Student Competition

Innovative Application of Advanced Packaging in Microelectronics
Chaired by ECTC Technical Subcommittees:
Applied Reliability and Thermal Mechanical Simulation and Characterization
and
Co-chaired by IEEE EPS Technical Committee:
Reliability and Thermal & Mechanical

Dear Students,

It is our pleasure to announce a student competition for the upcoming 75th anniversary ECTC conference that will be held between May 27 and May 30, 2025 at Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Dallas, TX, USA. This is a great chance for you to showcase your skills, present your innovative ideas, and compete with other students from all around the world.

As a reward, three selected teams will be invited to participate in the upcoming IEEE EPS 75th ECTC conference in Dallas, TX, USA.

Motivation

The field of microelectronics/photonics packaging and advanced packaging is crucial for the future of electronic components and systems. Independently, if we consider mobile phones, data centers, automobiles or healthcare equipment, all of these applications strongly depend on electronic systems. Microelectronics packaging and advanced packaging is the cornerstone of innovation in all industry segments. As new packaging technologies, materials, and processes emerge, a skilled workforce is required to push further technological advancements. 

Benefits

Participants:

  • Attract young students to microelectronics/photonics packaging
  • Learn about state-of-the-art packaging technologies

Winners of the competition:

  • Gain exposure to industry leaders and the conference
  • Three winning teams will have a chance to attend the conference for free including traveling costs (limited to a maximum amount)
  • Competition challenges students to think creatively in finding a new technical solution and provides them a platform to showcase their skills to academia and industry leaders.
  • Networking opportunities with potential employers including potential internships at global companies   
  • All teams have an opportunity to publish the results of their work in the IEEE CPMT Journal (possibly in a special ECTC-related edition)
  • We may record your pitch event and publish it (if participants agree)

Competition Rules

The competition is divided into three phases.

  • Phase 1: Project Outline Proposal

Student teams must submit a 2-page (maximum, including references) project outline, including a literature review (as the introduction), their project idea, and expected outcomes, by November 30, 2024. Teams can select one of five pre-defined challenges. In the project outline, no results and summary should be included. The outline should be submitted as a PDF to the provided email address and number of the challenge (between Ch1 and Ch5). No technical results should be included. Use the Project Outline Proposal website to submit your Project Outline Proposal. The organizing committee will review all submissions and select up to 10 teams for the second phase.

  • Phase 2: Project Work

On January 12, 2025, the organizing committee will announce the 10 teams selected for the second round. These teams will have 8 weeks to complete their projects and submit a report of up to 6 pages (maximum, not including references). The organizing committee will review the reports within four weeks.

  • Phase 3: Final Presentation

On March 31, 2025, the three winning teams will be invited to attend the ECTC 2025 conference. Conference fee will be waived by the ECTC organizational team.  IEEE EPS will provide financial support covering the hotel accommodation (May 27–30, 2025) and airfare (up to $1,600 per participant for intracontinental flights and up to $2,450 for intercontinental flights). Only economy class airfare is eligible for reimbursement. Participants requiring visas are advised to begin the process as soon as possible. The organizing committee cannot provide any visa assistance.

The winning teams will have until May 15, 2025 to finalize their projects and prepare their presentations. At the conference, they will present their results during the evening of the pitch to top leaders from academia, research, and industry, receive feedback, and explore opportunities for their future careers in electronic packaging and advanced packaging.

Participating Teams

We are inviting teams up to a maximum of three students. Eligible participants can be undergraduate (BSc), master’s (MSc), or doctoral (PhD) candidates from any university, and should be currently enrolled in an academic program. This opportunity allows participants to demonstrate their skills, apply their academic knowledge, and collaborate on innovative ideas in the field of electronic/photonic packaging. We encourage students from various disciplines related to the reliability and simulation of electronics packaging, co-packaging of optics, materials science, mechanical engineering, and related disciplines to join and showcase their talents in front of academia, research, and industry leaders.

Topics

In the fast-evolving field of electronic and photonic packaging, driven by CHIPS-related Acts worldwide, simulation and reliability are crucial for ensuring the durability and performance of electronic components and systems. As electronics continue to miniaturize and integrate multiple functions, finding innovative solutions to enhance system robustness and extend product lifetimes is essential.

Participants are required to choose one of the five provided challenges, each focusing on critical aspects of simulation and reliability in electronic packaging. Detailed descriptions of each challenge are available via the links below. Choose your challenge carefully, as the evaluation is based on the specific problem you select.

The available challenges are:

By focusing on these areas, students will contribute to the development of more reliable, efficient, and cost-effective electronic and photonic systems of the future.

Submit proposal
Project Outline Proposal submission link:
Link: Online Form

Templates
Project Outline Proposal:
Link: Template

Project Outline Proposal should cover following sections:

  • Title
  • Authors
  • Abstract
  • Introduction (incl. literature review).
  • Methodology description including work plan
  • Acknowledgements (optional)
  • References.

Project Outline Proposal should not exceed two pages.
Project Outline Proposal should not include Results and Summary section.

Calendar

2-Page Project Outline Proposal deadline: November 30, 2024
Announcement of 10 teams invited to the second phase: January, 12, 2025
6-Page Project Work Results submission: March 9, 2025
Announcement of three winning teams: March 31, 2025
Presentations for the conference ready: May 15, 2025
ECTC Conference: May 27 – 30, 2025

Presentation During ECTC Conference

The three winning teams are invited to take part in the 75th ECTC Conference. The conference fee will be waived, and three winning teams will receive compensation for hotel accommodations and travel costs. Compensation is available up to $1600 for intracontinental travel and $2450 for intercontinental travel (airfare and hotel). No other costs (extra meals, visa, taxi, car, parking, etc.) will be reimbursed.

Organizational Team

Przemyslaw Gromala, Robert Bosch GmbH, 75th ECTC Program chair
Prof. Chris Bailey, University of Arizona
Michael Mayer, University of Waterloo in Ontario, 75th ECTC Vice General Chair
Sreekant Narumanchi, NREL, chair of IEEE EPS Technical Committee Thermal & Mechanical
Vanessa Smet, Georgia Tech, chair of IEEE EPS Technical Committee Reliability
Karsten Meier, Technische Universität Dresden, chair of ECTC technical sub-committee Thermal Mechanical Simulation and Characterization
Rui Chen, Eastern Michigan University, co-chair of ECTC technical sub-committee Thermal Mechanical Simulation and Characterization
Vikas Gupta, ASE Inc., chair of ECTC technical sub-committee Applied Reliability
Sandy Klengel, FhG IMWS, co-chair of ECTC technical sub-committee Applied Reliability
Ercan M. Dede, Toyota Research Institute of North America, member of ECTC technical sub-committee Thermal Mechanical Simulation and Characterization
Timothy Chainer, IBM
Cosmin Moisa, Continental Automotive
Marcel Manofu, Continental Automotive
Prof. Xuejun Fan, Lamar University
Prof. Kouchi Zhang, TU Delft
Prof. Mark Poliks, Binghamton University
Tanja Braun, FhG IZM, IEEE EPS VP Conferences
Eric Perfecto, IBM, IEEE EPS VP Education