COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & SCIENCE
Nanosystems Engineering
Program Highlights
Nanosystems engineers design, develop, fabricate and test materials, devices, and systems in the range of 1-100 nanometers (or 1-100 billionth parts of a meter), as well as their integration with micro or macroscale devices and systems. Students in the Louisiana Tech University Nanosystems Engineering degree program can choose a concentration in biomedical, chemical, electrical, mechanical or microsystems engineering. In addition to gaining experience within their concentration, students in the program develop a strong background in physics, chemistry and math. The curriculum is designed to prepare nanosystems engineering graduates for further graduate-level education and professional growth. The B.S. nanosystems engineering degree from Louisiana Tech University is an ABET accredited and SACSCOC accredited engineering degree, which makes it unique from all other undergraduate nanoscale/nanoengineering degree programs in the country.
Our nanosystems engineering students spend much of their time in labs. Multiple lab sessions are integrated into Nanosystems Engineering course curricula to allow students to learn important laboratory techniques to produce nanomaterials or devices. They also learn how to use machines commonly used in the industry, giving them a jumpstart into their careers. Students in the program use the Micro/Nanosystems Engineering Teaching Laboratory and the Micro/Nanosystems Simulations and Modeling Laboratory, as well as the research facilities in Tech’s Institute for Micromanufacturing. Our small class sizes lead to more one-on-one attention from the professors.
More than half of the graduates in the bachelor’s degree program complete a graduate degree. The average salary for Louisiana Tech Nanosystems Engineering alumni in the industrial workforce was $90,000 in 2016.
Job Opportunities
- Electronics industry
- Materials science (textiles, polymers, packaging)
- Auto and aerospace industries
- Medical, pharmaceutical fields
- Environmental monitoring, control, and remediation
- Food science (quality control, packaging)
- Forensics
- University, federal lab research
- Military, national security
Advising Materials
For a list of prerequisites and required courses, select the curriculum sheet below.
Nanosystems Engineering Curriculum Sheet
For more information contact:
Dr.Sandra Zivanovic, Nanosystems Engineering Program Chair
James W. Adams Professor of Electrical Engineering
Email: sz@latech.edu
Phone: 318 257 5145
Office: Biomedical Engineering Building #118
Mailing Address: 818 Nelson Ave., P.O. Box 10157, Ruston, LA 71272
Course Highlights
NSE 202 Fundamentals of Nanosystems Engineering
The objectives of NSE 202 are to provide students with the knowledge and skills to:
- Communicate what is meant by “nanotechnology” and the scientific basis for its exponential growth in application and predicted impact on the world economy;
- Explain the connections between nanotechnology and other disciplines (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, engineering disciplines);
- Prove a framework for students to think and discuss devices and systems at the atomic and molecular level;
- Identify the terminology, equipment, techniques, and devices that are used in the design, fabrication, and characterization of nanosystems; and
- Discuss the possible societal impacts and consequences of nanotechnology.
NSE 302 Nanomanufacturing
The objectives of NSE 302 are to enable nanosystems engineering students the knowledge and skills to:
- be prepared to work in laboratory environments for micro/nano-related processes;
- design and develops nanofabrication processes in terms of their end products to evaluate parameters such a uniformity;
- morphology, particle size distributions, and physical properties;
- use advanced characterization and testing instruments such as a particle analyzer, spectrophotometers, and electron microscopy to characterize nanomaterials and their properties; and
- document effectively results for laboratory processes and engineering design analysis.
This course is centered around a nanomanufacturing project where students are tasked with selecting, analyzing, and designing a nanofabrication process suitable for scale-up for the production of CdSe quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, or graphene. Students are required to conduct literature searches of journals and patent databases for current process techniques and evaluate the feasibility of scale-up of these processes for commercial production considering factors such as economics, quality control, manufacturability, safety, and environmental concerns. Students also conduct baseline experiments on their selected nanofabrication processes and seek ways to optimize their processes subject to the design factors.
NSE 410: Nanosystems and Devices
The objective of NSE 410 is for students to:
- Define the major components in micro/nanosensors and micro/nanoactuators in micro/nanosystems and explain the scientific basis for many of their possible applications;
- Assess the effects of scaling on various physical phenomena;
- Perform simulation/modeling lab experiments using commercial software (e.g., Coventor, COMSOL, etc.) to design micro/nanosensors or actuators;
- Develop critical thinking and decision making for design and modeling of micro/nanosystems using finite element COMSOL commercial software;
- Make an oral presentation of a project on a micro/nanodevice or system design and modeling to a peer group of students;
- Write clear, concise reports to document simulation lab experiments; and
- The magnetic field generated using COMSOL and obtained flux density.
NSE 490: Nanosystems Modeling
The objective of NSE 490 is for students to:
- Know and understand the use of different modeling techniques including quantum mechanics, molecular mechanics, and molecular dynamics;
- Identify and apply different computational techniques on a variety of nanosystems;
- Interpret and describe the results of simulations using these techniques;
- Derive and perform calculations combining the outputs of various simulation techniques; and
- Evaluate, select, and justify the steps to follow in the design of learning materials based on molecular simulations.
Course Descriptions
NSE 202: Introduction to Nanosystems Engineering
3 Semester Credit Hours. 3-2-3 Prerequisite CHEM 102, PHYS 201 Fundamentals of nanotechnology and its application to engineering systems, emphasizing basic principles, materials, measurement tools, fabrication techniques, and applications.
