Instructional Materials For A Technician Level Course In Plasma Aided Manufacturing

Plasma-aided manufacturing is a critical technology in the manufacture of integrated circuits, MEMS, and other nano-scale components as well as the surface modification and coating of a variety of materials. As a result, there is a growing need for technicians to be equipped to install, maintain, and troubleshoot plasma-based tools. Community colleges have been ill-equipped to meet this need, lacking educational materials, teaching laboratories, and knowledgeable faculty. Portland Community College, through a grant from the Advanced Technological Education Program at the National Science Foundation, has addressed this need by developing technician-level educational materials, prototyping a teaching laboratory for plasma-aided manufacturing, and training community college faculty. This paper provides a summary of PCC’s three-year development and implementation effort.