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 significant new cluster of semiconductor design, manufacturing, research, and talent development in the Silicon 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 (DOW), addresses the defense sector through a consortium of more than 30 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 houses the Scifres Nanofabrication Laboratory, which is in the process of becoming the nation's first 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 new School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering). 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 the Semiconductor Manufacturing and Advanced Research with Twins (SMART USA) institute for digital twins.
At Purdue, we take great pride in 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. Most recently, 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.
Mung Chiang
President of Purdue University, Roscoe H. George Distinguished Professor, Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Mark Lundstrom
Don and Carol Scifres Distinguished Professor, Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Special Advisor to the President
