The project "CHIPS: Un viaje por el circuito integrado" begins its dissemination phase with pilot workshops and outreach materials

The outreach project "CHIPS: Un viaje por el circuito integrado " has taken its first steps. Led by the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC) and with the collaboration of the Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología (FECYT), its goal is to bring knowledge about microelectronics closer to a broad audience.

Launched in October 2024, the first phase of the initiative included a workshop on integrated circuits at the facilities of the del Museu Nacional de la Ciència i la Tècnica de Catalunya (MNACTEC) in Terrassa, as part of Setmana de la Ciència. The workshop was open to teenagers and families and will be repeated at the upcoming Festa de la Ciència of Barcelona.

With the aim of fostering technological culture and sparking scientific vocations, a pilot workshop was held at the Riera de Ribes school (Sant Pere de Ribes) with fifth and sixth-grade students. The impact of the activity was very positive: "Now I see electronics differently. Before the workshop, I only saw wires and didn’t understand what they were, but now I do," said one student at the end of the session. Another student added that the workshop "is a fun way to learn about nanotechnology." Experts from IMB-CNM, including Nerea Alvarez de Eulate, Natalia Bermejo, Eva Casals, Sabela Rey, and Mercedes Saludes, participated in the activity. Additionally, CHIPS’ project coordinator, Esteve Amat, gave a science outreach talk to high school students at the Institut Escola Industrial de Sabadell.

Regarding outreach materials, IMB-CNM has developed a new infographic on integrated circuits, adapted for different audiences: general public, secondary school students, and primary school students. They are available online (only in Spanish and Catalan) and will be distributed to schools and institutes, broadening the project's reach. Furthermore, a simplified reading version of the infographic is being finalized to improve accessibility.

A series of seven educational videos explaining the chip manufacturing process will also be launched, complementing the video Fabrication Processes of a Chip: Photolithography, already available on YouTube.

The CHIPS project still has a long way to go. Soon, workshops will be held in more primary schools, as well as for other groups such as secondary school students, senior citizens, people with hearing impairments, and citizens.

An institution committed to scientific culture

The CHIPS (FCT-23-19658) project is IMB-CNM’s second initiative in collaboration with FECYT, following "Un microxip molt gran" (FCT-21-16975), organized between 2022 and 2023, which included a student contest, an exhibition on transistors, and a series of lectures.

IMB-CNM is committed to making its research accessible to a broad audience and, to this end, aims to promote scientific culture in society and encourage scientific vocations, especially in the fields of engineering and electronics. Through its Communication and Scientific Culture Office, it promotes a tailored outreach program that ensures the visibility of research and accessibility for all kinds of audiences.