# An Interview with Sam Zeloof

- Show: [The Amp Hour](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour)
- Published: 2018-04-30
- Length: 1h 36m
- Episode: 390
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof
- Listen: https://theamphour.com/390-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof/

## Summary

Sam Zeloof, a high school senior building a semiconductor fab in his garage, explains how he transitioned from discrete electronics to fabricating integrated circuits. He details the process of sourcing chemicals from household products, building a maskless photolithography stepper from a projector, and performing metal gate transistor fabrication steps like oxidation, doping, and thermal evaporation. Zeloof discusses the challenges of working without a clean room, the limitations of his DIY equipment, and the open-source EDA tools like Magic and Qflow he uses for chip design.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof#t=0) Introduction and Background
- [8:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof#t=487) Sourcing Chemicals and Equipment
- [24:24](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof#t=1464) Semiconductor Physics and Doping
- [58:56](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof#t=3536) Photolithography and Maskless Stepper
- [1:12:59](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof#t=4379) Metallization and Testing
- [1:27:11](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof#t=5231) Chip Design Tools and Future Plans

## Topics

- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [Prototyping & iteration](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/prototyping)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [EDA & CAD tools](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/eda-and-cad-tools)

## Most relevant to

founders before launch

## Mentioned

- Jerry Ellsworth (other)
- University Wafer (company)
- Universal Display Corporation (company)
- Magic (tool)
- Qflow (tool)
- OnChip (company)
- Osh Park (company)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [S4E28 Kevin Distelhurst | Semiconductors – What They Are & How They’re Manufactured](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/being-an-engineer/2023-07-28-s4e28-kevin-distelhurst-semiconductors-what-they-are-how-theyre-manufactured) (Being an Engineer)
- [Ep 132: Laser Disco Ball, Moore's Law in Your Garage, Cheap Cyborg Glasses, and a Mouse That Detects Elephants](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2021-08-20-ep-132-laser-disco-ball-moores-law-in-your-garage-cheap-cyborg-glasses-and-a-mou) (Hackaday Podcast)
- [033 - All Over the Place](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/unnamed-reverse-engineering-podcast/2020-04-27-033-all-over-the-place) (Unnamed Reverse Engineering Podcast)
- [454: Printf Hello](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2023-07-06-454-printf-hello) (Embedded.fm)
- [Ep 235: Licorice for Lasers, Manual Motors, and Reading Resistors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/hackaday-podcast/2023-09-08-ep-235-licorice-for-lasers-manual-motors-and-reading-resistors) (Hackaday Podcast)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2018-04-30-an-interview-with-sam-zeloof. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to The Amp Hour.