Continuing Professional Development in Nanoelectronics
The Microelectronics and Nanostructures group in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering is offering seven 3 week courses in Nanoelectronics, a field that merges semiconductor based Nanotechnology with the need for ever smaller electronic devices. The course will address:
- State-of-the art organic and inorganic semiconductor nanostructures
- Use of device fabrication techniques to produce nanoscale electronic components
- Modern experimental analytical techniques in characterisation of semiconductor materials and assessment of devices
- Inner workings of real nanoscale devices such as Quantum Dot Lasers
- The latest computer modelling techniques of nanoscale structures and devices
With a view to enriching the professional development of attendees, CPD provides advanced theoretical and practical training in cutting edge subjects related to the Nanoelectronics field.
As such these CPD units are suited to both personnel working in the industrial and higher education sectors. You will have the opportunity to:
- Be taught by active researchers at the forefront of the field of Nanotechnology
- Make practical use of research equipment
- Perform projects within active research laboratories
- Expand your career opportunities in both Academia and Industry
Overview
For more than forty years electronics has experienced growth at an unprecedented rate. During this period silicon integrated circuit technology has been developed to the point where complex VLSI systems containing billions of transistors can be constructed on a sliver of silicon with an area of a few square centimetres. These phenomenal increases in capacity and performance have been reflected in Moore’s Law which predicts that the number of transistors integrated onto a silicon chip will double every eighteen months. However, the shrinking of transistor dimensions cannot continue indefinitely – already the minimum feature size of devices is well below 100 nanometres (nm). This has led semiconductor manufacturers to refer to the technology entering the nanometre era, where device dimensions are measured in tens of nanometres. Based on current predictions the scaling of traditional MOS transistors will reach a fundamental limit at around 20nm, beyond which it will be necessary to find completely new technologies that will form the basis for the electronic systems of the future. Research is already under way into a range of technologies that are potential candidates as successors to the silicon era, although none has yet emerged as a clear winner in the race. Collectively these approaches all come under the heading of Nanoelectronics, and it is this which forms the subject of this new programme of courses in Nanoelectronics.
The aims of the Programme are to:
- Provide an advanced education in modern Organic and Inorganic Semiconductor engineering, emphasising the physical principles and their practical application
- Provide practical training into the different stages of the fabrication of nanoelectronic component, from synthesis of the raw material to processing and fabrication of the final device, experiencing all the different stages of assessment
- Provide comprehensive theoretical and practical transferable knowledge in a rapidly expanding field through a carefully balanced mix of lectures, the use of modelling software packages and laboratory exercises
Registration and Structure
Units will be delivered in 3-week blocks. This structure is designed to minimise time spent away from the main institution. Teaching takes place in the mornings, with activities such as tutorials, supervised study groups and seminars reserved for the afternoons. Wednesday afternoon and Friday are free. The 3rd week of the course is reserved for Laboratories.
7 modules are on offer, and we particularly recommend the following for CPD; Inorganic Processing, Characterization & Synthesis, Nanoelectronics, THz technologies.
Modules
MODULE 1: Fundamentals of Semiconductors (27/09/10 -15/10/10)
MODULE 2: Organic Electronics (18/10/10 - 05/11/10)
MODULE 3: Nano-characterization and Materials Synthesis (08/11/10 - 26/11/10)
MODULE 4: Nano-processing Technology (29/11/10 - 17/12/10)
MODULE 5: Nano-photonics (31/01/11 - 18/02/11)
MODULE 6: Nanoelectronic Devices (21/02/11 - 07/03/11)
MODULE 7: Towards THz Nanotechnology (14/03/11 - 01/04/11)
For more detailed information, please see the syllabus description.
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | |
| 9-12 am | Sub1 | Sub2 | Sub1 | Sub2 | |
| 2-5 pm | Activity | Activity | Activity |
| Mon | Tues | Wed | Thurs | Fri | |
| 9-12 am | Lab | Lab | Lab | Lab | Lab (MSc only) |
| 2-5 pm | Lab | Lab | Lab | Lab (MSc only) |
The registration details for attending each individual unit can be negotiated directly with the Nano-CPD director, Professor Mohamed Missous. Special rates can be negotiated for large groups belonging to the same institution.
Contact Us through Skype
The MSc Course Director, Dr Max Migliorato, will be happy to talk to you about the course via Skype. If you have a Skype account and would like to set up a conversation with Dr Migliorato, please contact chloe.porter@manchester.ac.uk for further details.