Abstract:

The microelectronics is a domain that is at the heart of the new technologies as well for education as for the societal applications. Indeed, the unbelievable development of the digital tools thanks to the permanent increasing of the microelectronics capabilities allows the creation of new courses on line, such as MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), the capabilities to develop simulation software with new performances in calculation time, as well as in multi-physics approaches. At the same time, the field of application of the microelectronics is opened to Internet of Things, (IoT) that means the creation of thousands and thousands of connected objects that can cover a large spectrum of the societal needs, from environment, communication and transport, to health, energy, and security, for example. The design and the production of these objects need within the field of microelectronics a large spectrum of knowledge and competences that include first of all the electronics circuits and devices, but also the computer-aided-design (CAD), the technologies of fabrication (technological processes), the electrical and physical characterizations of the matter, of the devices, and of circuits and systems, the test and the reliability, mainly. Within the electronics domain, many subdomains are also involved that concern digital, analog and mix circuits, low frequency and high frequency devices and systems, low consumption, high power, low noise, sensors, actuators, transmission modules and cross-domain such as mechatronics, optoelectronics, bioelectronics, etc. This is a way to give evidence of the multidisciplinary evolution of the domain in-situ and ex-situ!

The challenge for the educators who want answering to the academic and industrial needs is today to adapt the curricula and the associated activities of the new undergraduate and graduate students in order to acquire a solid knowledge and a good know-how. This is also a condition to get a job once the studies are achieved. If the knowledge can be partially acquired thanks to new digital tools on-line, the know-how becomes mandatory and the pedagogical approach of the higher education in this scientific field must shift progressively to greater practical training. Indeed, this training may have several aspects: labworks, flipped classes, internships, projects, etc ... the objective being the know-how progression.

After a presentation of the context, the paper deals with the new pedagogical strategy mainly based on the practice in microelectronics and nanotechnologies. This approach tries to facilitate the understanding of the bases of the discipline thanks to some adapted practice that complete the theoretical knowledge, but also through a multidisciplinary trend in order to create a behavior strongly oriented towards innovation among technicians, engineers and doctors. This strategy is applied by the French microelectronics network, the CNFM (National Coordination for Education in Microelectronics and Nanotechnologies), and several examples of experiences will be described and discussed. This strategy was emphasized thanks to dedicated projects oriented towards innovation in the pedagogical approach as well as in the content of the practice training.

Keywords:

Higher education, microelectronics, practice and training, know-how and competences, pedagogical innovation.