Micro- and Nanotechnologies (M.Sc.)

"There is plenty of room at the bottom" was the title of a lecture given by American physicist and Nobel Prize winner Richard P. Feynman in 1959, laying the foundation for modern nanotechnology. A key characteristic of nanomaterials and nanostructures is that they exhibit altered properties on a larger scale compared to conventional materials. This means that an otherwise identical material can behave completely differently on the nanoscale. These altered properties are of interest for a variety of applications in microelectronics, energy conversion, communications technology and biotechnology. For us humans, nanostructures and nanomaterials are intangible. In order to be able to use them, we need a bridge between our macroscopic world and the nanocosmos. This role is played by microtechnologies, which themselves also have an important function in the miniaturization of components and devices. The most prominent examples are microelectronics as a key technology for almost all areas of life and microsystems technology, which enables us, for example, to have several small microphones and loudspeakers in a smartphone that also automatically recognizes its position. The Micro- and Nanotechnologies degree course teaches which technologies and processes are required for this in combination with materials.