S05-E10 Jose is a technician at KNI

Jose, a technician at the Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) at Caltech, discusses his role in microfabrication, using equipment like ellipsometers and atomic force microscopes. He describes his daily routine, including wearing a bunny suit for safety. Jose shares his educational journey, starting from Pasadena City College, and his plans to transfer and work in a clean room. He highlights the unexpected challenges of learning new techniques and the impact of the East Canyon fire on his family, which forced them to relocate. Despite these challenges, Jose continues his studies and work, emphasizing the importance of extracurricular involvement and resilience.

The Talking Technicians podcast is produced by MNT-EC, the Micro Nano Technology Education Center, through financial support from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education grant program.

Opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the National Science Foundation.

Join the conversation. If you are a working technician or know someone who is, reach out to us at info@talkingtechnicians.org.

Links from the show:

Episode Web Page:
https://micronanoeducation.org/students-parents/talking-technicians-podcast/

Kavli Nanoscience Institute (KNI) at Caltech:
https://kni.caltech.edu/

Transcript

Peter Kazarinoff  0:02  
From MNT-EC, the Micro Nano Technology Education Center, this is Talking Technicians. The podcast about technicians: who they are, what they do, and where they come from. I'm your host, Peter Kazarinoff. I teach technicians and engineers at Portland Community College. In each episode, you'll meet a working technician and hear their story. That means real interviews, with real technicians, about real jobs. At the end of each episode, you'll hear actions you can take if you want to be a technician too

In this episode, you'll meet Jose. Jose is a technician at the Kavli nanoscience Institute or Kni at Cal Tech in Pasadena, California. Jose, welcome to Talking technicians.

Jose  0:55  
Thanks, Peter. It's a pleasure to be here.

Peter Kazarinoff  0:59  
I'mso glad that you're here today to talk with me about your work at the nanoscience Institute, and also about some of your education background that led you there. But before we start talking about those topics, Cal Tech is in Pasadena, California. Is that where you live too?

Jose  1:16  
Yeah. So currently, I live near the area, more specifically, a little bit lower towards Temple City. Is it where I'm currently staying at? But previously, I did live around the area in Altadena, but now I recently transitioned over to Temple City,

Peter Kazarinoff  1:36  
So you get to live close by to work. And did you grow up in that area too, Jose?

Jose  1:42  
Kind of, but not specifically. I've kind of just been around the Los Angeles area my whole life. So I've been around the area, not specifically in Pasadena, but.

Peter Kazarinoff  1:55  
So Jose, can you talk to me about where you work? What is the Kavli Nanoscience Institute?

Jose  2:02  
Right? So the Kni, or the Kali nanoscience Institute, is a microfabrication lab at Caltech where they basically try to do experiments at a nanoscale. And these experiments can range from doing photolithography to basic nano fabrication methods and essentially what is essentially being done there ranges from biology related coursework to other areas in medicine, physics, or other areas of improvements that can be done or is currently being further understanded within the lab. And so it generally does depend on the type of experiment that one is trying.

Peter Kazarinoff  3:00  
So Jose, I've got a pretty good idea about what the Kavli nanoscience Institute is at a whole but are there specific pieces of equipment, either fabrication equipment to make stuff or characterization equipment to measure stuff that you use?

Jose  3:16  
Yeah. So we used several equipment at the canine one of them being some things such as an ellipsometer that measures the depth of the film that we are trying to measure. And it uses a light to polarize, a light of polarization, essentially to try to determine that thin film measure at different angles. And we also use other equipment, such as EC microscope, which is essentially just a EC microscope and can take relatively high resolution images. And we have also used an Orion depositions, which is essentially deposits a thin film of material onto the substrates that you are trying to characterize. And the thin film can range anywhere from nanometers. And you can also change the rate of change for that type of film, the position.

Peter Kazarinoff  4:32  
So Jose, I've got a good idea like so you have these characterization tools that you look at stuff with, and then you've got these fabrication tools that you build up these layers with. What are some of the things that you do day to day when you go in to the Kni like, what would you do at the start of the day, the middle of the day and the end of the day when you go into work?

Jose  4:55  
And essentially, it's putting on a bunny suit, which. Is kind of a series of parts that you just put on and you answer through a door which leads you into the lab. And within the lab there are several compartments where you can essentially work that, such as a web chemistry room or a deposition Bay, or essentially, if you're trying to write onto a substrate, you can use the photolithography room to spin resist or also to do electromavian lithography. You can also work in that area of the lab, so it depends on where exactly you were trying to do that work, that work that day. But typically we work within the deposition Bay and within the wet chemistry room.

