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Nanofabrication & Nanoanalysis - ELE00033I

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  • Department: Electronic Engineering
  • Module co-ordinator: Prof. Yongbing Xu
  • Credit value: 20 credits
  • Credit level: I
  • Academic year of delivery: 2022-23
    • See module specification for other years: 2021-22

Module summary

Nanofabrication & Nanoanalysis module provides both fundamental scientific theory and hands-on experience on nanotechnology.  The module will cover various measurement techniques to probe the morphology, compositions, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of materials and devices at nano/atomic scales, along with both conventional nanofabrication techniques (e.g, e-beam lithography) and non-conventional nanofabrication techniques (e.g, self-assembly).      

Module will run

Occurrence Teaching period
A Spring Term 2022-23

Module aims

Subject content aims:

  • To give an overview of common approaches used for the fabrication and analysis of nano-structured materials, with an emphasis on nanoelectronic materials and devices
  • To understand the basic principles of fabrication at the nanoscale, including conventional and non-­conventional lithography
  • To understand and apply techniques for analyzing the structural, physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials and nanoelectronic devices
  • To develop experimental skills including approaches to good experimental design, hypothesis testing, safe execution of experimental protocols and quantitative data analysis

Graduate skills aims:

  • Advanced skills in experimental design, hypothesis testing, execution of experimental protocols and analysis of experimental data
  • To develop skills in summarising and showing understanding of information from reliable sources and technical writing

Module learning outcomes

Subject content learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, students will:

  • Understand the operating principles and use of scanning probe techniques: scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), magnetic force microscopy (MFM)
  • Understand the principles of electron microscopy and its application to analysing structure and chemical composition at the nanoscale including scanning electron microscopy (SEM) transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Photoemission Electron Microscopy (PEEM) and Auger electron microscopy
  • Be familiar with techniques to measure electron transport in nanoelectronic materials and devices: contact resistance, 4­point probe techniques, Hall effect, lock­in­amplifier techniques, low temperature measurements
  • Understand and apply structure analysis using Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) and Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED)
  • Understand the processes of crystal growth and thin film deposition, including evaporation, sputter coating, PECVD, and MBE
  • Understand conventional approaches to lithography: optical, electron and ion beam lithography, resists, limits of resolution (diffraction)
  • Understand non­-conventional lithography: scanning probe techniques, self assembly, nano-­imprint lithography
  • Understand pattern transfer techniques: lift-­off, thermal oxidation, reactive ion etching (RIE), wet chemical etching
  • Be able to design experiments, carry them out safely, and analyse the results

Graduate skills learning outcomes

After successful completion of this module, students will:

  • Have an appreciation of and be able to communicate across disciplines
  • Be able to summarise and show understanding in technical reports based on information selected from a variety of reliable sources, to a specified audience

Assessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Individual Report		 N/A 100

Special assessment rules

None

Reassessment

Task Length % of module mark
Essay/coursework
Individual Report		 N/A 100

Module feedback

'Feedback’ at a university level can be understood as any part of the learning process which is designed to guide your progress through your degree programme.  We aim to help you reflect on your own learning and help you feel more clear about your progress through clarifying what is expected of you in both formative and summative assessments.

A comprehensive guide to feedback and to forms of feedback is available in the Guide to Assessment Standards, Marking and Feedback.  This can be found at https://www.york.ac.uk/students/studying/assessment-and-examination/guide-to-assessment/

The Department of Electronic Engineering aims to provide some form of feedback on all formative and summative assessments that are carried out during the degree programme.  In general, feedback on any written work/assignments undertaken will be sufficient so as to indicate the nature of the changes needed in order to improve the work.  Students are provided with their examination results within 20 working days of the end of any given examination period.  The Department will also endeavour to return all coursework feedback within 20 working days of the submission deadline.  The Department would normally expect to adhere to the times given, however, it is possible that exceptional circumstances may delay feedback.  The Department will endeavour to keep such delays to a minimum.  Please note that any marks released are subject to ratification by the Board of Examiners and Senate.  Meetings at the start/end of each term provide you with an opportunity to discuss and reflect with your supervisor on your overall performance to date.

Indicative reading

Nano and micro electromechanical systems, S. Lyshevski, CRC press, ISBN 0­-8493-­2838­-1

Solid State Electronic Devices, B. Strretman and S. Banerjee, Pearson, Prentice Hall, ISBN, 0­-13­-149726-­X

Handbook of Microscopy for Nanotechnology, Yao, Nan; Wang, Zhong L. (Eds.) Springer, 2005, 742 p. ISBN: 978­-1-­4020-­8003­-6


The information on this page is indicative of the module that is currently on offer. The University is constantly exploring ways to enhance and improve its degree programmes and therefore reserves the right to make variations to the content and method of delivery of modules, and to discontinue modules, if such action is reasonably considered to be necessary by the University. Where appropriate, the University will notify and consult with affected students in advance about any changes that are required in line with the University's policy on the Approval of Modifications to Existing Taught Programmes of Study.