SNF supports labmember projects for process characterization and development which are:

  • Beneficial for the lab community.
  • Result in a deliverable (report/process/tool) that is shared with the lab community.

In return, SNF will support project efforts which may include providing such resources, as appropriate:

  • Starting materials, including wafers and chemicals
  • Equipment fees for tools used in support of the project
  • Analysis (such as TXRF)
  • Staff and student helper support for processing
  • Staff or vendor support for equipment maintenance or upgrades

To get a community service project started:

  1. Discuss your proposed project with an SNF staff member, one of whom will be the official sponsor for your project.
  2. Work with appropriate staff on an experimental plan.  The plan should include a list of required resources (materials, tools, people, etc.), a timeline with milestones, and a final deliverable “product”, such as a report.
  3. Once the experimental plan is approved, we will set up a “Community Service” project for this work.  Equipment and stockroom charges in support of this work are charged to this project.  This Community service project will have an agreed-upon expiration date and charges to it will be reviewed monthly.

Tips for Community Service Projects:

Community Service projects are joint projects with engineers from staff and other research groups.  Be flexible with your experimental approach and even your objectives, in working with others.

A “good” Community Service Project should incorporate good experimental design practices wherever possible.  In fact, you should either be familiar with DoE (Design of Experiments) principles or be prepared to learn about them!

You don’t HAVE to have a Community Service Project to participate!  SNF encourages everyone to give back to the community by sharing knowledge and expertise.  If you’ve already got process information to share, please share by contributing to this site!