This content was published: April 7, 2023. Phone numbers, email addresses, and other information may have changed.
Visit to Analog Devices’ Beaverton facility sparks students passion for engineering
Photos and story by Misty Bouse
This April, students from the Portland Community College Microelectronic Technology Program had a unique opportunity to visit global semiconductor leader Analog Devices, Inc. (ADI), at the Beaverton facility.
Microelectronics instructor Dorina Cornea-Hasegan led the group of students on the tour. During the visit, the students were given a tour of the Test Engineering Department, where they had the opportunity to witness first-hand how automated equipment is used to test the product after it is manufactured in the fabrication plant. Examples detailed different packaging technologies on chipsets, and how the product is tested under different temperature conditions. This practical presentation brought the students’ classroom learning to life.
Academic Pathways: Science & Engineering
The Electronic Engineering Technology and Microelectronic Technology programs, as well as the college’s wide array of mechatronics training courses, are part of the Science & Engineering academic pathway. This pathway consists of programs that lead to great careers or provide valuable science class credit, which will transfer to a university.
The students later visited the calibration lab, where an Analog Devices lab manager demonstrated how the equipment is calibrated for guaranteed accuracy of the tests done on the chips made in the fab. All the instrumentation used to test the products is traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology. With this demonstration, the students gained valuable insight into the practical applications of concepts they have learned in the technical courses taken at PCC.
“The visit to Analog Devices was a tremendous success, as the students left feeling inspired and more connected to the real-world application of their studies in engineering and manufacturing technology,” said Cornea-Hasegan. “We hope this visit has refueled our students’ attraction to engineering and inspired them to continue their pursuit of knowledge in the exciting semiconductor manufacturing field.
“It was extraordinarily rewarding for me as an instructor to talk with the graduates of Microelectronics and Electronic Engineering Technology programs, and to hear from them and their supervisors how much they are appreciated,” she added.
PCC’s Microelectronics Technology Program has earned a reputation for excellence as it is specifically designed to meet the needs of the semiconductor manufacturing industry. It equips students for success by teaching skills that are in high demand from these strong industry partners.
About Misty Bouse
A Portland Community College public relations specialist, Misty Bouse has been working in college advancement for a decade. A graduate of University of Oregon, Misty has worked as a managing editor for BUILDERNews Magazine and as a contribu... more »