NanoElectronics

Program Overview

The Nanoelectronics specialization within the Electrical Engineering program at the University of Twente focuses on the design, operation, and characteristics of nanoscale electronic devices and circuits. Students learn about nanoscale physics, materials science, and quantum mechanics to develop innovative concepts for nanoscale devices. The program includes hands-on experience in fabricating and measuring nanoscale devices through collaborations with research centers and access to modern facilities.

Program Outline

Outline:

Nanoelectronics

Currently, we are facing exponential growth in electronic devices - a trend that isn’t sustainable in the long term. Quantum electronic circuits and neuromorphic electronic circuits, often referred to as brain-inspired electronics due to their resemblance to the brain’s structure and functionality, can be viable alternatives that consume much less power. By understanding the principles of semiconductor materials and their behaviour at the nanoscale, you can develop novel concepts of nanoscale electronic devices. Over time, these concepts can pave the way for future generations of electronics characterised by significantly lower power consumption, prolonged battery life, reduced weight, and enhanced electrical conductivity. If you are interested in designing, making, and measuring nanoscale electronic devices and integrated circuits, the specialisation in Nanoelectronics offers an excellent opportunity for you. Essentially, you will come up with innovative concepts for nanoscale devices of various materials and sizes. Such a deep understanding of the physics of electronic circuits can lead to the advancement of powerful computing hardware in future quantum technology.

Prof. Dr. Floris Zwanenburg, programme mentor Nanoelectronics

This specialisation will teach you to design, develop, measure, and understand circuits at an ultra-small scale, the nanoscale, that can be used in modern quantum and neuromorphic electronics. You will learn the fundamentals of materials science and quantum mechanics, pivotal in nanoelectronics and its various applications, such as in transistors and diodes. Depending on your interests, you can tailor your programme to learn about manufacturing technologies of integrated circuits, the physics of semiconductor devices, or the fabrication of micro systems. Eventually, you will be able to develop and design nanoscale circuits, measure them at an extremely low temperature—4 Kelvin equal to -273.15 degrees Celsius—and characterise the behaviour of the electrons so that you can understand why they are or aren’t behaving as expected.

Examples of courses you will follow within this specialisation:

• What are the latest developments in (nano)electronics including quantum electronics and neuromorphic electronics?
Learn to describe and evaluate them in the course Nanoelectronics.
• How can material properties affect electron transport?
In the course Materials Science, you will learn about the important properties of materials needed for the development of micro systems.
• How can you extend the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics beyond the hydrogen atom?
Gain a deeper understanding of the periodic table of elements and the electronic structure of molecules in the course Applied Quantum Mechanics.