Nanosystems Engineering Laboratory

Course Objectives

The objectives of NSE 303 are to enable nanosystems engineering students the knowledge and skills to:

• be prepared to work in laboratory environments for micro/nano-related processes

• design and develops nanofabrication processes in terms of their end products to evaluate parameters such a uniformity, morphology, particle size distributions, and physical properties

• use advanced characterization and testing instruments such as a particle analyzer, spectrophotometers, and electron microscopy to characterize nanomaterials and their properties

• document effectively results for laboratory processes and engineering design analysis

This course is centered around a nanomanufacturing project where students are tasked with selecting, analyzing, and designing a nanofabrication process suitable for scale-up for the production of CdSe quantum dots. Students are required to conduct literature searches of journals and patent databases for current process techniques and evaluate the feasibility of scale-up of these process for commercial production considering factors such as economics, quality control, manufacturability, safety, and environmental concerns. Students also conduct baseline experiments on their selected nanofabrication processes and seek ways to optimize their processes subject to the design factors.

Photos of students from lab experiments in NSE 303:

Photos of quantum dots produced and lab setup in fume hoods:

Course Development supported by NSF-NUE Program (#EEC-0836651)

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the principal investigators and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.