NanoHUB.org - the ABACUS tool suite as a framework for semiconductor education courses

More than 170,000 users annually in 172 countries use nanoHUB.org for web-based access to simulation programs as well as a vast selection of related content, including online presentations and lectures, teaching materials, curated topic pages, podcasts, and downloads. With over 2500 resources including over 200 simulation tools, the science gateway nanoHUB.org is the world´s largest nanotechnology user facility. Over 10,000 research and educational users utilized nanoHUB simulation programs to run over 364,000 simulations last year. In academic year 2009-10, nanoHUB.org content was used in 150 undergraduate and graduate courses at 97 institutions. From the time of its inception through the beginning of 2011, nanoHUB.org has been cited 719 times in the literature. A detailed analysis of these citations indicates a dual use of nanoHUB content in both education and research, with educational tool usage by researchers and research tools migrating into the classroom. By leveraging existing capabilities, we have developed the Assembly of Basic Applications for Coordinated Understanding of Semiconductors (ABACUS) suite of simulation tools and supporting educational content that can serve as an aid to an introductory semiconductor course. ABACUS serves as a one-stop-shop for students and teachers to enable rapid access to the critical elements needed in the introduction to semiconductor devices.