Open-source design tools, process design kits, educational programs, and accessible fabrication opportunities are reducing traditional barriers to integrated-circuit development. This cross-Society webinar will introduce the IEEE Division I Open Silicon Initiative and present the history, current programs, and future opportunities offered by CASS, SSCS, and EDS. Participants will learn how students, researchers, and practicing engineers can progress from semiconductor education and circuit design to tape-out and physical chip fabrication.
Register here: https://eds.ieee.org/education/webinars/register?eid=1017&m=a88175f454372b38562c63ac19c7d91c
Schedule
| Elapsed time | Segment | Lead |
| 10:00–10:05 | Welcome, housekeeping, recording notice, and introduction of the CASS, SSCS, and EDS webinar leaders | Susi Menon, with Ka-Meng Lei and Fakhrul Zaman Rokhani |
| 10:05–10:10 | Introduction to the IEEE Division I Open Silicon Initiative | Fernando Guarín |
| 10:10–10:30 | IEEE CASS programs: history, present offerings, and routes for participation | Fakhrul Zaman Rokhani |
| 10:30–10:50 | IEEE SSCS programs: open-source ecosystem, Chipathon, Code-a-Chip, and current opportunities | Mehdi Saligane |
| 10:50–11:10 | IEEE EDS programs: education, open-silicon activities, and fabrication-oriented initiatives | Camilo Velez Cuervo |
| 11:10–11:30 | Moderated panel discussion and audience Q&A | Moderated by Susi Menon and Ka-Meng Lei; all four speakers participate |
| 11:30 onward | Optional extended Q&A, subject to speaker availability | All speakers |
Fernando Guarín, Ph.D.
IEEE Division I Director, 2026–2027
Fernando Guarín is the 2026–2027 Director of IEEE Division I and an IEEE Life Fellow and Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Electron Devices Society. He has more than 42 years of experience in the semiconductor industry and microelectronic reliability. He retired as a Distinguished Technical Staff Member at GlobalFoundries, where he led the qualification of 5G technologies, following 27 years at IBM. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University and served as IEEE EDS President in 2018–2019, as well as EDS Secretary and Education Committee Chair.
Fakhrul Zaman Rokhani, Ph.D.
IEEE CASS Vice President, Education and Communications
Fakhrul Zaman Rokhani is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering at Universiti Putra Malaysia and leads the Smart System and System-on-Chip research group. His research covers low-power, energy-efficient system-on-chip design, electronic design automation, Internet of Things integration, and sensor systems. He has previously worked with or held visiting appointments at organizations including STMicroelectronics, Intel, Huawei Technologies, and Fudan University. He serves as the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society Vice President for Education and Communications for 2023–2026 and leads several CASS education and digital-communication activities.
Mehdi Saligane, Ph.D.
Chair, IEEE SSCS Technical Committee on the Open-Source Ecosystem
Mehdi Saligane is an Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Brown University and a Visiting Faculty Researcher at Google Research. His work focuses on secure and energy-efficient integrated circuits, biosensors, open-source analog and mixed-signal design automation, and hardware architectures for lightweight language-model accelerators. He is a founding member of the OpenROAD and OpenFASOC projects and chairs the IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society Technical Committee on the Open-Source Ecosystem. He also co-founded the SSCS Chipathon and Code-a-Chip programs.
Camilo Velez Cuervo, Ph.D.
IEEE EDS Board of Governors Member
Camilo Velez Cuervo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where he established the Magnetic Microsystems and Microrobotics Laboratory. His research includes micro- and nanorobotics, microfabrication, magnetic microsystems, MEMS, semiconductor devices, and microfluidics. He serves on the IEEE Electron Devices Society Board of Governors and has contributed extensively to IEEE Young Professionals and microelectromechanical-systems activities. He founded the Latin Practice, Chip Practice, and Open-Source Silicon initiatives to expand access to practical chip-design and fabrication experiences.
Susthitha Menon, Ph.D.
IEEE EDS Vice President, Educational Activities
Susthitha Menon is an Associate Professor and Professional Technologist at the Institute of Microengineering and Nanoelectronics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. Her research encompasses semiconductor devices, nanophotonics, plasmonics, quantum-inspired optoelectronics, and AI-enabled biomedical sensing. She received her B.Eng., M.Sc., and Ph.D. degrees from UKM and began her industrial career as a product engineer with Intel Malaysia and Intel’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology Development facility in the United States. She currently serves as IEEE Electron Devices Society Vice President for Educational Activities.