Chip Fabrication

With lots of IEEE Societies and Councils aligned with the hardware and semiconductor industries, there are many opportunities to get involved in educational programs that offer free or low-cost chip fabrication, including integrated circuits.

IEEE Open Silicon Initiative

This program seeks to democratize access to integrated circuit design and fabrication resources. This is a chip prototyping & fabrication program for students to design and build real silicon chips.

IEEE partners that have provided funding include IEEE Electron Devices Society (EDS), IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society (SSCS), IEEE Circuits and Systems Society (CASS), the IEEE Council on Electronic Design (CEDA), and the IEEE Nanotechnology Council. All IEEE OU’s members are invited to participate. External partners include Tiny Tapeout, Global Foundries, and Synopsys.

Bootcamps and fabrication activities will be offered throughout 2026, and be on the lookout for updates about 2027 and beyond.

SSCS “PICO” Open-Source Chipathon

SSCS’s PICO (Platform for IC Design Outreach) program sponsors this annual Chipathon as part of its mission to foster and strengthen the OpenEDA ecosystem. The 2026 contest’s theme is “Build It. Test It. Publish It.” The deadline to sign up: 1 May 2026. Check out their website for more information.

IEEE Sensors Council MEMS Training Initiative

IEEE Sensors Council funded the MEMS Training Initiative in association with the Institute of Smart Structures and Systems (ISSS). The initial call for applications resulted in more than 500 applications from across the globe. Check back on the initiative’s website for updates and when the program will open up again.