NSE 300: Intro: Programming for Engineers and Scientists
3 Semester Credit Hours. 0-3-3 Prerequisite ENGR 122 or PHYS 104, and MATH 243 Commands, loops, and debugging. Problem-solving techniques. Operations with vectors and matrices, solving equations and systems, integration and differentiation. Data import, export, analysis, and visualization.
NSE 302: Nanomanufacturing
2 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite CHEM 251, CHEM 253, and NSE 201 Applied process design for nanomanufacturing incorporating economic and safety hazards analyses that includes a project based laboratory experience with fabrication and metrology instruments.
NSE 406: Nanosystems Engineering Senior Design I
1 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite NSE 302, ENGR 220, ENGR 221, ENGR 222, and MATH 245 Open-ended, team-based engineering design/research project that draws on the students’ entire academic experience utilizing the engineering design process.
NSE 407: Nanosystems Engineering Senior Design II
1 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite NSE 406 A continuation of NSE 406 with emphasis on detailed system design.
NSE 408: Nanosystems Engr Sr Design III
1 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite NSE 407 A continuation of NSE 407 with emphasis on prototype construction and evaluation.
NSE 410: Nanosystems and Devices
3 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite MSE 404 Overview of nanosystems, nanodevices, and nanosensors including synthesis, modeling, analysis, design and optimization and their application in areas such as nanofluidics, magnetics, electronics, and biotechnology.
NSE 490: Nanosystems Modeling
3 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite CHEM 251 Application of molecular simulation to nanosystems engineering problems. Molecular modeling principles and techniques such as quantum mechanics, molecular dynamics, and Monte Carlo methods.
MSE 404: Advanced Materials for Micro/Nano Devices and Systems
3 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite MEMT 201 and ELEN 334. Fundamentals of advanced materials used for the realization of micro/nano devices and systems, emphasizing the properties and characteristics of various materials.
MSE 406: Micro/Nano-Scale Materials Measurements and Analysis
3 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite PHYS 202 Fundamentals of micro/nanoscale materials measurements and analysis, based on modern techniques.
ELEN 334: Solid State Electronics
3 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite MATH 244, PHYS 202, and ENGR 221 Fundamentals of solid-state electronic materials and devices, emphasizing semiconductors and principles of operation of ULSI devices.
MEEN 382: Basic Measurements
2 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite ENGR 221 and cumulative GPA at least 2.0 in MATH 241 through MATH 244. Techniques and instruments for making and analyzing measurements in engineering.
PHYS 412: Intro To Solid State Physics
3 Semester Credit Hours. Prerequisite PHYS 202. Introduction to the fundamentals of material structures at the atomic, nano- and microscale emphasizing properties.
NOTE: Students take an additional 12 semester credits hours within an engineering concentration area chosen from biomedical, chemical, electrical, mechanical, or microsystems engineering.
Industrial Advisory Board Members
Jeffery Anderson, P.E., PMP, Deputy Director of Water and Sewerage, City of Shreveport
Christopher Bagwell, Sr. Business Analyst, Pizza Hut
William “Bill” C. Bailey, Jr., President, Radiance Technologies
Heath Berry, Ph.D., Director of Research & Development, Radiance Technologies, Inc.
Mir Galib, Process Engineer, Applied Materials
Jordan Gates, Process Design Engineer, Catalyst Development for Jupiter Fuels
Paul N. Hale, Jr., Ph.D., PE, Professor Emeritus, Louisiana Tech University
Justin Heard, DMOS6 Plasma Engineer, Texas Instruments Incorporated
Col. Gary Johnston, (retired) Research Engineer, Geotechnical and Structures Lab, U.S. Army ERDC
Joseph Nealy, PE, Senior Supervisor Site Cavern Engineer, Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Chad B. O’Neal, Ph.D., P.E., Process Engineering Manager, Wolfspeed
Joel Soman, Ph.D., Processing Engineer, Dallas Heater Chip Development Group, Texas Instruments
Mark Strumpell, Program Manager – Non-Implanted Medical / Product Services, Independent Consultant, VLSIP Technologies, Inc.
Glenn Thorpe, ATTD Platform Integration, Intel
Steuart Turner, New Product Engineer, Intralox
Shashi Yadav, Photolithography Manufacturing Engineering Operations Manager, Micron Technology
Alumni Testimonials
“Louisiana Tech’s Nanosystems Engineering curriculum has done a great job of preparing me to pursue research in graduate school. I really like how balanced the program is, giving the students theoretical knowledge as well as hands-on experience, and we get to cover nanosystems modeling, manufacturing and tools for characterization. Nanoscience is the cutting edge of research, and I’m excited to be able to make further contributions in this rapidly growing field as I continue in graduate school at the Colorado School of Mines.”
– Ethan Sullivan, ‘17, Ph.D. Student, Colorado School of Mines, Metallurgical Engineering
“After graduating with a degree in Nanosystems Engineering from Louisiana Tech, I completed my master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at University of California, Berkeley. I like the semiconductor processing industry, and am currently working on the thermal inkjet printhead manufacturing at Hewlett-Packard. The Nanosystems Engineering degree gave me an interdisciplinary view of systems.”
– Divya Kashyap ‘12, Parametric Test Engineer, Hewlett-Packard Inc.