I studied Engineering Physics and specialized in semiconductor engineering. In our courses we made a working SAW-filter. We did everything from design, to silicon fabrication,to bonding, packaging and testing. It was a fun project, I learned a lot and I still have my little SAW-filter.
To add a little background, I think there are two main reasons that made this project possible:
1. Our professor was very good at organizing donations of decommissioned equipment from the industry.
The department was well funded and that certainly must have helped a lot, but what made all the difference is that our professor was much better at getting in-kind donations than most of his colleagues.
2. Selecting the SAW-filter as a project was a brilliant idea. It enabled us to make a completely working product while teaching us basically most essential steps that are used in the production of real active semiconductor components too. At the same time it allowed us to skip the really hard, expensive or dangerous tasks like high-resolution masks, multiple masks and the whole business of doping.
To add a little background, I think there are two main reasons that made this project possible:
1. Our professor was very good at organizing donations of decommissioned equipment from the industry. The department was well funded and that certainly must have helped a lot, but what made all the difference is that our professor was much better at getting in-kind donations than most of his colleagues.
2. Selecting the SAW-filter as a project was a brilliant idea. It enabled us to make a completely working product while teaching us basically most essential steps that are used in the production of real active semiconductor components too. At the same time it allowed us to skip the really hard, expensive or dangerous tasks like high-resolution masks, multiple masks and the whole business of doping.