By Giving Silicon Samples To A Teacher, Will You Be Risking Your Company IP?

I know that some of the Engineering Management Folks, and maybe some Legal Folks are going to say "Oh wait, that's our secret sauce, IP or secret technology.  We can just let that out into the wild. We have patents on that stuff. We can't just like let anybody in the world get a hold of this technology" 

I get that. You might think that there is a risk to some how you competition will get access to company trade secrets if you just give away samples of your silicon or wafers... but it's not true.  There is just not any real risk.  

Your Competitions Have Better Ways Of Getting Access To You IP

As soon as you offer a new device up for sale, your competition already had it. When I worked at an Engineering firm here in Silicon Valley, whenever our competitors released a new chip, we went and bought some, and we brought them to our Engineering lab, and we popped the tops off them, and we stuck them under our electron microscope, and we looked at the new design.

Your Competitors Are Not Stalking STEAM Classrooms To Access Your Trade Secrets

It's not like your competitors are going to somehow get access to your IP, because they got it 1-3 years after the fact, from a classroom.  I guaranty that donating Silicon samples to a classroom is NOT going to be the downfall of your company because some IP escaped. That's just simply not the case.  There is just zero risk in donating old Silicon, Die or Wafer samples.

I hope that this calms your IP fears.

I know, because I have been there, that there is that pile of boxes of old Silicon Wafers, Die, Packages Chips just sitting in a closet in your characterization lab, Test Engineering lab or even Marketing samples supplies.  These will sit there until someone says, "Do we really need to keep this silicon from 3 years ago?", "Can we throw this out?"

We why don't your proactively find this material and donate it to me, who then can act a broker to all the great STEAM Teachers who are desperate to get their hands on classroom samples of Semiconductor examples and devices.

Probably start with your Corporate Community or Education out reach team.  They will probably know who in the Marketing Executive team can sign off on this.

Now you're probably thinking, hey is there a way I get a tax benefit out of this, because, yes I get it this stuff originally cost a lot of money, and the answer is yes. Silicon Valley CTE career technical education has a foundation that is a 501c.  I believe the semi organization is also 501c ignited is a 501c and we probably use any one of these as a pass through for getting material into my hand so that I can distribute it but that you can actually get a tax credit for a donation so anyway I will put the details below and you can and you can get a tax credit for this as well 

I'm looking to be a broker of boxes and boxes and boxes of samples of flip chips, where you can see the silicon, regular chips like students can see and feel a BGA package... But especially  wafers patterned and un-patterned, cut die, etc. 

I Can Probably Pick It Up - If it's in Silicon Valley area, I can probably come pick it up... remember, I want boxes and boxes of sample Silicon, Wafers, Die, Chips, etc.

You Can Arrange To Drop It Off - Come drop off your Boxes and Boxes of samples.  I'll give you a tour of my Mechatronics Engineering classroom.

Ship It To Me - You can use the following address to ship to: 

Silicon Valley CTE - Mechatronics Engineering Program

Jim Burnham - Mechatronics Engineering Instructor

760 Hillsdale Ave

San Jose, CA 95136

Phone: 408-723-6477

Stay connected, and see what an Awesome impact your donation is having.  I'll publish a blog, where you can see the impact your are having.  I'll show examples of how teachers are using this material.