Learn about the cell phone life cycle as you take charge of a phone manufacturing company. Gain an understanding of supply chain research in order to make your operation resource-efficient and your customer base satisfied. Please click here to access the latest resource-efficiency manufacturing game created by the IKIM Virtual Manufacturing Lab Team.
Members Content: AIM Photonics Summer Academy 2025 Lecture Series
Microphotonics Center members can enjoy access to the AIM Photonics Summer Academy 2025 Lecture Series. Explore course content ranging from Resource Efficiency and Life Cycle Assessement (LCA) to Waste and PFAS in the semiconductor industry, as well as latest takes on PIC Datacom presented by MIT faculty and researchers during the 2025 AIM Photonics Summer Academy, held from 27 July – 1 August 2025 on MIT Campus in Cambridge, MA.
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Members content: New PIPD Course Available to Microphotonics Center Members
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Hands-On Photonic Education Kits: empowering the integrated photonics workforce through practical training
The Hands-On Photonic Education (HOPE) Kits, developed with AIM Photonics, address the need for skilled workers in integrated photonics. This paper highlights the role of the HOPE Kits in advancing the training ecosystem and bridging the skills gap. The kits include fully packaged photonic integrated circuits (PICs), enabling instructors to educate and train students on PIC testing and characterization. Covering a wide range of devices and circuits, from waveguides to wavelength division multiplexing for data communication, the kits offer a hands-on experience. Engaging with actual PICs, students gain practical insights, enhancing their understanding of key principles, and preparing them for real-world skill sets in integrated photonics.
Citation: Lilian Neim, Alexander Yovanovich, Jacob Bartholomew, Venkatesh Deenadayalan, Mario Ciminelli, Thomas Palone, Matthew van Niekerk, Meiting Song, Arunima Nauriyal, Jelena Notaros, Samuel Serna Otálvaro, Jaime Cardenas, Thomas Brown, Anuradha Murthy Agarwal, Sajan Saini, and Stefan F. Preble, “Hands-On Photonic Education Kits: empowering the integrated photonics workforce through practical training,” Appl. Opt. 62, H24-H32 (2023)
Have we reached the limit of computer power?
Moore’s Law states that every 1 to 2 years the number of transistors that can fit on a given size computer chip will double. Thanks to this law, chips have gotten smaller, faster, more efficient, and cheaper. But today, there are four key problems that trip up this trend, potentially ending Moore’s Law and fundamentally changing how computing progresses. Sajan Saini and George Zaidan investigate. [Directed by Jeff Le Bars, JetPropulsion, narrated by Adrian Dannatt, music by Stephen LaRosa].
How Are Microchips Made?
Globally, we produce more than a trillion computer chips every year. Which means about 20 trillion transistors are built every second— and this process is done in fewer than 500 fabrication plants. How do we build so many tiny, intricately-connected devices, so incredibly fast? George Zaidan and Sajan Saini explore how photolithography helps build these devices and its environmental impact. [Directed by Kozmonot Animation Studio, narrated by George Zaidan, music by Tolga Yıldız, Kozmonot Animation Studio].
Click to watch the video on TedEd.