Expanding Cleanroom Education Through AR/VR: Inside NORDTECH’s Innovative Workforce Offering
Tom Pennell, Workforce Development Manager, CNF, and Satyavolu "Pops" Papa Rao, Senior Director of Emerging Technologies and Research, NY Creates
As the United States accelerates its investment in domestic semiconductor research, prototyping, and manufacturing, the demand for a highly skilled technical workforce has never been greater. The Semiconductor Industry Association projects 67,000 unfilled U.S. semiconductor jobs by 2030, a number that doubles when factoring in supply‑chain roles. To meet this challenge, the NORDTECH Hub is deploying a powerful suite of Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) cleanroom training resources that expand access, reduce barriers, and modernize how engineers, technicians, and students learn about semiconductor fabrication.
Traditional cleanroom training can be expensive, time‑consuming, difficult to scale, and stressful for novice learners. AR/VR overcomes these barriers by offering:
Safe, realistic simulations where users explore cleanroom environments at their own pace
Remote access for learners across the country
Reduced burden on fab staff and equipment
Improved confidence, deep learning, and engagement
Opportunities for learners to test career fit before entering the fab
These benefits make AR/VR uniquely suited to NORDTECH’s mission of expanding exposure, education, and experiential learning across the semiconductor workforce pipeline. The NORDTECH hub-wide AR/VR cleanroom education initiative is intended to create and distribute widely scalable educational content in the areas of microfabrication and nanotechnology. This content will have a direct impact on the projected national workforce shortage in the semiconductor and adjacent industries by providing access to high quality educational content within core research facilities in the NORDTECH network.
The NORDTECH AR/VR offering is focused on building general awareness and introductory fab experiences, while also supporting cleanroom processing. It brings together the expertise of NY Creates, RPI, NYU, and Cornell, with each contributing different technical strengths and delivery models.
In addition to the written summary below, a recording of our recent Lunch and Learn session, Leveraging AR/VR to Expand Semiconductor Fab Access, is available to NORDTECH members via our Community Platform. If your organization is not listed, we invite you to Join the Hub or reach out to membership@nordtechub.org.
NY Creates' TAP3D VR Module Integration
NY Creates: Technician‑Focused AR/VR for Manufacturing Readiness
NY Creates integrates commercial off‑the‑shelf Tap3D VR modules, including:
Intro to Semiconductor Manufacturing
Applied Electrical Maintenance & Troubleshooting
These modules have been used by 10,000+ learners across industry and education and are now embedded in Creates’ community college technician training programs.
And new this year, Creates will be expanding their offering to include Cornell’s cleanroom process focused AR/VR modules.
In addition, as the owner and operator of the nation’s largest and most advanced 300mm semiconductor R&D facility, the NY Creates’ Albany NanoTech Complex, located in upstate New York, is in a unique position to offer targeted 300mm Prototyping Fab Facility Microelectronics education. Learners participating in workforce training at Creates, including AR/VR based training, observe cutting-edge nanoscale engineering labs and cleanrooms. By interacting with 300mm wafer processing engineering and operations staff engaged in groundbreaking research, students discover diverse career opportunities in the semiconductor industry.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) CleanRoom 360
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI): Immersive 360° Group Learning
RPI leverages its EMPAC and CRAiVE Lab 360° immersive environments—large rooms with floor‑to‑ceiling projection—to deliver group‑based semiconductor experiences.
RPI’s CleanRoom 360 project enables learners to:
Explore micro‑ and nanofabrication processes
Practice gowning and safety procedures
Understand industry impact and cleanroom fundamentals
The first 25-minute program launched in summer 2025, serving high school and community college participants. The RPI team is working to expand their AR/VR offering to be more interactive, and usable in a smaller viewing room as well as on Meta headsets. In 2026, RPI will also adopt Cornell’s custom VR modules and begin integrating it into their workforce development programming, just like the Creates team.
NYU Tandon School of Engineering's Nanofab VR Training Demo
New York University (NYU): Quantum Fabrication in VR
NYU’s offering focuses on next‑generation quantum fabrication skills, including:
Quantum fabrication foundations
Lab‑ready cleanroom training
High‑density compact nanofab environment simulations
Their VR modules support an integrated learning sequence aligned with NYU Tandon School of Engineering’s strategic priority in quantum technologies. Be among the first to check out the NYU e-Beam Evaporation Module!
Cornell NanoScale Facility's (CNF) Early Adopters Program
Cornell University: A Comprehensive Library of VR Cleanroom Modules
Cornell’s in‑house team has led the VR efforts for NORDTECH and produced 12 modules (7+ hours of content) covering gowning, cleanroom tours, photolithography, etching, and more. Highlights include:
Free public Youth Outreach Module released in August 2025
A growing library with 12 completed modules with the successful launch of Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) Early Adopters Program. Cornell projects 20 modules completed by the end of 2027 encompassing the core areas of microfabrication.
11 R1 universities, community colleges, and regional high schools are already part of the Early Adopters program
To date: over 2,000 users have already completed >1,200 hours of VR education using the CNF VR platform
13th Module on Hot Processing is currently in development
Modules on Physical Vapor Deposition and Chemical Vapor Deposition planned for 2026
Cornell’s modules can be accessed via VR headset, PC, or tablet, providing flexible integration for educators and workforce partners. Cornell is currently offering an Early Adopters Program with ready access to existing 12 educational modules, in addition to those in development in 2026 and 2027. The Early Adopters Program includes an initial two-year license term for 10+ devices (unlimited learners) at a reduced price of $1K per license per year. Early adopters will also gain immediate access to newly created modules as they are released. Learn more at the CNF Virtual Reality Nanofabrication Training and Digital Classroom.
Two Paths to Building AR/VR Curricula
Across NORDTECH partners, two complementary strategies have emerged:
1. Design & Develop Custom Modules
Ideal when:
Content must be specialized
Institutions have internal production capability
This approach emphasizes instructional design, with a single 30‑minute module requiring 400+ development hours.
2. Purchase Off‑the‑Shelf VR Content
Best when:
Time or staff resources are limited
Existing modules align with educational goals
Creates’ success with Tap3D demonstrates the efficiency and impact of this model.
Across both approaches, partners agree: Meta headsets currently offer the best price‑to‑quality ratio for deployments at scale.
The Impact: Democratizing Cleanroom Access
NORDTECH’s AR/VR offerings ensure that learners—from K‑12 students to university engineers to career‑changing veterans—can gain cleanroom experience anywhere in the country without stepping into a physical fab.
This initiative:
Expands access for underserved communities
Strengthens U.S. semiconductor workforce readiness
Reduces training costs and risks
Allows organizations to scale education efficiently
Together, the NORDTECH ecosystem is building a transformative national model for semiconductor workforce development. We invite you to expand this exciting and impactful offering by developing modules within your own organization or leveraging those already created!