About - Semiconductors - Purdue University

Every breakthrough that will define the next century – artificial intelligence, advanced medicine, clean energy, national security, autonomous systems, space exploration – depends on one foundational technology – semiconductor technology. At Purdue University, semiconductor excellence runs deep within our DNA — from the 1940s when Karl Lark-Horovitz, head of physics, first developed techniques to grow and dope high-quality semiconductor crystals, to Mohamed (John) Atalla, a Purdue alumnus who co-invented the silicon MOSFET in 1959, to Fred Terman, who hailed from Indiana and went on to become the father of Silicon Valley — Hoosiers have been defining and refining semiconductor technology. Now, inspired by Purdue alumnus Neil Armstrong, we look forward to a giant leap that will create a new cluster of semiconductor design, manufacturing, research, and talent development in the U.S. heartland.

It starts with people. As a public land-grant institution with the largest STEM enrollment among America’s top 50 universities, talent development is central to our mission. Our Semiconductor Degrees Program (SDP) introduces students to the wide range of career opportunities in the semiconductor industry through classes, certificates, internships, degrees, and hands-on learning opportunities. The Purdue-led Scalable Asymmetric Lifecycle Engagement (SCALE) program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of War, addresses the defense sector through a consortium of more than 36 universities. Together, SDP and SCALE make Purdue a major supplier of talent to semiconductor companies across the U.S. and to companies in the growing Midwest semiconductor ecosystem.

Exceptional facilities and centers support trailblazing research. The Birck Nanotechnology Center's Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory is in the process of becoming the nation's first AI/digital twin-enabled semiconductor R&D lab. Purdue research centers address advanced packaging, AI chip design, secure semiconductor ecosystems, and environmentally sound semiconductor manufacturing. Purdue's Chipshub provides fingertip access to industry standard CAD tools to academic users across the U.S., and Purdue has a major role in SPARC (Semiconductor and Packaging Advanced Research Consortium), an SRC operated, industry-funded program supporting collaborative academic research.

At Purdue, we take great pride in affordable, excellence at scale in everything we choose to do, in particular, in the co- generation of workforce, innovation, and jobs. MediaTek, a global leader in chip design, opened its first Midwest office on Purdue's West Lafayette campus in 2022. Imec, the world's largest independent semiconductor R&D center, launched a research partnership at Purdue in 2023. In 2024, SK hynix, the global leader in memory chips for AI, announced its plans for an advanced packaging facility and R&D lab near the Purdue campus. Strong partnerships with semiconductor companies across the U.S. and with India, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, and other countries cement Indiana's place on the global semiconductor map.

Join us now on a giant leap as we build a thriving and vibrant new semiconductor ecosystem in the Heart of the Silicon Heartland.

Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr.

Interim President, Purdue University

Mark Lundstrom

John A. Edwardson Dean of the College of Engineering, Chief Semiconductor Officer, Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering