Deposition
Adding a filmOnline
Material is added to the wafer a few atoms at a time; the method decides what the film can do.
At the WNF
SputterEvaporationALDPECVDOxidation
Washington Nanofabrication Facility,University of Washington
ChipReady.org × University of Washington
Introduction to Semiconductor Manufacturing and Cleanroom Lab Workshop
Learn how a chip is made, then spend a day inside the cleanroom where UW researchers and companies make real devices.
For students and working professionals · No prior knowledge required · Self-paced
Enroll for free About a minute
3 hours online
Deposition · Lithography · Etch · Metrology
One day in Seattle
Inside the UW cleanroom
Nov 2026
First cohort starts
How the program works
Four short online modules
Deposition, lithography, etch, metrology — about 3 hours, at your own pace.
One day in the cleanroom
Suited up in the Washington Nanofabrication Facility (WNF), watching its engineers run each tool.
A certificate of completion
Jointly signed by ChipReady.org and the Washington Nanofabrication Facility at the University of Washington. Add it to your LinkedIn profile or résumé.
How a chip is made
Deposition
Adding a film
Lithography
Printing the pattern
Etch
Taking material away
Metrology
Measuring the result
Silicon wafer Deposited film Photoresist
Deposit, print, etch — then measure, after every step. A chip is that cycle repeated tens of times over, and those four steps are the four modules.
What you’ll learn
Four online modules, all required before the lab day. By the end you’ll be able to:
- Follow a wafer through every step of making a chip, and say why the steps come in that order
- Explain how a film is grown, a pattern printed and material etched away, and what each method is good for
- Read thickness, alignment and dimension measurements as a process-control signal
- Walk into a working cleanroom and say what each tool is for
See the four modules What each one does to the wafer, and the tools you’ll see run at the WNF. Open ↓ Close ↑
See the four modules
What each one does to the wafer, and the tools you’ll see run at the WNF.
Lithography
Printing the patternOnline
The circuit pattern is put onto the wafer through resist, light and development — the step that sets the limit on everything else.
At the WNF
Contact alignerDirect-write laserElectron-beam
Etch
Taking material awayOnline
Wet chemistry or plasma removes what the pattern exposed; the profile you get is the whole point.
At the WNF
Wet etchPlasma etchVapor etchDRIE
Metrology
Measuring the resultOnline
Thickness, alignment and dimensions are checked after every step, so a fault is caught before the next layer goes on.
At the WNF
ReflectometryEllipsometryProfilometrySEM
Ready to enroll?
About a minute.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really free? Who pays?
Yes. There is no tuition, no fee and nothing to pay at any stage. The program is funded through a federal semiconductor workforce initiative; ChipReady.org and the University of Washington contribute the training, the facility and staff time. Your cleanroom suit, materials and lunch on the lab day are provided. Travel to Seattle and any overnight stay are your own arrangement.
How do the online modules work, and how long do they take?
Each is a recorded lesson from an instructor with exercises and a short quiz, about 30 to 45 minutes. All four take about three hours, spread however you like within your cohort’s window. You need 80% on each quiz, with two attempts; if you miss, you retake the module with no penalty. All four are required before the lab day.
What happens on the lab day?
You spend six to eight hours inside the cleanroom at the Washington Nanofabrication Facility, in a cleanroom suit, watching WNF engineers run the tools behind all four modules. The day opens with an hour of safety and logistics, then a morning session, lunch, and an afternoon session. Bring nothing but yourself. You must be 18 or older to enter the cleanroom.
Are places limited?
Yes. About eight people can be inside the cleanroom at once and see the demonstrations properly, and lab days run roughly once a month. Enroll anyway — we place people in date order, and if the next lab day is full you go into the following one. We confirm your date by email.
Where is the lab, and how do I get there?
On the University of Washington’s Seattle campus. Once your date is confirmed we send the building, where to arrive, and public transit options. Travel from outside the Seattle area is your own arrangement.
Will this get me a job? Is it university credit?
Neither, and we’d rather say so than oversell it. The program provides training and a certificate of completion; it does not include job placement and does not guarantee employment, interviews or referrals, and the certificate is not academic credit toward a UW degree. What it gives you is a working understanding of how chips are made, a day inside a professional cleanroom, and a certificate — specific experience you can point to on an application. And if you’re still deciding whether this industry is for you, it’s a good way to find out.
What happens to my details?
We use them to place you in a cohort, confirm your lab date and stay in touch. We report participation to the organization funding the program as numbers — how many enrolled, how many completed each part — never your personal details. We collect no demographic data and never sell your details. We share them only where the program requires it, such as with the WNF for cleanroom access. You’ll also be asked for a short survey after the modules and after the lab day; that is program evaluation, not research.
Inside the Washington Nanofabrication Facility
The cleanroom you would be standing in, and the tools you would watch being run. These are photographs of the facility itself.
Photographs courtesy of the Washington Nanofabrication Facility, University of Washington. Select any photograph to see it larger.