Aim
The aim of the course is to give a deep knowledge of fabrication and characterization of nanostructures, which can be used in both nanoelectronics and life sciences. The focus will be put on modern material processing techniques, which are used today in nanotechnology, for example, electron beam lithography, scanning electron microscopy, etching etc. Practical laboratory work (in the form of a project work) in our modern clean room is aimed at giving practical knowledge of some important technological methods used in semiconductor nanotechnology. Since it is very important to use a cleanroom environment in nanofabrication, a special attention will be put on cleanroom design, safety and practical work in the cleanroom.

Knowledge and understanding
For a passing grade the student must

- be able to describe how a modern cleanroom is built

- have a practical experience of work in a modern cleanroom

Skills and abilities
For a passing grade the student must

- be able to design simple nano-components and describe detailed process flow of their fabrication,

- be able to write a well-structured technical reports and present them to the collegues.

Judgement and approach
For a passing grade the student must

Contents
Lectures and laboratory exercises

1. The lectures will start with basics of clean room design, classification standards, sources of particulate contamination, air flow and filtration in the rooms. Unidirectional and non-unidirectional clean rooms will be discussed with a special emphasis for semiconductor nanotechnology applications. We will discuss the importance of high-purity chemicals and gases, including de-ionised water supply. Handling of chemicals and safety aspects of the chemical work will be described in relation with practical exercises in our clean room lab. In the second part of the lectures, some commonly used nanotechnological methods (e.g. sample preparation, wet etching, lift-off etc) will be discussed. This knowledge will be used later during the practical work in the lab.

2. The laboratory exercises will be carried out in groups of 4-5 people and will be guided by persons responsible for the clean room. The laboratory work will start with learning how to use clean room clothes, proper work habits in the clean room environment, practical handling of chemicals and samples and safety issues. Later on, different nanofabrication methods (surface preparation, deposition of resists, oxygen plasma and ozone cleaning etc) will be demonstrated and learned by doing. As a final part of the laboratory exercise, technological mini-projects will be started in order to deepen practical knowledge of the clean room work and to learn advanced equipment and techniques. During this part, such methods of nanofabrication and chracterization as evaporation, sputtering, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-lithography, nanoimprint (NIL), electron beam lithography (EBL), atomic force microscopy (AFM) will be learned. Duration of lab work for the mini-projects will depend on their complexity and will be adjusted accordingly.

Literature
According to a reading list determined by the department. This list will be available at least five weeks before the start of the course.