University Catalog 2023-2024

Nanoengineering

The Master of Nanoengineering (MNAE) is an on campus and distance education program and is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in a science or engineering discipline who wish to pursue a graduate degree in nanoengineering. The field of nanoengineering is expected to revolutionize technology and improve quality of life, particularly as related to energy, environment, and health. Students will achieve an understanding of the fundamental advantages in nanoscale materials, devices and systems. It is a 30 credit hour degree program that does not require a thesis, final oral exam or on-campus residency. GRE scores are recommended but not required. NC State has an existing strength in nanostructured materials and devices.

Students can declare a concentration in one of the following three areas:

  1. Materials Science in Nanoengineering;

  2. Nanoelectronics and Nanophotonics; or

  3. Biomedical Sciences in Nanoengineering.

This program is appropriate for distance-education Masters students.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the general admission requirements as set by the Graduate School, the MNAE program requires a BS degree in science or engineering with a minimum GPA or 3.0. Non-native English speakers also require a minimum TOEFL or IELTS scores as established by the Graduate School.

Degree Requirements

The Master of Nanoengineering (MNAE) requires 30 credit hours of coursework only. The 30 credit hours must consist of 12 credit hours of core courses, 12 credit hours in the areas of concentration and 6 credit hours of technical electives. 

Other Relevant Information

The Master of Nanoengineering program is an interdisciplinary one that is comprised of courses taught by faculty from six different departments within the College of Engineering. 

 

Full Professors

  • Charles M. Balik
  • Albena Ivanisevic
  • Thomas H. LaBean
  • Jagdish Narayan
  • Joseph B. Tracy
  • Daryoosh Vashaee
  • Yaroslava G. Yingling
  • Yong Zhu

Associate Professors

  • Rajeev Kumar Gupta

Assistant Professors

  • Kaveh Ahadi
  • Wenpei Gao
  • Srikanth Patala

Practice/Research/Teaching Professors

  • Claude Lewis Reynolds Jr.

Emeritus Faculty

  • Elizabeth Carol Dickey

Courses

Basic Core Courses

ECE 568/ECE 468/CHE 468/CHE 568  Conventional and Emerging Nanomanufacturing Techniques and Their Applications in Nanosystems  (3 credit hours)  

Conventional and emerging nano-manufacturing techniques and their applications in the fabrication of various structures and devices. Review of techniques for patterning, deposition, and etching of thin films including emerging techniques such as an imprint and soft lithography and other unconventional techniques. Electronic and mechanical properties of 0 to 3-D nanostructures and their applications in nano-electronics, MEMS/NEMS devices, sensing, energy harvesting, storage, flexible electronics and nano-medicine. Credit for both ECE/CHE 468 and ECE/CHE 568 is not allowed.

Prerequisite: E 304

Typically offered in Fall only

ISE 718  Micro/Nano-Scale Fabrication and Manufacturing  (3 credit hours)  

Introduction to physical theory, process design, analysis, and characterization of micro/nano scale fabrication and manufacturing. The main focus of the course is on the fabrication/manufacturing of important types of microstructures used in micro/nano devices and the techniques and tools used to fabricate and characterize them.

Prerequisite: ISE 316 or graduate standing in the college of engineering

Typically offered in Spring only

MAE 536  Micro/Nano Electromechanical Systems  (3 credit hours)  

Fundamentals and applications of micro/nano sensors and actuators. Emphasis upon MEMS/NEMS design, microfabrication techniques, and case studies of MEMS devices. Nanomaterials and NEMS devices also covered. Students have opportunity to learn commercial software packages on design and simulation of MEMS and hear from experts from leading MEMS companies through guest lectures. Previous knowledge of MEMS and nanotechnology is not required. The course is restricted to advanced undergrads and graduate students in engineering, materials science, physics and biomedical fields.

Typically offered in Fall only

MSE 500  Modern Concepts in Materials Science  (3 credit hours)  

Fundamentals of structure, structure modification and properties of materials with emphasis on structure-property relationships and modern theory of solids.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

MSE 565/MSE 465  Introduction to Nanomaterials  (3 credit hours)  

Introduction to nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanowires, and nanostructured films, emphasizing their synthesis, structural and property characterization, novel physical and chemical properties, applications and contemporary literature.

