Silicon Pathways: A Hands-On Learning Experience in Semiconductor Operations

At UCF’s E2i Creative Studio, we’re reimagining how future workers engage with the semiconductor industry, from the scale of atoms to the floor of the fab to the global supply chain. This digital twin experience is designed to build real-world skills using immersive, hands-on, and scalable simulations. Virtual Fab’s Level 1 “Into the Chip” (VR) supports intuitive understanding of complex concepts, encourages curiosity and cross-disciplinary thinking, and provides early exposure to semiconductor processes. Level 2’s “Work the Virtual Fab” (1:1 scale) allows users to learn how to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot fab tools, build confidence before stepping into high-stakes environments, and address the talent pipeline gap with repeatable, assessable, and cost-effective training. Planned for development in yrs 3-5, Level 3 concepting uses a high-level interactive view to explore geopolitical and economic aspects of the supply chain from raw materials to finished chips, and the interconnectedness of resources, production facilities and global markets. Presenter Eileen Smith, UCF co-PI on the NSF FSE project will discuss the status of the year 2 prototype and offer opportunities for the Florida iMAPS Chapter to support technical reviews as the team moves forward through prototyping.