Mobile Student Lab: Step into the clean room!

Put on the cleanroom suit, mask on – and off you go! Working in cleanrooms is highly complex: temperature and humidity must be precisely controlled, and only very few particles are allowed in the air. That such a lab can also be set up in an inflatable tent – and thus be mobile – is demonstrated by the semiconductor company Infineon. Employees bring the tent to schools and events to give children a hands-on look at work in the semiconductor industry.

“Our mini cleanroom is a special element in career orientation,” says Heiko Schöfer, Head of Training at Infineon. The company has a practical motive: according to the IW Cologne, tens of thousands of skilled workers are missing in the semiconductor industry, and the situation will worsen in the coming years. It is therefore worthwhile to inspire young talents early. “Our target groups are secondary schools and grammar schools,” explains Schöfer. Even primary schools have already been visited with the mobile lab. The tent is inflated with an air pump, and the air pressure is constantly regulated with fans. In total, the mini cleanroom can accommodate 20 students at a time, and the guided session lasts 20 minutes.

Normally, Infineon produces semiconductor chips in its cleanrooms, which are later used in electronic devices such as smartphones, laptops, or vehicles. The manufacturing process requires the highest precision: skin flakes, dust particles, or hair can destroy the products. With the mini cleanroom, Infineon demonstrates how complex manufacturing is. The tent consists of several modules – from the anteroom, putting on cleanroom clothing with an air shower, to wafer production. A wafer is a thin, round disc that serves as the carrier for tiny circuits. The young participants are allowed to work hands-on in the tent, creating delicate wafers with individual patterns and taking them home at the end of the day.

Infineon’s program targets not only the next generation of talent but also hands over organizational responsibility to them. “Our young staff manage the mini cleanroom,” says Schöfer. One of them is former trainee Lukas Schatz, who has had positive experiences with the program. “The students are always very curious and excited when they arrive,” he explains. Feedback has been very positive. So far, the mini cleanroom has mainly been used around Infineon’s Regensburg site, but the company plans to expand the program nationwide – demand is high. “Teachers appreciate when career orientation is as practical as possible,” assures Heiko Schöfer.