Logan Skurdal’s DRAM Product Engineering Internship with Micron Technology

Over the past two summers I have had the privilege of interning at Micron Technology, a world leader in innovative memory solutions, in my home town Boise, Idaho. Let’s just say there is a reason I went back a second time – working there is awesome!

During my internship I was a DRAM Product Engineer working on designing test programs and gathering component-level data to detect errors and debug DRAM modules. The techniques and application of many design tactics and programming practices that I have learned over my first three years at Embry-Riddle helped me immensely during this time. For example, my knowledge of circuit theory from my Linear Circuits course and lab directly translated to a quick understanding of a DRAM module and what to look for when one of the modules wasn’t passing tests. In addition, my classes in coding (such as C and MATLAB) helped me quickly pick up Python, the language I used over the summer to develop and contribute to programs already being used throughout the department.

Picture of myself (middle), my supervisor (left), and mentor (right) down in our lab.

Work at Micron was also made much easier by the great group of people I was surrounded by each day. Over a simple 3 month period (6 months including last internship) I met multiple people who I still keep in contact with today and genuinely treasure as some of my good friends. A couple of times a month we would all get together and play board games and simply have a great time. Along with getting to work on some great and emerging technology, these connections with my coworkers are a reason why I highly recommend Micron as a place for anybody to work at and/or get an internship for a fantastic summer!

Jumping in to an internship can be a scary experience. However, I can honestly say I was well prepared through the help of my coursework from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I am look forwarding to learning as much as I can my last year here at ERAU so I can be the best engineer possible!

Picture of all the interns at Micron for summer 2018

Holly Ross’ Internship with Micron Technology

At the beginning of my freshman year at Embry-Riddle, my goal was to study computer engineering with a focus on cyber security.  As my education progressed, my focus shifted, and I instead became increasingly interested in working for private companies to develop new technologies.  Classes like Digital Circuits, Microprocessors and Operating Systems taught me how to solve complex problems using both hardware and software solutions.  My coursework at school also taught me invaluable lessons about troubleshooting code and circuits and approaching problems from many different directions.

This past summer I interned with Micron Technology in Boise, Idaho.  Micron is a semiconductor company that produces memory devices such as dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and flash memory as well as solid state drives.  My job as an intern was to develop software to improve the testing of Micron’s DRAM products.  In this job I was required to learn two new computer coding languages, and the specifics of how DRAM operates.  While the task of learning two new languages sounds daunting, my courses in learning computer languages at Embry-Riddle prepared me, and I was very successful in writing the code for my internship.  My courses in circuit theory and design gave me the necessary background information I needed to learn about how DRAM operates.

Picture of myself (left) and my coworker (right) and the cubicle we shared.

While I am not allowed to discuss the specifics of the work I performed for Micron, my studies at Embry-Riddle fully prepared me for all the tasks I was given in my internship.  The technology I worked with at Embry-Riddle was up to industry standards which allowed me to quickly integrate into my work environment.  My successes at Micron Technology can largely be attributed to the foundation my studies have provided and I am very thankful for the experiences I have had at Embry-Riddle.

Picture of all the interns at Micron for Summer 2018.