Inside University of Idaho’s Next Generation Microelectronics Research Center (NGeM), engineering students don full-body suits and step into a dust-free, temperature-controlled clean room, a space designed for building delicate electronics found in everyday devices like phones, computers, cars and solar panels.
Connor Denson, of Wallace, is part of an undergraduate team from the College of Engineering’s nationally recognized Senior Capstone Design Program, which is creating pathways for more U of I students to gain hands-on experience working with semiconductor and microelectronics devices in the clean room.
Sponsored by Boise-based Micron Technology, the project involves designing a solar cell — an essential component of solar panels. For U of I and Micron, projects like this provide students with the experience they need to fill the growing skills gap in the semiconductor industry.
“If you would have told me in high school that I’d be using semiconductor materials to build a device that can convert sunlight into electricity, I wouldn’t have believed you,” said Denson ’25, a recent U of I electrical engineering graduate. “U of I gives you the tools — not just the technical knowledge, but the tenacity and problem-solving mindset that industry is looking for.”
I’ve applied what I learned in class directly to the lab. I’ve trained on the same machines used in industry. That kind of hands-on experience is priceless.
Julienne Sophia Pacquing ’25
Computer engineering graduate
Closing the national semiconductor talent gap
As demand for faster, smaller and more efficient electronics grows, so does the need for a skilled workforce to design, manufacture and test advanced semiconductor devices and microelectronics.
By 2030, more than half of the nation’s 115,600 projected new jobs in the semiconductor industry will go unfilled, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association.
For over 40 years, U of I has worked to meet this workforce need by closely partnering with industry leaders like Micron to make strategic investments in semiconductor education, clean room infrastructure and workforce training.
“Our students don’t just learn through lecture. They want to be in the lab,” said Feng Li, Micron Endowed Professor in Microelectronics and director of NGeM. “Mission-driven learning motivates students, sharpens their technical skills and helps them see themselves contributing to something bigger. That’s exactly the mindset we need in the next generation of semiconductor engineers in this growing and critical field.”
Real microchip fabrication skills in the clean room
Electronic circuits in microelectronic devices — like memory chips and solar cells — are constructed on wafers often made of silicon, a material prized for its conductivity. In the NGeM clean room, the professional-grade tools used to make these wafers are the same as those used in global semiconductor manufacturing.
“I’ve applied what I learned in class directly to the lab,” said solar cell team member Julienne Sophia Pacquing, a ’25 computer engineering graduate. “I’ve trained on the same machines used in industry. That kind of hands-on experience is priceless.”
A typical solar panel is made of dozens or even hundreds of solar cells — microelectronic devices that convert sunlight into electricity. Using tools in the NGeM clean room, students on the team prepared silicon wafers for fabrication.
A recent $1.1 million Idaho Workforce Development Council (IWDC) grant will expand semiconductor fabrication capabilities at NGeM, supporting student work on foundational semiconductor technologies.
“U of I has built decades of excellence in semiconductor education,” Li said. “With support from partners like Micron, NASA and the Idaho Workforce Development Council, our students have unprecedented access to resources, scholarships and real-world experience.”
Idaho students interested in robotics, semiconductors and microelectronics are also eligible to apply for full-tuition semiconductor scholarships, made possible through the IWDC.
“The U of I College of Engineering has been instrumental in motivating me to push my career and education further than I or my family thought was possible,” said Denson, a first-generation college student and scholarship recipient.
In microelectronics fabrication, every detail matters. Learning to take calculated risks and seeing how small changes affect performance — that’s the engineering mindset. That’s innovation.
Connor Denson ’25
Electrical engineering graduate
Vandals ready to meet the Boise semiconductor tech boom
Denson spent the summer of 2025 at his second internship with Micron.
“The pace at Micron is fast, and you’re constantly updating your skills,” Denson said. “In microelectronics fabrication, every detail matters. Learning to take calculated risks and seeing how small changes affect performance — that’s the engineering mindset. That’s innovation.”
Denson works with U of I alumnus, Micron Senior Director Bryce Cook ’05. Cook’s team focuses on improving dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) technology, making memory more efficient, reliable and faster for everyday electronics.
Hands-on semiconductor training powers Idaho’s future
U of I prepares students for semiconductor careers through hands-on, Micron-sponsored training.
Micron is the only U.S.-based manufacturer of DRAM chips — semiconductor devices used in memory — and is investing $15 billion in a new fabrication facility in Boise, expected to bring thousands of jobs to Idaho. Combined with a facility expansion in New York, it’s the largest effort in U.S. history to boost the domestic supply of these leading-edge memory chips.
Cook worked as a machinist for an Idaho company supplying Micron before choosing to attend U of I as a nontraditional student in the electrical engineering program. Inspired by the Micron engineers he worked with, he saw U of I as a clear path to expand his skills to match the dynamic work at Micron.
“University of Idaho’s electrical engineering program builds a strong foundation in hands-on learning, simulation and data analysis — skills that translate directly to the diverse roles at Micron Technology,” Cook said. “U of I graduates come in with a strong work ethic and the ability to learn quickly, allowing them to adapt, grow and ultimately thrive in areas of the company where they can excel.”