We all have ambitions, some generic, like wanting to become a millionaire, and some more specific, like wanting to be a doctor. My ambition is to become a scientist, something I have always dreamed of since the age of five. I am an avid fan of the Star Trek series, and am greatly moved by the visions of the future that Gene Roddenberry and Irvine Kirschner, the creators of the sci-fi epic, bring to us. The thought that science could lift mankind to different planes of existence has been the inspiration behind my choosing to follow my childhood dream.
In my religion, Hinduism, working for the betterment of society that nurtures us is one of the fundamental tenets. After the completion of my tenth standard, I realized that the best way I could contribute to society was by making use of my innate talents, which were recognized by my teachers as ideal for a career in scientific research. On my teachers’ advice, I chose the science stream of study for standard eleven and twelve, rejecting the commerce stream. This proved to be the most pivotal decision of my life.
Starting in the eleventh standard, my already burgeoning fascination for physics and mathematics bloomed. I began to take a liking to the area of semiconductor physics and the nature of matter. In the standard twelve national level examinations, I was commended by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for being among the top 0.01% of all students taking the examination. My standard twelve project titled “Logic Gate Design” was the object of several accolades and is still being used today as a part of the practical classes in my alma mater. I subsequently chose to do my bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication (ECE), for I felt that it had all the makings of a course that comprised of both the physics that I loved and it’s application in today’s world.
As the course progressed, I noticed that it was a conglomerate of many areas, each with its profundity, and realized that I had to make a choice from among the myriad that were available. My liking for core electronics had grown by the time I reached this crossroad, and I boldly chose VLSI as my area of research. I now look to how I can sate my yearning to bring about the same revolution that has made a few of the world’s cities the virtual Meccas of technological advances, to the rest of the planet which has been in suspended animation. VLSI is one field of electronics with a very bright future. The world needs people who are both trained in VLSI as well as willing to work for the betterment of humanity. I was deeply inspired by the makers of the new version of Linux called “Ubuntu”. These were highly trained, sophisticated individuals who created an operating system which is primarily intended “for the benefit of mankind”. It is with this goal in mind that I intend to pursue my master’s degree.
I exposure to VLSI began with my industrial training at “VI Microsystems”, where I was introduced to the basics of IC fabrication. I was then selected to attend a training programme at the meteorological department of