Mandatory matching between microelectronics industry and higher education in engineering toward a digital society

Abstract

The evolution of the world toward the digital society requires the development of many connected objects, the basis of the Internet of Things (IoT), with a very wide spectrum of applications. These connected objects are based on communication protocols, embedded software but more fundamentally on the hardware that corresponds to the physical realization of the objects. Microelectronic technologies are therefore at the heart of all these devices and systems. This exponential evolution is the result of more than 50 years of increasing integration, which is becoming very complex and combining many technological approaches and multidisciplinary architectures. The future industry 4.0 requires skills and competencies in microelectronic design and technological fabrication. At the same time, investments in manufacturing plants and design software follow the same exponential cost trend. To meet the needs of the industry, training must be constantly updated with good know-how on dedicated tools and equipment. To achieve this objective, higher education must be organized to provide students with knowledge and skills. A dedicated organization must be set up with common platforms that allow technological equipment and Computer-Aided-design tools (CAD) to be shared. This paper deals with the French national network which has proven its effectiveness in higher education in microelectronic engineering for more than thirty years. After a presentation of its organization and objectives, several examples of innovative practical work covering the different fields of application are given.