International: US-China IRES with Collaborative Research on Nano Crystal Dot Electrostatic Discharge Protection for Integrated Circuits

University Of California-Riverside, Riverside CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award supports an International Research Experiences for Students (IRES) project in China. Participating undergraduate students will engage in research on nano-scale crystal quantum-dot (NC-QD) integrated circuits (ICs) and particularly on electrostatic-discharge failure mechanisms and protection methods for sub-90nm nodes. This is an important and critical research area for the semiconductor industry. The research group in University of California at Riverside will collaborate with Tsinghua University, University of Electronic S&T, Shanghai Jiaotong University, and Huazhong University of S&T, all in China. A total of five US undergraduate students will be involved in this international collaborative research project in each of three years. The annual three-month IRES program consists of two phases: six weeks at Tsinghua University in Beijing and six weeks at a second university in a different Chinese city. The IRES activities include research projects on IC reliability through design and fabrication, joint education sessions, global industrial training and exposure to diversified cultures and social settings in China. IRES seminars are planned in each phase at the host Chinese institutions and back at home for the participating undergraduate students to present their IRES experiences. The language training and cultural experience gained by the students at universities in China will enable them to interact effectively in their future careers in a global setting.