Prerequisite: MSE 201

Typically offered in Spring only

Biomedical Sciences in Nanoengineering

BME 590  Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering  (1-6 credit hours)  

A study of topics in the special fields under the direction of the graduate faculty.

Prerequisite: Senior or Graduate standing in Engineering or physical or biological sciences or textiles

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

BME 540  Nanobiotechnology Processing, Characterization, and Applications  (3 credit hours)  

Topics at the interface of nanoscale science and biotechnology will be discussed. Chemical, physical, and biological properties of nanostructured biomaterials, devices, and systems. Lectures and problem-based learning will be used to present development of nanobiotechnology-enhanced materials and devices.

Prerequisite: BIO 183 and PY 212

Typically offered in Spring only

BME 566/TE 466/BME 466/TE 566  Polymeric Biomaterials Engineering  (3 credit hours)  

In-depth study of the engineering design of biomedical polymers and implants. Polymeric biomaterials, including polymer synthesis and structure, polymer properties as related to designing orthopedic and vascular grafts. Designing textile products as biomaterials including surface modification and characterization techniques. Bioresorbable polymers.

Prerequisite: PY 208 and (TE 200 or CH 220 or CH 221 or CH 225) and (MAE 206 or CE 214)

Typically offered in Fall only

CHE 596  Special Topics in Chemical Engineering  (1-3 credit hours)  

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

CHE 596  Special Topics in Chemical Engineering  (1-3 credit hours)  

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

ECE 542/CSC 542  Neural Networks  (3 credit hours)  

Techniques for the design of neural networks for machine learning. An introduction to deep learning. Emphasis on theoretical and practical aspects including implementations using state-of-the-art software libraries. Requirement: Programming experience (an object-oriented language such as Python), linear algebra (MA 405 or equivalent), and basic probability and statistics.

Typically offered in Fall and Spring

ECE 518/ECE 418/BME 418/BME 518  Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems  (3 credit hours)  

This course surveys the methods and application of wearable electronics and microsystems to monitor human biometrics, physiology, and environmental conditions. Topics covered include wearable electrocardiograms, blood-glucose monitors, electronic tattoos, wearable energy harvesting, "smart" clothing, body area networks, and distributed population networks. Critical comparison of different sensor modalities, quantitative metrics, and how their limitations in realistic applications define the selection, design, and operation criteria of one type of sensor over another will be considered.

Prerequisite: Senior standing

Typically offered in Fall only

Materials Science in Nanoengineering

MSE 702  Defects In Solids  (3 credit hours)  

Prerequisite: MSE 500

Typically offered in Spring only

MSE 706  Phase Transformations and Kinetics  (3 credit hours)  

Homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation, spinodal decomposition, interface and diffusion-controlled growth, formal theory of transformation kinetics, precipitation, coarsening, order-disorder, and martensitic transformations.

Prerequisite: MAT 700, MAT 710, and MSE 500

Typically offered in Spring only

MSE 708  Thermodynamics Of Materials  (3 credit hours)  

Review of first and second laws of thermodynamics, equilibrium and irreversible processes, open and closed systems, partition functions and particle distribution functions. Applications include extension of thermodynamic potentials to situations where electrical, magnetic and stress fields present, heat capacity of crystals, electron gas in metals, solution models, binary phase diagrams and rubber elasticity in polymers.

Prerequisite: MAT 301 and MSE 500

Typically offered in Fall only

MSE 710  Elements Of Crystallography and Diffraction  (3 credit hours)  

Crystal symmetry, lattices and space groups; elementary diffraction by crystalline matter; experimental methods of x-ray diffraction.

Typically offered in Fall only

MSE 715  Fundamentals Of Transmission Electron Microscopy  (4 credit hours)  

Electron optics, electron-solid interactions, electron diffraction, image contrast, defect characterization, analytical and high resolution microscopy. Parallel laboratory demonstrations and exercises. Laboratory enrollment limited to twelve, but laboratory may be waived with consent of instructor.

Prerequisite: MAT 710

Typically offered in Spring only

MSE 721  Nanoscale Simulations and Modeling  (3 credit hours)  

The course is designed to assist engineering students in learning the fundamentals and cutting-edge nature of various simulations methods. The modeling tools range from accurate first principles quantum-based approaches to multi-scale approaches that combine atomic and continuum modeling. Previous knowledge of simulations is not required. The course is appropriate for graduate students in materials science, engineering, chemistry, physics and biomedical fields.