Peter Kazarinoff  5:54  
Jose, what did it feel like your first day at the kni? Do you remember going into the lab and putting on the bunny suit for the first time. What did that feel like?

Jose  6:04  
Yeah, so the first time I went was first guided by our lab safety officer. His name was birds, and he was really kind, very, very used, a very good man. And essentially, he told the director of the office that I was going to go inside and because I still hadn't had all my paperwork done, so I was under his supervision. But he was really nice. He showed me how to put on, basically the bunny suit, and also showed me around the area with all the different types of equipment and all that. And it was very, very, very informative. And he also gave me like, a tour of the campus after, which was really, really nice of him to do, considering he had he was also doing other things within the lab, but very nice guy.

Peter Kazarinoff  7:02  
And Jose. How does it feel now when you go into the lab? Does it still feel new? Are you used to that equipment and all that personal protective gear that you have to put on?

Jose  7:13  
Yeah, so now it's a little bit more of the normal. It's nothing to I guess, nothing too new. It's very, very easy to just do all that, to go inside and be prepared to do some type of experiments alongside other people, or simply within myself. So it's really not as it was before, and it's a lot more comfortable, I guess, to be able to work within the lab now.

Peter Kazarinoff  7:53  
Well, Jose, I'm glad that you feel like you belong in the lab and that it feels like a good working experience for you too. It also sounds like you have some nice coworkers. Let's shift gears a little bit and talk a little bit about how you got to where you are. Now, you mentioned that you grew up in California. Did you go to high school close by?

Jose  8:12  
Yes, I went to high school at Pasadena. Within Pasadena, it's John Mayer High School, where I graduated class of 2020, and prior to that, I did go to Rosemary high school for about a year, but I did graduate from genre High School, and in terms of how I was able to get to where I'm at right now, it was simply a lot of putting yourself out there, I guess would be the best way to say it, because, I mean, starting community college my first year, I kind of was simply focused on academics. And there's nothing wrong with being focused with academics. It's a great benefit personally, as you gain a better understanding. But I also noticed when it came to either applying to other schools or just basically getting ready to transfer, I was posed with the question, Am I doing enough extracurriculars? And I looked at reflected upon myself, and I said, No, I that's something I could work on. And so I started getting involved in within my community. I started joining clubs. I started connecting with people around campus, and essentially to one of the clubs, I was able to get connected with some of my advisors, and they were able to provide me some opportunities. And. That were related to this field and to the fields I was also interested in, and essentially that was basically the starting point of how I got to where I am right now.

Peter Kazarinoff  10:15  
Jose, are you still a student at Pasadena City College? Are you taking some courses there.

Jose  10:21  
I am still a student at Pasadena City College. This is my last semester here. I plan on transferring to the local university once I am done here. So right now, I have submitted several applications to neighboring schools, and we'll see where I get into once I am done with the semester.

Peter Kazarinoff  10:50  
And Jose, do you have a plan or an idea of where you might want like to work once you finish college? Do you like working in the micro and nano industry?

Jose  11:00  
A plan I would do is, essentially, once I transfer, I can work within a clean room as an alternative to, I guess, forward, and by doing so, I would rather be familiarized with a lot of the machines, such as the a iPhone ellipsometers or microscopes or even materials within the wet chemistry room that would enhance my profile to work as A technician within that lab. So that is a possible option as I keep moving forward.

Peter Kazarinoff  11:48  
Jose, what's something unexpected about working in micro and nano that you only learned after you started? What was something unexpected in your work?

Jose  11:58  
Yeah, so something unexpected, perhaps, was kind of knowing and not knowing what to expect at the same time, because it's a lot of it is learning about new techniques that is already being done. For instance, when working with this one person, you learn that there's a better way to do a type of method. For instance, where we are doing a lift off process, you learn that, oh, there's maybe a better placement to put the substrate on in order for it to better remove all that photoresist that you put on. And it is essentially learning those new techniques, which I didn't know I was going to do. Because I thought like it's simply going to be like one step, one procedure. But no, it's always a learning experience with those who you are around. And as you keep working and getting more experience, it's also good to ask around to better get the desired results, or just to better understand what the mechanisms are behind the project that you are working on.

