A Message from VAST Executive Director Masoud Agah

September 2024

It has been more than a year since the Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology (VAST) launch. Bringing this “startup” organization to life required an incredible team effort, fueled by a strong spirit of collaboration. Together, we drafted and approved bylaws, legal documents, and contracts, while also building impactful programs.

Over the summer, our Fast Track to Semiconductor Careers (FTSC) in Technical Area 1: Chip Fabrication and Nano Characterization welcomed the first group of students. They learned about semiconductor processing and performed lithography, thin film deposition, etching, and characterization in different cleanrooms across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Representatives from Semi Foundation, Micron, and Northrop Grumman also attended an industry panel and shared their insights about career pathways in the semiconductor sector with FTSC participants. The program concluded with a visit to Micron’s Fab in Manassas. I need to extend my appreciation to Prabesh Dulal, VAST Associate Director of Operations, and the excellent team of VAST process engineers who provided hands-on training to students, to professor Sylvain Marsillac of Old Dominion University for providing the online lectures, to semiconductor facilities managers and staff across VAST universities, and to the industry experts.

In addition, I am thrilled to announce the Steering Committee has officially approved the VAST industry engagement and membership plan. Notably, voting seats have been reserved for VAST industry affiliate members on both the Steering Committee and the Advisory Board. We are launching a campaign in collaboration with our academic partners and state agencies to forge or expand strategic partnerships between Virginia and leading semiconductor and microelectronics companies. Let’s power Virginia’s semiconductor talent and technology, together.  

Updates from previous newsletters

June 2024

Welcome to the second Chips in Virginia Newsletter. Since our first issue, the U.S. Department of Commerce has announced a non-binding preliminary memorandum of terms (PMT) with major semiconductor corporations including Micron, Intel, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Samsung Electronics, and GlobalFoundries. This direct funding, part of the Chips and Science Act, represents a once-in-a-generation investment, poised to significantly enhance America's semiconductor manufacturing capabilities. Equally important is the training of skilled labor for chip manufacturing and facility maintenance 

I am pleased to report registration is now open for Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology’s (VAST) l Fast Track to Semiconductor Careers (FTSC) certificate program, a state-wide semiconductor workforce development initiative. The first cohort starts on July 15th and focuses only on Technical Area 1: Chip Fabrication and Nano Characterization. This non-degree, 10-week, 100-hour, certification program emphasizes hands-on cleanroom training while providing foundational knowledge on semiconductor and chip manufacturing. A unique aspect of this scalable program is that the applicants can choose the VAST-designated site convenient to them. We could not have achieved this milestone without the tireless efforts of the VAST Operations Committee, VAST Process Engineers, leadership of the alliance universities, and Virginia Tech’s Continuing and Professional Education. 

Additionally, the Commonwealth of Virginia identified key state leadership from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation (VIPC), and GO Virginia to the VAST Steering Committee. Other members of the VAST Steering Committee are Dr. Andre Marshall, Vice President for Research, Innovation, and Economic Impact at George Mason University and President of the George Mason Research Foundation, Dr. Aixi Zhou, Vice Provost for Research and Innovation at Norfolk State University, Dr. Ram Gupta, Associate Dean for Research in the College of Engineering at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Dr. Arthur Lichtenberger, Director of the Innovations in Fabrication (IFAB) at the University of Virginia. I am grateful to work with these leaders as we shape a new chapter in the Commonwealth of Virginia semiconductor ecosystem to address not only our regional needs but also the national and global challenges. 

There are VAST opportunities ahead.

January 2024

Welcome to the Chips in Virginia Newsletter. We are launching the first edition of this quarterly newsletter to share the latest information and updates on semiconductors, microelectronics, and nanotechnology across the Commonwealth. Our national defense, global health, education, agriculture, space exploration, and almost every aspect of our daily life depend on semiconductors.        

2023 was a pivotal year for the semiconductor ecosystem in Virginia as Governor Youngkin announced the establishment of the Virginia Alliance for Semiconductor Technology (VAST). This announcement cemented the foundation for  a unique partnership that brings together educational and research institutions, state and local economic development teams, and private industries. 

But, as many of you know, these efforts began many years ago, and I am grateful to the many individuals who helped shape this vision. Managers and directors of semiconductor fabrication cleanrooms in Virginia universities all accepted the conceptual plan presented to them in 2017 to federate their resources and create a unified network of operation which is now being manifested through the VAST (Facilities) Operations Committee. Virginia Tech’s Center for Economic and Community Engagement provided significant support to engage Northern Virginia economic development teams as we presented the VAST proposal to GO Virginia Region 7 in December 2022. The General Assembly passed a commending resolution in February 2023 supporting the formation of this new consortium and its mission to grow workforce development, innovation, and job opportunities in semiconductor, microelectronics, and nanotechnology. 

The GO Virginia State Board approved the $3.3M grant in March 2023, which has been the largest investment made by a GO Virginia region. I am thankful to Senator Warner for providing his strong support behind this initiative. The Secretary of Commerce and Trade, Caren Merrick, and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership  all played a pivotal role through the GO Virginia State Board approval process.  The collaborative spirit within the Commonwealth of Virginia to revamp the semiconductor ecosystem was on display during the CHIPS for Virginia Summit in July 2023 (hosted by Northrop Grumman and Virginia Tech) when the senior leaderships of VAST member universities all gathered to sign the VAST Memorandum of Understanding in the presence of Governor Youngkin, Senator Warner, Secretary Merrick, and other high profile delegates and leaders.      

We are making progress and are on track to launch several VAST initiatives in 2024. Part of the progress has included hiring critical members of our team including our Chief of Staff, Associate Director of Marketing and Communications, Associate Director of Operations, and the VAST Semiconductor Process Engineers. In summer, we will launch our VAST Facilities Management System, which provides seamless access to more than 65,000 sq.ft of semiconductor chip manufacturing, metrology, and semiconductor packaging labs across Virginia. Micron, which has a long history of investing in higher education in Virginia, has been a steadfast ally of VAST since its conception in 2017, and has been helping us to establish a “Semiconductor Equipment Lab” in Northern Virginia Community College. The Fast Track to Semiconductor Careers, the veterans-preferred certification program, will open its doors for registration in the second quarter and the first cohort being trained through a 10-week program starting in June. I hope to provide more details about the Fast Track program and other major VAST initiatives, Startup and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (SEED), Experiential Learning, Innovation, and Talent Empowerment (ELITE), and High school Advanced Teaching in Chips (HATCH) in future newsletters. 

Let us forge ahead with renewed energy, unwavering collaboration, and a dedicated determination to achieve greatness. We are committed to expand our reach and welcome new partnerships with semiconductor industries across the nation. There are VAST opportunities ahead.