Micron’s arrival in Central New York reached another milestone with the opening of a cleanroom simulation lab at Onondaga Community College. Middle school students up to adult learners have access to hands-on experiences inside the 3,000 square foot space in the Whitney Applied Technology Center. The equipment is similar to what’s found in Micron plants around the world.
Micron Executive Vice President April Arnzen says more than 300 students are enrolled in semiconductor programs at OCC. She said the clean room gives them the exposure they need for potential internships and careers at their actual chip fabrication plants.
“The equipment in our clean rooms, it's very expensive equipment that is required to produce our memory," Arnzen said. "And so for them to have that experience with that equipment in advance of walking into the clean room, they're able to contribute on day one.”
Nicholas Hay of Navarino already spent time inside Micron’s facility in Manassas, Virginia as a summer intern.
“I had a full bunny suit on. It took about 10 minutes to get on,” Hay said. “I monitored the machines, made sure they're running smoothly, If one went down, I would go to cover it as soon as I could. If nothing was going wrong, I would be doing preventive maintenance on the machines.”
The bunny suit is the protective gear worn by workers to prevent contaminating the tiny chips.
He graduates with an electromechanical technology degree in December. Hay said he wouldn’t trade the 14-hour-days of working full-time and attending classes for anything. He added the experience has been life-changing, and he encouraged others to take advantage of the opportunity.
“The experience they get from here is like none other," Hay said. "It will very much help with them with their schooling. The hands-on aspect of it, having the machines in front of them, can go miles.”
Right after graduation, Hay returns to Virginia, this time as a new Micron employee.
