Shahabaj Mundaganur
Process Integration Engineer Intern
Applied Materials, Albany, New York
(May 2022 – August 2022)
This internship program proved to be an industry-oriented extension of my academic curriculum involving Semiconductor Device Physics, Microelectronics Device Fabrication, and its application courses.
In this internship as a Process Integration Engineer Intern, I primarily worked on setting up Statistical Process Control charts (SPC Charts) for tools used in the fabrication unit and FEM (Focus Exposure Matrices) Analysis for Lithography experiments. Statistical Process Control is a method which helps the company do quality management by doing engineering data collection and analysis. SPC charts provide full range of corrective actions to improve yields and reduce rework. One of the main reason, FEM Analysis is used is to determine the best process conditions for dose exposures and focus settings in the patterning step of the Lithography process.
In this internship, I developed my skills in leading small development projects and experiments, documentation, and data presentation. I acquired the learning opportunity to operate the advanced fabrication operation systems. This internship program provided me with a hands-on learning opportunity to work on the most advanced technologies, such as the EUV process manufacturing system and wafer processing systems, to solve high-value problems in the research and fabrication phases. This experience also benefitted me in acquiring a hands-on understanding of various manufacturing processes, systematic data collection, data analysis, and problem-solving. This opportunity helped accelerate my professional growth in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.
I was able to work with senior process engineers in the Lithography Engineering Department at Applied Materials on various projects to apply my acquired knowledge and skills from the curriculum. It helped me advance my understanding of the semiconductor fabrication process.
SEAS Ambassador for Graduate Programs
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
(April 2022 – May 2022 )
I have been part of the UB family for more than a year now. I have observed and participated in various fun activities UB holds to welcome their new students. So, when I saw the opportunity to become a personal connection for prospective students, I was psyched. I worked for the Office of Graduate Education in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at UB as a Graduate Ambassador to help newly admitted graduate students (Fall 2022) in guiding them through post admission process.
I answered new students’ queries about topics such as student life at UB, course registration, housing accommodation, or about Buffalo in general. Various online social media platforms as well as dedicated Discord channels were set up for newly admitted students. I communicated with 200+ newly admitted graduate students. Communication platforms involved electronic mails, social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook, Discord or zoom webinars. The experience helped me refine my written and oral communication abilities. Through this amazing opportunity, I got to know so many Ambassadors and new graduate students from various Engineering programs.
Student Assistant (SA)
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
(March 2021 – May 2022)
While completing my Masters, I worked as a Student Assistant for the Electrical Department at UB under the supervision of Dr. Farah Vandrevala. As a student assistant I was part of three undergraduate courses at UB- EE383 Communications Systems, EE353 Introduction to Electronics Lab, and EE312 Basic Electronics Instrumentation Laboratory.
For the course of EE383 Communications Systems, I assessed assignment submissions of 80+ undergraduate students from the Electrical Engineering department for Spring 21 and Spring 22 semester. The assignment submissions included topics such as Fourier Analysis, Complex envelope, Modulation techniques, etc. It made my understanding of basic concepts of communication Engineering strong. Though I am not pursuing my career in Communication Engineering, I will definitely find its understanding useful while working on my Ph.D. research on developing next generation solid-state communication devices.
For the lab courses EE353 Basic Electronics Lab and EE312 Introduction to Electronics Lab, I assisted in conducting electronics lab experiments for a class of 60+ undergraduate students from Electrical as well as Computer Science Department. I also evaluated students in electronics lab experiments involving RC filters, Digital circuits, Analog to Digital converters, Digital to Analog converters, Amplifier circuits, BJT circuits, CMOS circuits, etc. It not only improved my circuit designing and analysis skills but also enhanced my mentoring abilities.