WesMaps - Wesleyan University Catalog 2006-2007       Summer Session       Winter Session       Home       Archive       Search
CS92PROD
Introduction to Nanotechnology and Micro-Fabrication
CHEM 399
Fall 2006
Section: 01  

There is a general agreement that nanotechnology will profoundly impact a wide range of areas in technology, manufacturing, environment and many other aspects of our lives. Imagine getting an injection of "smart" nano-size drug that can seek out cancer cells and destroy them without harming any of the surrounding tissue. Imagine materials with 100 times the strength of the steel with only a small fraction of its weight. Imagine shrinking all the information housed at the Library of Congress into a device the size of a sugar cube. Nanotechnology is about to explode in this century, are we ready to benefit from this exciting technology?
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to major breakthroughs and practical applications in the field of nanotechnology. A nanometer (nm) is one billionth of a meter. Nano-size material, that is objects on the length scale of 1 to 100 nm, often exhibit amazing properties unexpec! ted from its macro counterpart. For example, bulk gold has a golden color, but gold nano-particles with diameters ~15 nm are red and ~40nm gold nano-particles are purple. The dramatic size effects is an active part of research in the field of nano-science and nanotechnology. Characterization methods specific to the nano-scale will be introduced, including scanning probe microscopies. The course will touch upon topics such as; Nano-materials and amazing changes of their properties, Nano-world `eyes¿ and `hands¿ ¿ working principles of STM and AFM, Selected examples of fascinating applications of STM and AFM, Micro- and nano-fabrications, Molecular nanotechnology: nano-electronics, nano-computing, nano-optics and nano-biosensors. This course is designed primarily for undergraduate students who are majoring in science. Due to the interdisciplinary nature of the material, students from Chemistry, Physics, E&ES, Biology and MB&B should have the appr! opriate background to enroll in this course. The lectures will utiliz e power point presentations with extensive graphical materials from this booming field. The course will feature active involvement of students in the form of discussion, written reports and in-class presentations. In addition, there will be designated reading assignments involving selected sections in the textbook and handout articles of journals in nanotechnology.

Essential Capabilities: Quantitative Reasoning
Credit: 1 Gen Ed Area Dept: NSM CHEM
Course Format: Lecture/DiscussionGrading Mode: Student Option
Level: UGRD Prerequisites: CHEM141 AND (CHEM142 OR CHEM143) AND CHEM144
Fulfills a Requirement for: (CHEM-Track A)(CHEM-Track B)
Past Enrollment Probability: Not Available

Last Updated on DEC-22-2024
Contact wesmaps@wesleyan.edu to submit comments or suggestions. Please include a url, course title, faculty name or other page reference in your email ? Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut, 06459