsensor and actuator fabrication experiences in a research grade microsystems clean room; creates and promulgates educational materials and models for microsystems and STEM education; and collaborates with synergistic educational, government and industry organizations to identify and meet emerging technology workforce needs. The center is located at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.
About NSF's ATE Program
With an emphasis on two-year colleges, NSF's ATE program focuses on the education of technicians for the high-tech fields that drive our nation's economy. ATE involves partnerships between academic institutions and employers to promote improvement in the education of science and engineering technicians at the undergraduate and secondary school levels. ATE supports curriculum development; professional development of college faculty and secondary school teachers; career pathways to two-year colleges from secondary schools and from two-year colleges to four-year institutions; and other activities. Another goal is articulation between two-year and four-year programs for K-12 prospective teachers that focus on technological education. The program also invites proposals focusing on research to advance the knowledge base related to technician education.
This image appeared in the ATE Centers Impact 2011 report, which was prepared by the ATE centers with support from NSF grant DUE 1040932, awarded to the Academic and Student Affairs Division of the Maricopa Community Colleges. The full report can be viewed Here. To learn more about SCME, visit the center's website Here. (Date of Image: 2010-11)
Credit: Photo from ATE Centers Impact 2011 (www.atecenters.org)
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