This course provides an overview of the materials, safety and equipment issues encountered in the practice of "top down" and "bottom up" nanofabrication. It focuses on safety, environmental and health issues in equipment operation and materials handling as well as on cleanroom protocol. Topics to be covered include: cleanroom operation, OSHA lab standard safety training, health issues, Biosafety Levels (BSL) guidelines, and environmental concerns.

This course is the hands-on introduction to the processing involved in "top down", "bottom up", and hybrid nanofabrication. The majority of the course details a step-by-step description of the equipment, facilities processes and process flow needed to fabricate devices and structures. This hands-on exposure covers basic nanofabrication processes including colloidal chemistry, self-assembly, catalyzed nanoparticle growth, lithography, wet and dry etching, physical vapor deposition, and chemical vapor deposition.

ESC 213: Materials in Nanotechnology  

This course is an in-depth, hands-on exposure to materials fabrication approaches used in nanofabrication. Students learn that these processes can be guided by chemical or physical means or by some combination of these. Hands-on exposure will include self-assembly; colloidal chemistry; atmosphere, low-pressure and plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition; sputtering; thermal and electron beam evaporation; nebulization and spin-on techniques.

ESC 214: Patterning for Nanotechnology  

This course is a hands-on treatment of all aspects of advanced pattern transfer and pattern transfer equipment including probe techniques; stamping and embossing; e-beam; and optical contact and stepper systems. The course is divided into five major sections: pattern generation processes; photolithography; particle beam lithographic techniques; probe pattern generation; and embossing lithography, step-and-flash, stamp lithography, and self assembled lithography.

ESC 215: Materials Modification in Nanotechnology 

This course will cover in detail the processing techniques and specialty hardware used in modifying properties in nanofabrication. Material modification steps to be covered will include etching, functionalization, alloying, stress control and doping. Avoiding unintentional materials modification will also be covered as well as hands-on materials modification and subsequent characterization.

ESC 216: Characterization, Testing of Nanotechnology Structures & Materials 

This course examines a variety of techniques and measurements essential for testing and for controlling material fabrication and final device performance. Characterization includes electrical, optical, physical, and chemical approaches. The characterization experience will include hands-on use of tools such as the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), fluorescence microscopes, and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.