Apprenticeship as a microtechnologist

What does the workplace of a microtechnologist look like?

Microtechnologists manufacture products such as microchips, semiconductor components and microsystems. The work usually takes place in clean rooms, as every little speck of dust could disrupt production. At Materion Balzers Optics, there are three so-called cleanliness classes. The first is the yellow light clean room, where structures and lacquers are applied, followed by coating, where filters and layers are applied to the glass. The third stage is the quality check, where a decision is made as to whether the work has been done cleanly and the product meets the standards. Depending on which cleanroom I’m working in, I then put on a different outfit with a smock, cap or even a face mask.

What are the main areas of specialisation in your job?

We mainly apply optical coatings to glass. These coatings improve the properties of the glass. One example is anti-reflective coatings for microscopes, which allow more light to pass through. I find the space department particularly exciting. Here, for example, we produce filters that filter out green light in satellites for earth observation, making green landscapes easier to recognise. To do this, we calculate how light is reflected by thin layers and how an optical filter can be produced from this. We apply the appropriate coating and check at the end whether the result meets expectations.