Dustbusters
Did you know that just one microscopic particle of dust can ruin the manufacturing process of a microchip? In this unit, students work as engineers for FONES (Fabrication of Nanoscale Electronics and Semiconductors) to help Product Manager Phil Turret design a cleanroom air filtration system that protects microchips from microscopic contaminants. Students learn about mixtures and solutions, chemical vs. physical reactions, filtration, structure and properties of matter, metric system conversions, and why even a single dust particle can compromise microchip reliability. They will apply these concepts to design, build, and test a multi-layer filter model that removes contaminants while meeting size and material constraints.
Core Content: Science
Grade Levels: Middle School
ME Connection: Nanoscopic transistors in microchips rely on metric-scale precision and cleanroom conditions to prevent contamination from microscopic particles.
Engineering Design Project: Design, build, and test a multi-layer model of a cleanroom air filtration system. Students will use cardboard to build their models and marbles of various sizes and colors to represent clean air and contaminants.