Peter Kazarinoff  13:36  
Jose, I've really enjoyed talking with you about your work in micro, nano and work in the lab. So sorta to finish up, do you have any advice to current students like your classmates at Pasadena City College, or maybe people who aren't in community college yet, but might wanna transition their careers and work in micro nano like you do? What would you say to those students are people who are not yet at community college?

Jose  14:04  
Right -if they were to get within the field that I'm currently in, I would advise them to not be afraid to make mistakes and try to put yourself out there. Because ultimately, by doing so. I mean, it's a good way to kind of explore the areas that are within your interest, and you even may even find out that those areas within micro nano industry can be intertwined with personal interests, and essentially, by doing so, you essentially can create or even innovate things that you didn't know who you could do when you first started and doing those. Types of things will essentially put you at a better position when starting Community College.

Peter Kazarinoff  15:08  
Jose. Have there been any challenges or obstacles that you needed to overcome either going to community college or working at the KNI?

Jose  15:18  
The only thing I think would be worth mentioning is like right now, how my house burnt down because of the eating Canyon fire. So it is kind of like been very difficult to maneuvering everything that I've been doing. And so I think that's something just to put out there to acknowledge. But yeah, it's been quite a journey. To say would be like an understatement, but it's been very, very humbling and a very crazy experience, I guess. We were staying at a house of in Altadena, and my family was relatively large. We were a family of 10, and when it all happened, we basically, we didn't think anything of it. We thought, Oh, we're going to come back and it's all going to be okay. But it took the time for the worst, and when we wanted to see up our our house, basically it was, it was it was already, like, most of it was gone. It was still in flames. And right now we're just, we're just gathering funds to basically recover. I lost some of my pets, and a lot of, I guess, my personal, personal things, and, yeah, coming from that, it's, it was, like, a lot of repairs that we had to do. We stood at a shelter for over a month, and after that month, I guess I just had to relocate, because, I mean, of school and work. And so I got a little bit closer where I'm currently staying at in Temple City, but it's still not the best, I guess, circumstance that is the best circumstance we're in. So we're still kind of just recovering. Thankfully. I'm glad that no one in my family got injured or hurt, but we were a big family, and we kind of had to get separated, so other families living like in a little garage, and right now we're just thinking, like a little room, but yeah, it's, it's been a roller coaster of emotions.

Peter Kazarinoff  18:05  
So Jose, how were you able to continue going to school and continue going to work while all of this was happening? It sounds incredibly disruptive.

Jose  18:15  
It was definitely a challenge, because I had to basically plan for everything from taking a shower to getting some place to eat. We did stay at a shelter, and there they did have meals for individuals, but it was not at the times I was available. I could be at school or at work, and when I get back, I could be hungry, and they could not even be serving food. So everything I took for granted, kind of was a difficult to get provided, and so everything was kind of a mess in the sense that I wasn't able to get poverty because we were all within a big room and it was just dogs, children and other families around, just talking, arguing, or whatever could be the scenario. So it was definitely a challenge with that regard, and we just tried to build peace where we were at. Didn't really feel it was necessary to cause any more problems. We understand that it was a stressful situation for everyone, and we just tried to better the situation by providing help within those who were inside as well, because we do understand that it's not an ideal situation that we were all being present. With but it was a hassle to basically continue school as I was during that month of January, I was still doing a course for history, and I did let my professors know, hey, like, I this is my situation right now, and I can't really even even doing schoolwork. Was a hassle, because, I mean, I would sit down there at one of the tables and try to focus and do my school work, but I couldn't even do that because there was always paramedics coming in and out, Red Cross staff doing whatever they had to do, or just people around. So even as simple as trying to get your work done, it was difficult to do as I was staying there, but now things are a little bit better. I wouldn't say they are as they were before, but it's still an improvement from my previous situation.

Peter Kazarinoff  21:17  
Well, Jose, you're incredibly courageous for pushing through and continuing both with school and work during such a difficult time. And I really appreciate you talking with me today on the podcast.

Jose  21:31  
Thank you, Peter. It was a pleasure to be here with you.

Peter Kazarinoff  21:35  
Please keep in touch.

Jose  21:37  
Thank you.

Peter Kazarinoff  21:45  
Talking Technicians is produced by MNT-EC, the Micro Nano Technology Education Center through financial support from the National Science Foundation's Advanced Technological Education grant program. Opinions expressed on this podcast do not necessarily represent those of the National Science Foundation. Join the conversation: If you are a working technician, or know someone who is, reach out to us at info@talkingtechnicians.org. We're always looking out for great guests to share more stories with you.