TEKNOFEST Chip Design Competition

TEKNOFEST Chip Design Competition is a technology competition organized to enhance Türkiye’s National Technology National Technology Initiative’s accumulation in microelectronics technologies, develop skilled human resources, and increase student interest in this field. First held in 2022 as part of TEKNOFEST, the competition is carried out in collaboration between TÜBİTAK and Yongatek Microelectronics.

Purpose and Scope

The primary objective of the Chip Design Competition is to foster students’ technical scientific and engineering skills in microelectronic systems and semiconductor technologies, and to elevate them to a level where they can generate innovative solutions in these critical technologies. Additionally, the competition aims to develop competencies in teamwork, problem solving, electronic system design, and project management like.

The competition seeks to contribute to the cultivation of young engineer and science talent who will enable Türkiye to become self-reliant not only in defense and aerospace sectors but also in electronics and semiconductor technologies.

Competition Presentations - T3 Foundation

Categories

The competition is organized in two main categories.

Analog Design Category: In this category, conducted by TÜBİTAK, participants are expected to design analog circuits such as fourth-order active low-pass filters and bandgap reference tension circuits.

Microcontroller Design Category: Organized by Yongatek Microelectronics, this category requires participants to design a system using a pre-existing processor core, incorporating various interface elements and memory modules, and to validate the system.

Eligibility Criteria

Students enrolled in undergraduate or postgraduate programs in Türkiye or abroad may participate individually or in teams. Teams may consist of up to five members and may include no more than two postgraduate students. Teams may be formed either from students of a single university or from students of different institutions in a karma structure.

A participant may join teams in different categories but is not permitted to participate in more than one team within the same category. A mentor is not mandatory, but teams may appoint one. Each mentor may advise only one team.

Evaluation Committee - T3 Foundation

Competition Process

The competition consists of the following stages:

• Application: Applications are submitted through the KYS (Registration and Management System). The team captain submits the application and adds team members to the system.

• Preliminary Design Report (PDR): All teams prepare a preliminary design report following the template provided on the competition website. These reports serve as the basis for preliminary screening.

• Detailed Design Report (DDR): Teams that pass the PDR stage submit a detailed report containing technical specifications and implementation plans. Successful candidates proceed to the final stage.

• Presentation and Demonstration: In the final stage, teams present their projects orally before the jury. A project demonstration is also required in the Microcontroller Design Category. (No demonstration is required in the Analog Design Category.)

The winners are determined by the weighted average of scores from the PDR, DDR, and presentation-demonstration stages.

Evaluation and Support

Presentations are evaluated based on technical competence, originality, feasibility, and quality of responses to questions jury. Travel and accommodation expenses for teams advancing to the final are covered by the TEKNOFEST Committee for a limited number of participants.

Competition Team - T3 Foundation

The National Technology Initiative and the Significance of the Chip Competition

Chip design is a complex field requiring not only hardware expertise but also advanced engineering and systems-level thinking strategic. Semiconductor technologies are fundamental building pillars of technological transformation and national independence. Developing a qualified human resource base is of great importance importance for Türkiye to achieve its goals in this domain.

The Chip Design Competition supports young talent in this mission not only theoretically but also through practical projects, encouraging them to become the technology leaders of tomorrow.