Short courses to support growth within the semiconductor sector

21st September 2023

Are you interested in skills to support the semiconductor industry? Could you, or your organisation, benefit from some short courses to help upskill and reskill those working in the sector?

As part of CSconnected Strength in Places Fund (SiPF), Cardiff University is coordinating the development and delivery of a suite of short courses designed to support the CPD needs of CSconnected, the compound semiconductor cluster in South Wales. Courses are a combination of online and in-person bite-sized introductions to key areas of the industry. They have been created in consultation and partnership with companies in the CSconnected cluster to ensure they are relevant and useful.

The first of these courses is already live and open for bookings - ‘Cleanroom Protocols’. Five further courses are in development and will be launched over the coming months – and it’s intended that others will follow.

Cleanroom Protocols

Open for bookings – monthly intake - ideal for new starters as part of induction training.

An online course that takes approximately 1 hour to complete.

This course provides an overview of what it is like to work in a cleanroom environment for nanoscale production. It covers typical working practices as well as general principles for safe working.

Topics covered:

The international classification standards of cleanroom
The variety of cleanrooms in which different organisations operate
What the different classifications mean in terms of typical working practices
The general principles of working in a cleanroom environment, including:
- How to gown up correctly
- How to enter the cleanroom correctly
- How to clean tools correctly
- Expected behaviour
- How to work in a clean way
- The cleanroom air flow and filtration process
General health & safety risks of working in a cleanroom environment, including how to work safely with different chemicals
Dealing with general health and safety incidents, such as chemical spills and gas/fire alarms.

Upcoming courses

Course	Status	Delivery	Overview
Introduction to Compound Semiconductor Electronics	In development. Launching in late 2023	Blended - online materials plus supplementary live session (in-person)	Introduces the technology of compound semiconductor electronics and its applications.
Introduction to Compound Semiconductor Photonics	In development. Launching in late 2023	Blended - online materials plus supplementary live session (in-person)	Introduces compound semiconductor photonics technology and its applications.
Introduction to the Theory of Etching	In development. Launching early 2024	In-person (with potential to convert some content to online)	Introduces the theory of wet and dry (or plasma) etching and provides a foundation knowledge and understanding of this part of the wafer fabrication process.
Introduction to the Theory of Wire Bonding	In development. Launching early 2024	In-person (with potential to convert some content to online)	Will upskill participants in a theoretical knowledge of the wire bonding process, to help appreciation of how wire bonding equipment works and inform better decision making when developing for the wire bonding process.
Understanding the Semiconductor Supply Chain	In development. Launching 2024	To be confirmed	Aims to increase overall awareness of the different stages of the semiconductor/compound semiconductor supply chain, helping staff to make better decisions within their own roles.

About CSconnected Strength in Places Fund (SiPF)

CSconnected is the world’s first compound semiconductor cluster based in and around South Wales (UK).CSconnected SIPF is a 55-month project with a total value of £43 million, supported by £25 million of government funding provided through UK Research and Innovation’s flagship Strength in Places Fund.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the CPD courses on offer/in development, please contact Kate.