Lee Neam Heng

Course: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours), 2014 and Doctor of Philosophy, 2018
Nationality: Malaysian
Current role: Logic Design Methodology Engineer, Intel

Why did you choose Monash?

Monash is a well-known Australian university in Malaysia with international exposure and strong research background, which attracted me to further my PhD studies in engineering. My Final Year Project sparked my interest in research and I decided to expand on my research topic with an experienced supervisor. I received great support from Monash in terms of supervision, research funding, facilities and scholarship, all of which allowed me to complete my research smoothly.

Please tell us about your research.

My research involved building a low-cost intelligent mask aligner system, a piece of equipment widely used in chip manufacturing industries. These machines are typically expensive, used in production plants and hardly accessible to the laboratories in Malaysia. “Necessity is the mother of invention”; our research team required this machine to carry out experimental work, and we were inspired to build our own low-cost machine for the laboratory. I researched and studied lots of literature, product articles and patents from other countries to understand the construction of the machine and added a few innovative functions into the prototype.

Did you participate in any student activities or opportunities while at Monash?

I was encouraged by the School of my supervisor to participate in various innovation exhibitions to showcase my project to the public. During these exhibitions, I learnt to communicate and present my product to a wide range of audiences.

I was elected as the president of the Monash University Postgraduate Association (MUPA) to improve the research and study experience of the postgraduate community in Monash. It was a great experience to socialise with postgraduate students from other schools and get together as a team when organising academic and non-academic events.

What did you enjoy most about your student life?

The conducive research and study environment helped me to conduct my research smoothly, while easy access to the great facilities in the laboratories made project planning painless. Various academic and non-academic events organised by the School, library, postgraduate association and campus, helped to strengthen my research and social skills.

What are your career goals?

I hope that my research prototype will be made accessible to small-medium enterprises and universities for semiconductor research and teaching in the future. I would like to contribute my research knowledge in the semiconductor industry and be involved in the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, which is the main trend in the technology market today.