Frequently Asked Questions

Students pay the current tuition rates of the NMT Partner Institution in which they are enrolled, plus a program surcharge. Housing is not included. Contact CNEU or your advisor for more information.

You will need some chemistry background and a basic understanding of physics, as well as computer and algebra skills. You should discuss the requirements in more details with your advisor.

The NMT Capstone Semester follows Penn State’s schedule. The summer semester usually follows Penn State’s regular summer session schedule (12 weeks) beginning around mid-May and ending by the beginning of August.

The equipment used for machining at the atomic level falls into three categories: tools that deposit films (sputtering, atomic layer deposition), tools that remove films (etching), and patterning tools that lay out where the deposition and removal will occur (photolithography). You will also use characterization tools, such as the FESEM, AFM, Profilometer and Ellipsometer; and vacuum training tools, such as the MKS vacuum trainer (rough vacuum training) and the Kurt J. Lesker trainer (high vacuum training).

The NMT Capstone Semester utilizes three types of cleanrooms for its instruction. The main cleanroom you will be utilizing is the CNEU teaching cleanroom. This lab is set up to train you in basic gowning procedures, safety protocols, and usage of typical equipment found in a cleanroom. The Research West cleanroom is a class 1,000 research cleanroom used to supplement/complement some of the activities taught in the CNEU teaching cleanroom. The Nanofabrication facilities at the Millennium Science Complex is used to introduce students to the more delicate instrumentation they may come across in state-of-the-art cleanrooms in industry.

There is a broad spectrum of industries that are using nanotechnology fabrication and characterization. Medicine, electronics, manufacturing, and agriculture are only a few of the fields currently using nanotechnology to either improve current technologies or to advance current understanding.

As an alumni of the NMT Capstone Semester, you will be notified of current job postings from CNEU industry partners. Please contact CNEU if you are interested in a listing of companies who have hired our graduates in the past.

There are community colleges and universities all over PA that encourage their students to participate in the NMT Capstone Semester. Use the Partner Institutions list to find one near you. Contact CNEU for contact information.

We can schedule tours of the CNEU facilities for individuals or groups. Please contact CNEU for details.