In teaching, the institute is significantly involved in the international master's program "Micro- and Nanotechnologies", which reflects the research topics in essential points: “The degree program Micro- and Nanotechnologies allows a deeper understanding of scientific background as well as technological processes in the field of micro- and nanostructure generation and application. A key focus of the program is devoted to nano-structuring techniques.”

Further information on the master`s program Micro- and Nanotechnologies

HörsaalTU Ilmenau/Michael Reichel
 

General Information

1. General Societal Relevance: 

Micro- and nanoelectronics is a key technology for innovation, and is considered an essential technology branch for securing Europe's sovereignty. As such, investment to expand microelectronics by policymakers and industry has increased sharply in the recent past, because it is hard to imagine a world without this branch of technology: there would be no computers, no modern cars, no industrial production, no smart ID cards, no diagnostic systems for healthy living, no efficient drives and sensor technology for sustainable and intelligent mobility. Nor would Germany be able to advance innovations in grid control for a sustainable energy supply and the digitization of our society and economy. As a cross-sectional technology, it provides solutions for the prosperity of a climate-friendly and sustainable society of the future.

2. Career Prospects:

Whether in the automotive sector, the energy industry, biotechnology, medicine, IT - microelectronics can be found almost everywhere these days. It is not only in Asia that strategic expansion is taking place. Highly automated fabs for manufacturing chips are springing up like automobile plants in every industrialized nation in the world. The majority of engineers do not work in these fabs, but on developing new products and solving societal challenges of the 21st century: making our electrical devices smaller, lighter and more effective. They develop and build optical, electronic and mechanical components and create functioning systems from them. The professional field of microelectronics is still relatively young, but the demand for qualified specialists in the field is all the higher for it. The pay and career prospects are extremely good, the work-life balance is in line with the times, and the job profiles and teams are mostly international and interlinked.

3. Research and Development Perspectives:

There is no such thing as standstill. Diversity and application areas are constantly expanding: e.g.: functional density and diversity in smaller volumes is increasing, larger area panels, or even mechanically deformable (so-called metamorphic electronics) products, smallest autonomous microscopic electronics and sensor technology (smart dust), energy efficient storage, energy efficient electronics, 3D electronics, quantum electronics, new materials, biodegradable electronics products and much more. It is our engineers who drive and secure the innovations at the research and development departments of small startups or large high-tech companies in Germany, Europe and the world.