ESE 5360 (Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization)

Hands-on Laboratory Course in the Cleanroom

Since ESE 5360 (Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization) was first offered in Spring 2017, this course has been one of the most popular courses in Penn Engineering. This course is intended for first-year graduate students interested in the experimental practice of nanotechnology and semiconductor. With a hands-on laboratory experience, students gain familiarity with both top-down and bottom-up fabrication and characterization technologies. This is achieved through the realization of a variety of micro- and nanoscale structures and devices that can exhibit either classical or quantum effects at the small scale.

How We Run This Course

Each student will be given a wafer or chip. They will enter a state-of-the-art cleanroom, utilizing tools identical to those employed by researchers and engineers. Students will fabricate their devices and subsequently analyze the characteristics of their creations.

What You Learn

1. MEMS Lab

Tob-down Process
Classical Physics

Key Techniques
UV Lithography with Alignment Process
Physical Vapor Deposition
Reactive Ion Etch, Deep Reactive Ion Etch, Wet Etch
Dicing, Wire bonding
Profilometry, Optical Microscopy, White Light Interferometry
Scanning Electron Microscopy
Actuation of Comb Drives and Cantilevers


2. Directed Self-assembly Lab

Bottom up Process
Classical Physics

Key Techniques
Electron Beam Lithography
Reactive Ion Etch
Chemical Process with Block Co-polymer
Reflectometry, Ellipsometry
Scanning Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy
Sample Preparation for High Resolution Imaging


3. Graphene Transistor and pH Sensor Lab

Top-down Process
Quantum Physics

Key Techniques
Heidelberg Laser Direct Writing with Alignment Process
Soft Lithography, Microfluidics
Physical Vapor Deposition
Reactive Ion Etch
Graphene Transfer
Lift-off Process, High-temperature Process (Diffusion)
Probe Station, Optical Microscopy


4. Quantum Dot Lab

Bottom up Process
Quantum Physics

Key Techniques
CdSe Quantum Dot Synthesis
UV-Vis Spectroscopy
Fluorescence Spectroscopy
Sample Preparation for Transmission Electron Microscopy
Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy


How To Take ESE 5360 - Advantage for Nano Students

This course is provided in the Spring semester. Due to safety constraints, the course has limited availability, but spots are automatically reserved for Nano students. To grasp the theoretical foundations of nanotechnology, students must complete ESE/MSE 5250: Nanoscale Science and Engineering in the preceding Fall semester.