Virtual Twins@Birck
Faculty Mentors
-
Zhihong Chen
Description
This team is eligible for senior design.
The semiconductor industry faces increasing challenges as device miniaturization continues, impacting process integrity, material compatibility, and energy efficiency. Addressing these challenges requires industry-wide collaboration and innovative solutions. One promising approach is virtual twins (VTs)—virtual replicas of physical processes that enable real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimization. Virtual twins allow manufacturers to predictively adjust processes, enhancing yield, reducing costs, and accelerating development. This VIP course will address the advanced educational gap in virtual twin technology by creating an interdisciplinary training program that equips students with skills to develop and apply digital twins in semiconductor manufacturing and R&D. Traditional curricula do not cover the full spectrum of materials science, semiconductor cleanroom fabrication, device engineering, data analytics, machine learning, and AI knowledge. Leveraging Purdue University’s advanced facilities at the Birck Nanotechnology Center and industry, Virtual Twins@Birck will immerse students in digital twin technology from concept to practical applications.
Relevant Technologies
Semiconductor cleanroom operations and processes; Advanced CATIA design modules for high-precision 3D modeling and motion analysis of semiconductor tools;
Prerequisite Knowledge/Skills
- Completed or concurrently taking Milestones: 3D EXPERIENCE / CATIA (No prerequisites for the Fall 2025 Virtual Twins@Birck VIP, as we will coordinate with Milestones certification program to offer 3D EXPERIENCE for 8 weeks at the begining).