Lam Research and NY Creates have announced a collaboration aimed at training roughly 3,500 students in semiconductor process integration over the next five years. NY Creates is a New York-based nonprofit that owns and operates the Albany NanoTech Complex, described as the most advanced nonprofit-led 300mm semiconductor R&D facility in North America. Under the partnership, Lam's SEMulator3D virtual fabrication software, part of its Semiverse Solutions portfolio, will be used to deliver hands-on training across NY Creates' network of partner colleges and universities throughout the Northeast.
The collaboration addresses a growing challenge in the semiconductor industry: as chip technology advances, companies increasingly need engineers with real hands-on experience in process integration, meaning understanding how the many individual steps of chip manufacturing fit together, but most universities can't provide that experience because building and running an actual chip fabrication facility is prohibitively expensive. This partnership is meant to close that gap by bringing industry-grade virtual fabrication tools directly into academic programs at scale, without requiring students to have access to a physical cleanroom.
David Fried, chief AI officer and corporate vice president for Semiverse Solutions at Lam Research, said preparing the next generation of semiconductor engineers requires more than classroom instruction alone, and that students need practical experience with the complex process decisions involved in making advanced chips. He said giving students access to SEMulator3D is expected to help them build critical process integration skills before they ever set foot in an actual fab.
SEMulator3D is a semiconductor process modeling platform that uses physics-based simulation to virtually recreate fabrication steps like etching, deposition, and lithography across a full manufacturing flow, letting students design, analyze, and optimize chip manufacturing processes without needing physical wafers. By seeing how individual manufacturing steps interact with each other and the tradeoffs involved in building advanced chip structures, students can move past simply learning what happens during chip manufacturing to understanding why specific process decisions get made. Lam says integrating SEMulator3D into engineering coursework can speed up learning and give students a deeper understanding of the complexities involved in manufacturing chips at both current and future technology nodes.
Dr. Robert Geer, NY Creates' vice president for education and workforce development, said Lam's Semiverse Solutions bring world-class virtual fabrication capabilities directly into partner institutions, giving students across the Northeast access to immersive, hands-on learning that prepares them directly for careers in advanced semiconductor manufacturing, while also strengthening the regional talent pipeline the industry needs.
The program is intended to advance semiconductor workforce development across NY Creates' broader network of programs and partner colleges and universities, combining academic partnerships with industry-aligned education in advanced manufacturing and process integration. Specifically, the collaboration aims to expand curriculum by developing coursework aligned with advanced logic technologies and modern fabrication processes; enable hands-on virtual learning at scale by using SEMulator3D to teach complex device architectures across NY Creates' full workforce development network; and support broader regional workforce goals by aligning with state and regional initiatives, including the National Network for Microelectronics Education (NNME) Northeast. NY Creates serves as the regional node lead for NNME, helping coordinate collaboration and industry alignment efforts across the broader Northeast semiconductor ecosystem.
