Quantum Technology MSc
Micro & Nano Technology ENG5055
- Academic Session: 2026-27
- School: School of Engineering
- Credits: 20
- Level: Level 5 (SCQF level 11)
- Typically Offered: Semester 2
- Available to Visiting Students: Yes
- Collaborative Online International Learning: No
- Curriculum For Life: No
Short Description
This course will give students a comprehensive understanding of the underlying principles of operation, fabrication and testing processes that are used in research and industry to construct complex micro- and nanoelectronic semiconductor devices for applications in photonics and electronics. Students will be able to use this understanding to develop and predict the performance of fabricated devices of importance to modern semiconductor technologies.
Timetable
Weekly
Monday 2-5pm
Excluded Courses
None.
Co-requisites
None.
Assessment
Degree Examination (50%).
Assignment Report on the topic of semiconductor device fabrication (50%).
Main Assessment In: April/May
Course Aims
■ To introduce students to the science underpinning the design and operation of selected semiconductor photonic and electronic devices.
■ To provide a historical perspective on the development of micro- and nano-fabrication technologies.
■ To give a practical understanding of the key industrial processes used in micro- and nano-fabrication, and the physical principles underpinning these processes.
■ To develop the student's ability to predict the outcomes of a variety of fabrication processes in the creation of and characterisation of practical microelectronic devices.
Intended Learning Outcomes of Course
By the end of this course students will be able to:
■ Explain the operating principles of key photonic and electronic semiconductor devices.
■ Recognise the historical, environmental and societal significance of semiconductor devices and associated manufacturing processes.
■ Explain the physical and chemical processes underpinning key fabrication techniques (including epitaxy, lithography, oxidation, polishing, metallisation, ion implantation and etching).
■ Determine and apply key methods for characterising and testing semiconductors (including optical spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction and Hall measurements)
■ Critically evaluate optical and other lithographic systems, and their respective advantages and disadvantages.
■ Explain how different processes are combined in a process flow to create semiconductor devices.
■ Outline clean-room operation and key aspects of health and safety associated with clean-room equipment and processes.
■ Utilise testing approaches for the electrical and optical characterisation of example semiconductor devices.