EE 17N: Engineering the Micro and Nano Worlds: From Chips to Genes
Course Description
The first part of the course will consist of a hands-on introduction to the techniques of micro and nanofabrication using Stanford’s shared nanotechnology research facilities, SNF and SNSF, complemented with field trips to local companies and other research centers to illustrate the many applications of nanotechnology, such as DNA microarrays, microfluidic bio-sensors, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The second part involves students proposing, planning, and executing a project “to build something at the nanoscale.” Really, that is the criteria, “build something at the nanoscale.” The professors will of course enthusiastically aid in refining your projects and helping you realize them, but the initial spark will be from your creativity. With access to 10s of millions of dollars of nanotech equipment available to aid in realizing your vision, we hope you accept this challenge with gusto. Examples of recent projects include biosensors using aptamer probes, gecko-inspired dry adhesives, and ultrasensitive strain sensors using diffraction gratings.
Meet the Instructors
Roger Howe
"I am the Ayer Professor of Engineering and the Acting Faculty Director of the Stanford Nanofabrication Facility. I have led research on nano- and micro-electromechanical systems for applications ranging from biomolecular sensing to energy conversion. I have developed techniques for fabricating nanostructures based on printing and self-assembly."
John (J) Provine
"I am an Adjunct Professor in Electrical Engineering and the co-founder/CEO of Aligned Carbon. I received my Ph.D. from Cornell in electrical engineering, and prior to that my B.A. (Physics) and B.S./M.S. (Electrical Engineering) from Rice University. I spent over a decade at Stanford as a senior scientist with research focused on the physics at play in the first few nanometers of materials. This meant I could work on a wide range of applications from optical biosensors to next generation nanoelectronics to clean energy conversion and storage. I recently started a company focused on bringing carbon nanotubes to market for wide scale use in nanoelectronics, a breakthrough that will enable computer chips which are 1000x more powerful than today's state of the art."
