UB hosts one of the world's leading semiconductor manufacturers

By Peter Murphy

The University at Buffalo’s Center for Industrial Effectiveness (UB TCIE) hosted Daniel Korff, night operations manager, and Katie Weber, equipment engineering manager, from GF’s Malta, NY location, to tour UB’s on-campus facilities as part of an ongoing collaboration aimed at developing the future semiconductor workforce.

Korff and Weber toured the Davis Hall Electrical Engineering Cleanroom, the most advanced cleanroom in Western New York, and a space capable of thermal processing and analysis, metrology, sample preparation and several other services. They also visited the Furnas Hall Materials Characterization lab, a space where researchers can analyze liquid, powder, surface and bulk materials. Finally, the group toured several labs associated with the Department of Materials Design and Innovation.

“There are tremendous opportunities to work in the growing semiconductor industry,” says Timothy Leyh, executive director of UB TCIE. “This workforce development collaboration will prepare our graduates for semiconductor employment opportunities in New York State while developing partnership opportunities with UB and SUNY Erie in pursuit of career pathways.”

This is the second meeting between UB and GF as part of this initiative. Leyh, Gary Simon, director of business development and Jennifer Flagg, project director, UB TCIE along with Holly Justice, career design consultant, UB Career Design Center, and Brian Ibsen, senior director, UB Corporate and Foundation Relations visited with representatives from GF at the Malta facility in September. The team toured GF’s fab as part of the company’s University Summit.

The group also met with faculty members and researchers from various departments in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, including Electrical Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace, Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Materials Design and Innovation. The initiative expands beyond the University at Buffalo as well. Representatives from GF, UB’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and SUNY Erie Community College (SUNY Erie), met at SUNY Erie’s campus in Williamsville, NY to tour the campus’ cleanroom and discuss collaboration.