Semiconductors power everything from TikTok videos to Mars rovers, but does anyone actually know how these tiny tech wonders work? ASM, a semiconductor equipment company with a nearly 50-year history in Arizona, is launching an exhibition titled “From Sand to Stars: A Semiconductor Adventure” at Arizona Science Center to pull back the curtain on this magical world.
Running September 26 through December 24, 2025, this hands-on exhibition invites students to jump into the nano-world of microchips. ASM is sponsoring field trips for 50 low-income Phoenix-area schools, giving students the chance to experiment, play, and discover the atomic layers that power today’s chips and tomorrow’s dreams.
The exhibition showcases how ASMers work at the atomic scale—stacking layers of atoms so thin they’re nearly invisible—to create the chips that power everything from everyday devices like our phones and laptops, to life-saving medical technologies, and even the rockets that explore the farthest reaches of our universe. Students will dive into the nano-world of microchips, discovering how tiny grains of sand are transformed into the brains behind the technology that drives our world.
“The future of semiconductors – and everything they power, from AI data centers to your smartphone to spacecraft – it all depends on the brightest young minds joining our industry,” said Vamsi Paruchuri Corporate VP, Technology, Innovation & Market Research. “By partnering with Arizona Science Center, we’re showing students how they can shape tomorrow’s technology at an atomic scale. Our new Scottsdale facility isn’t just expanding ASM’s footprint – it’s creating a launchpad for Arizona’s next generation of innovators who will master the art of atomic layering.”
The exhibition showcases the periodic table’s semiconductor superstars—from silicon, the essential element found in beach sand, to hafnium oxide, which helps make our battery-powered devices faster and more efficient. Career videos introduce the pioneers of nanoscale technology, working at dimensions thousands of times smaller than a human hair, while imagination stations encourage guests to dream up the next world-changing innovation. Interactive displays feature a nearly 8-foot-tall, to-scale photo of equipment typically kept behind lock and key in ultra-clean semiconductor fabrication plants, including ASM’s massive XP8 Synergis machine.
Arizona’s semiconductor boom needs brainpower to match its manufacturing might. The state leads the nation in semiconductor investments and supplier announcements, according to the Arizona Commerce Authority, creating a tech revolution that demands skilled talent. The Semiconductor Industry Alliance projects the industry will add nearly 115,000 jobs by 2030, with an estimated 58% at risk of going unfilled. It’s not just about sending people to space or powering the latest smartphone – the semiconductor industry is racing to find the next generation of innovators who will shape the future at the atomic level.
ASM’s multi-million-dollar investment in its new North American headquarters in Scottsdale is part of this growth story, bringing additional high-tech jobs to the local ecosystem and creating opportunities for today’s students to become tomorrow’s semiconductor pioneers.
“Kids can’t dream of careers they’ve never seen,” said Tammy Stewart, Interim Hazel A. Hare President & CEO. “We’re not just showing students how chips work—we’re uncovering the atomic magic behind everything they love, from gaming consoles to space exploration. When kids light up a circuit with their own hands or watch sand transform into technology, those ‘wow’ moments spark wonder that can grow into a lifelong passion. Together with ASM, we’re turning complex semiconductor science into an adventure that might just inspire Arizona’s next generation of innovators.”
Arizona Science Center exhibition’s timing coincides with SEMICON West 2025, which will be held in downtown Phoenix for the first time in the conference’s 50+ year history, October 7 through 9.
