Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
29 Modular Wafer Track for Semiconductor Fabrication
 Hayden Kunas
Jack Schnepel
Nathan Pitsenberger
 Shengyan Liu design_document1.pdf
final_paper1.pdf
presentation1.pptx
proposal1.pdf
video
Modular Wafer Track for Semiconductor Fabrication

Team Members:
-Jackks2
-nmp5
-hkunas2

# Problem

In today’s world, where semiconductors drive nearly every aspect of technological innovation, little room is left for small-scale fabrication and experimentation. Commercial wafer processing equipment ranges from tens of thousands to hundreds of millions of dollars, putting it far out of reach for hobbyists, educational laboratories, and early-stage researchers. Existing systems are not only cost-prohibitive but also lack the flexibility and modularity needed for experimentation on a smaller scale. As a result, innovation outside of large industrial fabs is limited, leaving students, independent researchers, and small labs without access to tools that enable exploration of semiconductor device fabrication.

# Solution

Our team’s solution to this problem is to design, build, and demonstrate a modular, cost-effective wafer track system that lowers the barrier to entry for small-scale semiconductor processing. The idea is to create a track that will:

Transport wafers between the interchangeable processing modules,
Execute repeatable fabrication recipes that ensure process consistency,
and communicate standardized instructions to each module through a defined packet interface, enabling true modularity and user-created modules.

The system architecture will be layered:
A Raspberry Pi will serve as the front-end controller, providing recipe management, a user interface, and real-time monitoring.
An ESP32 Microcontroller will delegate low-level instructions to each module and control the stepper motors for wafer transport.
Individual modules (demonstrated through a wafer alignment station that reorients a wafer’s major flat at the start of each recipe) will showcase the modular framework and mechanical precision of the track.

By defining a standardized track-module interface and releasing the system as open source, our design will empower hobbyists, students, and small research labs to reproduce, extend, and customize the platform. This solution not only addresses cost barriers but also promotes accessibility, flexibility, and innovation in semiconductor fabrication education and prototyping.

# Solution Components
User Interface: This will be the subsystem that the user interfaces with to create a series of steps, or recipes, that will be sent to the ESP32 for execution. This system will be based around a Raspberry PI 4B with an Anyuse 15.6” portable monitor built into the system for the user to interact with.

Main mover: This will be the primary subsystem responsible for moving the wafer to the various modules. Components include two linear actuators and a rotational axis to transport the wafer to the modules, limit switches for the linear actuators, and proxy sensors (APDS-9930)to detect when the wafer has reached a certain location. Included with this is a power distribution PCB, which will be used to step down and rectify the wall voltage into the necessary DC voltages required for all of the motors and other components.

Wafer Alligner: This module will have a small vacuum to hold the wafer down to a disc while it is spun with a motor. A proxy sensor (APDS-9930) will be able to detect the flat edge which can be aligned in a certain area. A linear actuator will be used here as well to raise and lower the wafer onto this platform.

”Black Box”: This is the subsystem that will act as a symbol of potential future modules that can be added, such as a spin coater or hot plate modules. In our project, this idea will be executed with an Arduino R4. The “black box” should not be considered as part of the project, but only as a showcase for the functions and abilities.

# Criterion For Success
This project will be labeled as a success if:
The track can recognize and adapt to new modules being loaded,
Accept user recipes and execute those systematically,
Rotate wafers to the correct orientation,
Automatically transport wafers to the correct module slot depending on module position

Phone Audio FM Transmitter

Madigan Carroll, Dan Piper, James Wozniak

Phone Audio FM Transmitter

Featured Project

# Phone Audio FM Transmitter

Team Members:

James Wozniak (jamesaw)

Madigan Carroll (mac18)

Dan Piper (depiper2)

# Problem

In cars with older stereo systems, there are no easy ways to play music from your phone as the car lacks Bluetooth or other audio connections. There exist small FM transmitters that circumvent this problem by broadcasting the phone audio on some given FM wavelength. The main issue with these is that they must be manually tuned to find an open wavelength, a process not easily or safely done while driving.

# Solution

Our solution is to build upon these preexisting devices, but add the functionality of automatically switching the transmitter’s frequency, creating a safer and more enjoyable experience. For this to work, several components are needed: a Bluetooth connection to send audio signals from the phone to the device, an FM receiver and processing unit to find the best wavelength to transmit on, and an FM transmitter to send the audio signals to be received by the car stereo.

# Solution Components

## Subsystem 1 - Bluetooth Interface

This system connects the user’s phone, or other bluetooth device to our project. It should be a standalone module that handles all the bluetooth functions, and outputs an audio signal that will be modulated and transmitted by the FM Transmitter. Note: this subsystem may be included in the microcontroller.

## Subsystem 2 - FM Transmitter

This module will transmit the audio signal output by our bluetooth module. It will modulate the signal to FM frequency chosen by the control system. Therefore, the transmitting frequency must be able to be tuned electronically.

## Subsystem 3 - FM Receiver

This module will receive an FM signal. It must be able to be adjusted electronically (not with a mechanical potentiometer) with a signal from the control system. It does not need to fully demodulate the signal, as we only need to measure the power in the signal. Note: if may choose to have a single transceiver, in which case the receiver subsystem and the transmitter subsystem will be combined into a single subsystem.

## Subsystem 4 - Control System

The control system will consist of a microcontroller and surrounding circuitry, capable of reading the power output of the FM receiver, and outputting a signal to adjust the receiving frequency, in order to scan the FM band. We will write and upload a program to determine the most suitable frequency. It will then output a signal to the FM transmitter to adjust the transmitting frequency to the band determined above. We are planning on using the ESP32-S3-WROOM-1 microcontroller given its built-in Bluetooth module and low power usage.

## Subsystem 5 - Power

Our device is designed to be used in a car, so It must be able to be powered by a standard automobile auxiliary power outlet which provides 12-13V DC and usually at least 100W. This should be more than sufficient. We plan to purchase a connector that can be plugged into this port, with leads that we can wire to our circuit.

# Criterion for Success

The device can pair with a phone via bluetooth and receive an audio signal from a phone.

The Device transmits an FM signal capable of being detected by a standard fm radio

The Device can receive FM signals and scan the FM bands.

The digital algorithm is able to compare the strength of different channels and determine the optimal channel.

The device is able to automatically switch the transmitting channel to the predetermined best channel when the user pushes a button.