ASU's Polytechnic campus $6 million Microelectronics Teaching Factory is heralding a new approach to educating students and preparing them for direct entry into the global semiconductor work force.

ASU President Michael Crow joined representatives from companies including Intel, Motorola and Microchip on October 29, 2002 in dedicating the microchip fabrication facility, which is the cornerstone of the Electronics Engineering Technology program's microelectronics concentration.

"The Microelectronics Teaching Factory is an example of how technology teaching can be linked with the practicalities of the world," said Crow. "Students will work and learn together, focusing on challenges and issues they will face daily in the work force."

The 15,000-square-foot, Class-100 cleanroom provides students hands-on experience in the design, development and production of microchips, which are the heart of everything from personal computers and cell phones to automobiles and airplanes.

Leading semiconductor companies have partnered with ASU's Polytechnic campus to produce graduates who possess the skills and discipline needed for immediate employment. An advisory board, made up of representatives from higher education and global semiconductor corporations, guides and validate the MTFcurriculum and programs in the factory.