Typically offered in Fall only

Nanoelectronics and Nanophotonics

CHE 560/CHE 460  Chemical Processing of Electronic Materials  (3 credit hours)  

This course is an introduction to electronic materials, chemical processes used in their fabrication, and basic physical principles of electronic device operation and function. The course will address how principles of chemical engineering are applied to design and fabricate current and emerging electronic systems. We will also discuss emerging areas of electronic technologies, including organic semiconductors, advanced energy conversion, and quantum computing and related systems. Credit for both CHE 460 and CHE 560 is not allowed.

Prerequisite: CHE 446 or permission of instructor

Typically offered in Spring only

ECE 530  Physical Electronics  (3 credit hours)  

Properties of charged particles under influence of fields and in solid materials. Quantum mechanics, particle statistics, semi-conductor properties, fundamental particle transport properties, p-n junctions.

Prerequisite: ECE 303, B average in ECE and MA

Typically offered in Fall only

ECE 534  Power Electronics  (3 credit hours)  

DC and AC analysis of isolated and non-isolated switch mode power supply. Basic converter topologies covered include: buck, boost and buck/boost and their transformer-couples derivatives. Design of close loop of these DC/DC converters. Power devices and their applications in DC/DC converters. Inductor and transformer design.

Prerequisite: ECE 302

Typically offered in Fall only

ECE 518/ECE 418/BME 418/BME 518  Wearable Biosensors and Microsystems  (3 credit hours)  

This course surveys the methods and application of wearable electronics and microsystems to monitor human biometrics, physiology, and environmental conditions. Topics covered include wearable electrocardiograms, blood-glucose monitors, electronic tattoos, wearable energy harvesting, "smart" clothing, body area networks, and distributed population networks. Critical comparison of different sensor modalities, quantitative metrics, and how their limitations in realistic applications define the selection, design, and operation criteria of one type of sensor over another will be considered.

Prerequisite: Senior standing

Typically offered in Fall only

ECE 589/MSE 489/MSE 589/PY 489/PY 589/ECE 489  Solid State Solar and Thermal Energy Harvesting  (3 credit hours)  

This course studies the fundamental and recent advances of energy harvesting from two of the most abundant sources, namely solar and thermal energies. The first part of the course focuses on photovoltaic science and technology. The characteristics and design of common types of solar cells is discussed, and the known approaches to increasing solar cell efficiency will be introduced. After the review of the physics of solar cells, we will discuss advanced topics and recent progresses in solar cell technology. The second part of the course is focused on thermoelectric effect. The basic physical properties, Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivities, are discussed and analyzed through the Boltzmann transport formalism. Advanced subject such as carrier scattering time approximations in relation to dimensionality and the density of states are studied. Different approaches for further increasing efficiencies are discussed including energy filtering, quantum confinement, size effects, band structure engineering, and phonon confinement.

Typically offered in Spring only

ECE 723  Optical Properties Of Semiconductors  (3 credit hours)  

Materials and device-related properties of compound optical semiconductors. Included topics: band structure, heterojunctions and quantum wells, optical constants, waveguides and optical cavities, absorption and emission processes in semiconductors, photodetectors, light emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers.

Prerequisite: ECE 530

Typically offered in Spring only

MSE 760  Materials Science in Processing of Semiconductor Devices  (3 credit hours)  

Ion implantation and doping for advanced semiconductor devices, thin films and epitaxy, silicides, ohmic contacts and interconnection metallurgy, oxidation and nitridation, gettering of impurities and dopant segregation phenomena, electromigration, electronic packaging materials science and advanced device concepts.

Prerequisite: MAT 460 and MSE 500

Typically offered in Fall only

MSE 771  Materials Science of Nanoelectronics  (3 credit hours)  

Effects of scale less than 100 nm on the electrical properties & processing of all materials (metals, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers and biomaterials). Current status and future prospects for the semiconductor industry summarized by invited scientists and by review and discussion of selected current literature. Student presentations and research proposals are required.

Prerequisite: MSE 500

Typically offered in Fall only

Research Project in Nanoengineering

MSE 795  Advanced Materials Experiments  (1-3 credit hours)  

Advanced engineering principles applied to a specific experimental project dealing with materials. A seminar period provided; required written report.

Prerequisite: Senior standing or Graduate standing

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer