PhD in Nanoscale Engineering

Program Overview

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Doctor of Philosophy in Nanoscale Engineering

Advance Your Future in Research and Design

Make your mark in a field that has been a source of innovation in nearly every industry by earning a PhD in Nanoscale Engineering at the University at Albany. Through the program’s significant emphasis on the science and technological know-how for atomic scale material modeling, characterization and metrology, you’ll develop the fundamental skills necessary for conducting independent and original research.

Program of Study

You’ll complete either 36 or 60 credits of coursework to earn your PhD in Nanoscale Engineering at UAlbany, depending whether you already hold an appropriate master’s or bachelor’s degree upon acceptance to the program.

All students enroll in a sequence of four foundational courses that provide the core competencies necessary for success in nanoscale engineering and science fields. You’ll earn the rest of your credits through research, seminars and other nanoscale science and engineering courses, which are determined in part by which of seven tracks you choose.

After your first year, you’ll embark on a preliminary program of study with your advisor that includes choosing a track and coursework to satisfy it.

Additional Requirements

• Preliminary Written Exam: This exam covers fundamental topics of nanoscale engineering, and you have two attempts to pass to maintain academic standing in the program.
• Preliminary Oral Examination: Typically taken within two semesters of passing the written exam, the oral exam is related to your area of concentration.
• Dissertation: Submission and defense of a proposal that represents original research that contributes to knowledge in nanoscale engineering.
• Publication: You must be the first author on at least two scientific publications that have been accepted to peer-reviewed journals related to your area of concentration.

Tracks

• Nanoelectronics Engineering and Technology: Design, processing, fabrication, testing and integration of nanoelectronic structures and devices for incorporation in emerging gigascale and terascale integrated circuit systems and architectures. Development of integrated process modules for novel nanoelectronics materials.
• Optoelectronics and Photonics Nanoengineering: Nanoengineering design, fabrication, testing and integration of integrated optoelectronic and photonic device structures using compound semiconductors. Testing and hybridization of optoelectronic/photonic devices in system-on-a-chip (SOC) and nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) architectures.
• Spintronics Nanoengineering: Design, fabrication, testing and integration of spintronic device structures. Testing and hybridization of spintronic devices, including incorporation in system-on-a-chip (SOC) and nano-electro-mechanical system (NEMS) architectures.
• NanoSystem Engineering and Technology: Design, fabrication, packaging and testing of nano/micro-electrical and nano/micro-opto-electrical mechanical components and nano/micro-fluidic components for incorporation in SOC architectures and systems.
• Nanoengineering in Energy & Environmental Technologies: Development of nanotechnology engineering concepts for new and emerging applications in energy and environmental areas including fuel cells, solar cells, superconductors, sensors, power electronics, and supercapacitors.
• Nanolithography Engineering and Technology: Design, development and engineering of nanolithography systems, components and processes. Development and engineering of materials and metrologies for nanolithography.
• Nanobiology Engineering and Technology: Design, development and engineering of nanobiological systems, components and processes. Development and engineering of biomaterials and nano-bio-systems for SOC, nanomedicine and health applications.

Combined MD-PhD Program

Get education and training in both medicine and nanoscale science and engineering research through this pioneering dual-degree program. Offered by the College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) and SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, students in this program benefit from the combined resources of a CNSE’s world renowned nanotech education and research facilities, and SUNY Downstate’s outstanding medical training.

Through an integrated, seven-year course of study alternating between the two programs, you’ll prepare to become a world-class research physician in the emerging science and practice of nanomedicine, graduating at the vanguard of healthcare with an MD from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine and a PhD in either nanoscale science or engineering from the University at Albany.

You must apply and be accepted to both programs.

Research and Facilities

As a student in the nanoscale engineering PhD program at UAlbany, you’ll have access to the Albany NanoTech Complex, the most advanced nanotech center in North America. Gain hands-on experience inside an unmatched 1.65M square foot facility that houses a powerful ecosystem for education, development, tech acceleration, business incubation and prototyping.

Available internship and research opportunities, many of which happen in cooperation with Albany NanoTech’s numerous onsite corporate partners, including IBM, GlobalFoundries, Samsung, Applied Materials, Tokyo Electron, ASML and Lam Research, can lead to exciting career opportunities.

