The Challenge of Scale: Semiconductor Innovation and Manufacturing
Semiconductors sit at the center of today’s digital infrastructure, shaping everything from industrial systems to global competition. This course examines how these technologies are built, scaled, and governed, with a focus on manufacturing challenges, supply chain dynamics, and future innovations.
What you will learn
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Understand the challenges and innovations in scaling technology for infrastructure and connectivity.
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Analyze case studies of large-scale tech implementations and their global implications.
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Explore the societal, economic, and national security impacts of large-scale technology projects.
Course content
Scaling Technology in Infrastructure
Explore how large-scale technology is revolutionizing infrastructure development. Understand the challenges of implementing smart cities, large-scale renewable energy projects, and transportation networks.
Telecommunications and Connectivity
Delve into the advancements and challenges of scaling telecommunications. Discuss the impact of large-scale connectivity projects on global communication and the digital divide.
Case Studies in Large-Scale Tech Deployment
Analyze real-world examples of large-scale technology implementations. Study their impact on society, economy, and how they address global challenges.
Your Course Director
Dr. Dana Weinstein
Associate Dean of Graduate Education in the College of Engineering
Dana Weinstein is a Professor in Purdue’s Elmore Family School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Associate Dean of Graduate Education in the College of Engineering. Prior to joining Purdue in 2015, Dr. Weinstein was an Assistant Professor at the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and served as an Associate Professor there between 2013 and 2015. Dr. Weinstein received her B.A. in Physics and Astrophysics from University of California – Berkeley in 2004 and her Ph.D. in Applied Physics in 2009 from Cornell, working on multi-GHz MEMS. She is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, the DARPA Young Faculty Award, the first Intel Early Career Award, the first TRF Transducers Early Career Award, and the IEEE IEDM Roger A. Haken Best Paper Award. Her current research focuses on innovative microelectromechanical devices for applications ranging from MEMS-IC wireless communications and clocking to micro robotic actuators and flexible substrate ultrasonic transducers.