Nanotechnology
What Nanotechnology Engineers Do
A nanotechnology engineer is someone who works around the smallest, most amazing fragments of science. From storing and altering things on the cellular level, to creating new, tiny pieces of electronics, nanotechnology engineers are the cream of the crop, possessing an acute attention to detail and a strong drive to make things better. A nanotechnology engineer seeks to learn new things that can change the face of health, science, technology, and the environment on a molecular level. They test for pollutants, create powders to enrich our foods and medicines, and study the smallest fragments of DNA. They can even manipulate cells, proteins, and other chemicals from within the body.
Nanotechnology engineers take advanced supplies and materials and turn them into something new and exciting. They may try to make a once heavy invention work better while weighing less, making the object far more efficient. They may also create new and improved ways of watching out and improving the environment by creating innovative ways to test for contaminants and pollutants in the air, ground, and water.
Nanotechnology engineers may also choose to work in the medical field creating new gadgets that can fix problems on a scale as small as the molecular level, thus changing the face of medicine forever. Those involved with bio-systems will create ways to store the tiniest amounts of DNA or other biological fragments for testing and manipulation.
Nanotechnology engineers that work with nanoelectronics will create smaller, more efficient chips, cards, and even smaller computer parts to make products that can do as much as bigger products without so much electronic waste.
Work Enviroment
Nanotechnology engineers work with the latest technology in scientific equipment and computers. Since all of the work in nanotechnology is microscopic, it can be expected that the workplace will involve many different high-tech microscopes that will allow the engineer to see things far smaller than are visible to the naked eye. Attention to detail is very important in this field, and the workplace facilitates that with few distractions and very focused teammates.
The workplace is most likely within a science research facility, a pharmaceutical company, or a medical supplies and equipment company, though there are many engineers who work for semiconductor manufacturing companies.
Training Programs at SLCC
26 credits
The Nanotechnology Certificate of Proficiency Program will provide students with skills in basic micro- and nanofabrication procedures used to create a wide variety of nanomaterials, and will familiarize students with the best safety and environmental practices used in nanofabrication laboratories. Through collaboration with the University of Utah and local area industries, this program will expose students to equipment common place in micro- and nanofabrication laboratories including but not limited to clean room facilities, vacuum systems, plasma systems, etch systems, photolithography, and chemical vapor deposition. Equipment of this nature is routinely used in the creation of integrated circuits and computer chips found in all solid state electronic devices. This two-year certification program is comprised of coursework outlining the fundamentals of micro- and nanofabrication and hands-on experiences courtesy of the University of Utah and an internship/co-op program. Students who complete the program will have acquired an understanding of the operational fundamentals of micro- and nanofabrication instrumentation, and experience using the equipment. Micro- and nanofabrication is an important component of numerous economic fields including but not limited to; semiconductors, materials science, metallurgy, engineering, environmental studies, medicine, manufacturing, and nanotechnology. This certificate is meant to be a part of a series of stackable credentials, meaning students can use the knowledge and technical skills acquired to enhance their chosen field of study or employment.
Students completing the Nanotechnology Certificate of Proficiency program will be highly qualified for most entry-level lab assistant positions or technician positions in a variety of fields. Micro- and nanofabrication related employment is available in materials research, medical diagnostic, life sciences research, product development, quality assurance, failure analysis, process optimization, just to name a few. Potential lab assistant and technician entry level positions for students who complete the program are found in government, academic, and industrial institutions.