About programme

The Master of Science in Technology and Design (MTD) in Integrated Photonics For Semiconductor Technology (IPST) is an innovation pathway programme designed to equip students with the capabilities and experience to meet the technological demands as semiconductor electronics embraces semiconductor photonics.

The highlight of this MTD is its year-long innovation project that align with industry needs. In this innovation project, students work in teams on appropriately scoped industry-defined problem statements. Project outcomes will be jointly assessed by university faculty and industry mentors and will require real-world validation.

Programme structure

Spanning three terms (one year), the curriculum blends foundational concepts, computational design, AI integration, and hands-on fabrication to prepare graduates for impactful roles in industry and research.

In Term 1, students begin with ‘Innovation by Design’, where the innovation project will commence with ideation and planning. Instructional sessions will begin with a rigorous system-level understanding of the field in the two courses ‘Silicon Photonics for AI Hardware’ and ‘Modelling and Simulations for Electronic and Photonic Systems’.

In Term 2, students continue with their innovation project and deepen their design-thinking skills in ‘Design Science’. They simultaneously establish tangible skillsets in Semiconductor manufacturing through hands-on experience in Cleanroom technologies in ‘Nanofabrication and Co-Packaged Optics’ along with a practical exposure to the suite of materials through ‘Materials Design for Semiconductor Technology’.

Term 3 is the culmination of the innovation project in the final implementation phase, project demonstrations and presentations in ‘Design Project With Industry Facing Problems’. As students gear up for a career in photonics and semiconductor technologies, they will be equipped with crucial and transferable skills through ‘AI for Semiconductor Manufacturing’.

This programme is ideal for aspiring technologists, designers, and researchers seeking to shape the future of semiconductor-and-photonics-enabled innovations.

Possible career paths and opportunities

Graduates of the MTD (IPST) are equipped to contribute to industries where silicon photonics, semiconductor technologies, AI infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing are converging. With a curriculum that blends design thinking, photonic and electronic systems knowledge, AI-enabled modelling, hands-on cleanroom experience, and industry-facing innovation projects, students are prepared for high-impact roles across the semiconductor, photonics, data-centre, and deep-tech sectors.

Key career paths include:

• Silicon Photonics Engineer – designing, modelling, laying out, and testing photonic integrated circuits for optical interconnects, sensing, and AI infrastructure.
• Photonic IC Design Engineer – developing waveguides, modulators, detectors, couplers, and integrated photonic circuits using simulation, layout, and foundry-aware design workflows.
• Semiconductor Process Integration Engineer – integrating deposition, lithography, etching, metrology, and device-fabrication steps to realise reliable semiconductor and photonic devices.
• Advanced-Packaging / Co-Packaged Optics Engineer – supporting heterogeneous integration of photonic, electronic, and packaging technologies for high-bandwidth, energy-efficient systems.
• Optical Interconnect / Data-Centre Photonics Engineer – developing optical links and photonic subsystems for high-speed communications, hyperscale data centres, and AI computing platforms.
• Nanofabrication Process Engineer – fabricating, characterising, and troubleshooting nanoscale photonic and semiconductor devices in cleanroom environments.
• Semiconductor Metrology and Yield Engineer – applying optical, electrical, and materials-characterisation tools to monitor process quality, improve yield, and ensure device reliability.
• AI for Semiconductor Manufacturing Engineer – using data analytics, machine learning, and physics-informed modelling to optimise fabrication processes, detect defects, and improve manufacturing productivity.
• Photonics R&D Specialist – developing next-generation devices and systems in integrated photonics, quantum technologies, optical sensing, metasurfaces, and computational optics.
• Application / Field Engineer for Photonics and Semiconductor Tools – supporting customers in simulation, fabrication, metrology, packaging, and testing workflows for advanced photonics and semiconductor platforms.
• Technical Product, Business Development, or Solutions Engineer – bridging technical expertise with product strategy, customer engagement, and commercialisation in photonics, semiconductor equipment, and deep-tech companies.

Graduates are also well-positioned for PhD programmes in integrated photonics, semiconductor technology, quantum technologies, computational optics, and advanced manufacturing, as well as for roles in government labs, multinational semiconductor and technology companies, AI infrastructure companies, and deep-tech startups.

Message from the academic programme director

In one year, SUTD’s MTD in Integrated Photonics for Semiconductor Technology (IPST) gives students an innovation pathway (working alongside industry) into photonics, semiconductors, computing hardware, and advanced manufacturing. As data centres drive demand for faster and more energy-efficient systems, integrated photonics and co-packaged optics are becoming essential technologies for the future of computing, communications, quantum technologies, and cybersecurity.

The programme emphasises practical, hands-on learning through industry-facing problems shaped by a consortium of industry partners including Nanoscribe, CADFEM, STATS ChipPAC, and other semiconductor and photonics companies. Students will train in optical and photonic design software, then apply their learning through research-centric supervised work leveraging on industry partnerships and SUTD’s state-of-the-art facilities, e.g. Cleanroom and Metrology Lab.

Academically, SUTD partners with the University of Jena’s Abbe School of Photonics to provide a strong foundation in modern optics, photonics theory, and light–matter interaction, while connecting these principles to technologies used in research and industry.

Students will gain both academic depth and practical engineering experience.

Professor Joel Yang

Associate Head of Pillar (Research and Advancement), Engineering Product Development

Director (Cleanroom)

See more MTD tracks