The University of Nevada, Reno is marking a significant step toward advancing the regional semiconductor and microelectronics sector with the opening of its new Nanofabrication Lab.
Located in the College of Engineering’s Davidson Foundation Cleanroom at the William N. Pennington Engineering Building, the facility officially opens on April 18.
Housed within the class 100 Davidson Foundation Cleanroom, the lab features advanced equipment for processes including lithography, etching, deposition, wire bonding, and metrology.
Technologies essential for fabricating electronic, photonic, and quantum devices.
This new lab infrastructure is designed to foster faculty-led innovation, support collaboration with industry partners, and expand student learning and training opportunities in a field experiencing rapid national demand.
Russ Renzas, director of the Davidson Foundation Cleanroom, emphasized the enthusiasm from students and the interest from industry. "The students are hungry to learn how to use the tools in the lab. We have students who spend every spare moment they have outside of class helping me set up the lab and learning to make devices. Companies are interested in moving operations to Nevada, but they need a workforce trained in these tools and technology. That’s what we provide.”
The opening event will include a keynote from Mary Tang, managing director of the Stanford Nanofabrication Lab, alongside remarks from a public official and guided tours of the new facility.
While this marks a ceremonial milestone, the lab’s broader goal is to establish Nevada as a hub for semiconductor education and workforce development.
