Development and Implementation of a High Vacuum Equipment Trainer for Technician Education

For nearly 20 years, the Vacuum and Thin Film Technology program at Normandale Community College (NCC) has been preparing people to work in the vacuum and thin film industries.  Recent efforts to update the program led to a review of requirements for a hands-on vacuum training system.  No commercially offered system was found that met these requirements so, with funding from the National Science Foundation’s Department of Undergraduate Education (DUE) Advanced Technological Education (NSF-ATE) program , four systems were designed, built, and implemented in the classroom.  Requirements were based on the Maricopa Area Technical Education Center (MATEC) semiconductor manufacturing skill standards and input from a team of senior vacuum technicians working in industry.  The systems are now used regularly in the NCC program in conjunction with updated curriculum, and receive positive feedback from students and employers.  This paper describes the design process, system details, and applications in the classroom.