In addition to the Albany NanoTech Complex, UAlbany’s College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE) is also home to other research labs and programs:

• The Advanced Cybersecurity Research Lab, a hub for investigating cybersecurity, machine learning, and autonomic computing approaches.
• The New York State Data Center, a partnership between the New York State office of Information Technology and New York State Office of General Services that’s dedicated to making government IT operations and services more efficient and reliable.
• The Center for Advanced Semiconductor Power Electronics Research (CASPER), an organization working to advance power electronics based on wide bandgap materials.

Career Outcomes

With a PhD in Nanoscale Engineering, you will be prepared for a career as a research scholar, capable of thriving in academia, government or industrial organizations.

Possible job titles for a Nanoscale Engineering PhD include:

• University Professor
• Pharmaceutical Researcher
• Mass Spectrometrist
• Advanced Optics Engineer
• Nanofabrication Engineer
• Lithographic Performance Engineer
• Pharmaceutical Research and Development

Admissions Requirements

• Deadlines:
  • Departmental Assistantship Consideration: Fall (January 15), Spring (October 1)
  • No Departmental Assistantship Consideration: Fall (February 1), Spring (October 1)
• Required Application Materials:
  • Transcripts from all schools attended
  • Three academic or professional letters of recommendation
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume
  • GRE General Test score is strongly recommended but not required. The department evaluates all aspects of the application, therefore a minimum score is not identified.

Student Learning Objectives

Depending on the chosen track, students will:

• Be able to identify, formulate and design solutions for engineering problems arising from nanoscale and quantum phenomena.
• Be able to design solutions for technological challenges utilizing nanoscale and quantum phenomena, such as quantum tunneling, plasmonic effects and quantum confinement.
• Be able to develop appropriate characterization and metrology methodologies necessary for quality control of processes and manufacturing where nanometer-scale features and design requirements are present.
• Be able to design systems and processes that account for the engineering challenges that arise when feature dimensions and design tolerances approach the nanometer scale.
• Be able to conduct independent research that contributes new knowledge to their topic of specialization.
• Have a command over the academic literature relevant to their topic of specialization.
• Have the ability to communicate, both written and orally, to professional audiences.

Supplemental Degree Programs

Graduate students can typically request a supplemental degree in one or more subordinate degrees without needing to go through the full admissions process again.

Supplemental programs available with this degree:

• Africana Studies CGS
• Community College Leadership CGS
• Demography CGS
• International Education Management CGS
• Nanoscale Engineering MS
• Semiconductor Manufacturing CGS
• Semiconductor Metrology CGS
• Semiconductor Patterning and Processing CGS

Program Outline

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Outline

The PhD program in Nanoscale Engineering at the University of Albany consists of 36 or 60 credits of coursework, depending on whether the applicant already holds an appropriate master's degree or bachelor's degree.

• All students must take a sequence of four foundational courses:
• Nanoscale Systems and Processes
• Nanofabrication
• Characterization of Nanomaterials
• Computational Nanoscience and Engineering
• Students then choose one of seven tracks to specialize in:
• Nanoelectronics Engineering and Technology
• Optoelectronics and Photonics Nanoengineering
• Spintronics Nanoengineering
• NanoSystem Engineering and Technology
• Nanoengineering in Energy & Environmental Technologies
• Nanolithography Engineering and Technology
• Nanobiology Engineering and Technology

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Teaching

The PhD program in Nanoscale Engineering is taught by faculty at the University of Albany's College of Nanotechnology, Science, and Engineering (CNSE). CNSE is home to some of the world's leading nanoscale researchers, and the faculty are committed to providing students with a high-quality educational experience. The program uses a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, hands-on laboratory work, and research projects.

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Careers

Graduates of the PhD program in Nanoscale Engineering are prepared for careers in a variety of fields, including research, development, academia, government, and industry. Some potential career paths for graduates include:

• Research scientist
• Development engineer
• Professor
• Government scientist
• CEO

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Other

• The University of Albany offers several scholarships and fellowships to support graduate students in the PhD program in Nanoscale Engineering.
• Students in the program have the opportunity to participate in internships and research opportunities at corporate partners such as IBM, GlobalFoundries, and ASML.