"A Hands-on Introduction to Nanoscience and Technology"

or

"We're not in Kansas Anymore!"

ENGR-2500

So what will the class cover? First, at the nanoscale, we must confront the fact that Newton’s sensible laws are replaced by the weirdness of quantum mechanics (hence the class’s Wizard of Oz subtitle). The details are bewildering, but for this class you only need to know that electrons begin to act like waves. But all waves act basically the same way. And that means to anticipate how weird electron waves might behave, we can (literally) start by experimenting with water waves (for instance, water waves will explain why manufacturers are putting nanoparticles into sun block).

The second thing that changes at the nanoscale, is that WE can no longer manufacture things directly. Micro-assembly techniques (such as those used in making the integrated circuits of your computer/cell phone/PDA) are based on micro-photography. And images just won’t focus to smaller than a wavelength of light (something we’ll also show with the water waves). But light’s wavelength is at least 10X too large to pattern things at the nanoscale. Instead we have to rely on a process called “self-assembly.” That is, we have to design the parts so they know how we want them to finally come together. The ultimate example of self-assembly? DNA synthesis of protein. But DNA might also someday help us to self-assemble nano electronic circuits. Some people spend years studying self-assembly and DNA. But in this class you’ll find that we can learn the essentials in just a few classes.

But after you’ve programmed the parts to “self-assemble” at the nanoscale, how do you know if they got it right? One way is to use distant cousins of the old-fashion record player called the Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) and Scanning Tunneling Microscope (whose invention earned two researchers Nobel Prizes). We used the NSF grant to buy six of these instruments. In the labs, you will use these tools to see individual atoms. (To view our full virtual reality recreations of these instruments, click on the photos above).

Finally, we’ll also discuss the boundary between nanoscience and nanotechnology. There is a heck of a lot of the former but not, as yet, a whole lot of the latter. The distinction has produced immense confusion in media from Scientific American to science fiction. What is real? What stands a good chance (or virtually no chance) of ever becoming real? And for the things that do become real, how might they affect us, and the other inhabitants of this world?

For this class, you should enroll in the lecture/discussion meeting plus one of the four lab sections.

Lab equipment and space limitations mean that we can only accommodate a total of 36 students per class. And the class was designed to give early undergraduates a broad (and, hopefully, empowering) introduction to breadth of nanoscience and its applications. To address both of these concerns, we've had to set up a somewhat complex enrollment system:

FOR THE FALL OFFERING OF THE CLASS (for which enrollment occurs the preceding spring and summer): During spring enrollment period 24 class openings are made available, but the then 1st years get a two week head start on enrollment. The remaining 12 openings are then made available to incoming 1st years as they enroll over the summer. Should any openings occur after these two enrollment periods, they will be filled via the class wait list.

FOR THE SPRING OFFERING OF THE CLASS (for which enrollment occurs in the preceding fall): During the fall enrollment period, all 36 class opening are made available, but the then 1st and 2nd years get a two week head start on enrollment. Should any openings occur after the enrollment period, they will be filled via the class wait list.

Course Memo	Image Gallery of STM & AFM Micrographs Obtained by Students
Formal class syllabus	Our vision for the class (excerpts from the NSF proposal)

Links to Nanoscience Education Resources We've Found Elsewhere on the Web Nanoscience lesson plans for elementary & middle schools

Hands-on Nanoscience - Fall 2012

(Link to homepage of Spring 2012 class)

Instructor: John C. Bean

Lecture / Discussion Schedule:

	Class Date	Link to Lecture Notes	Link to supporting webpage with embedded animations, simulations, links to readings & other resources
1	Aug 28	What is Nanoscience?	---------------
2	Sept 4	Waves (generic)	Supporting Webpage
3	Sept 11	Waves (electron)	Supporting Webpage
4	Sept 18	Microfabrication / Micromachining	Supporting Webpage
5	Sept 25	Great Science vs. Viable Technology	Supporting Webpage
6	Oct 2	The Need for Self-Assembly	Supporting Webpage
	Oct 9	Reading Day - No Class	---------------
7	Oct 16	Molecular Self-Assembly	Supporting Webpage
8	Oct 23	DNA Self-Assembly	Supporting Webpage
9	Oct 30	DNA Fingerprinting	Supporting Webpage
10	Nov 6	How We See and Measure at the Nanoscale	Supporting Webpage
11	Nov 13	The Bleeding Edge I (Nanomechanics)	Supporting Webpage
12	Nov 20	The Bleeding Edge II (Nanoelectronics)	Supporting Webpage
13	Nov 27	Nano Molecular Machines	Supporting Webpage
14	Dec 4	Nanotechnology Challenges and Fears	Supporting Webpage
		Bonus / Retired Class Lectures
		The Fictions of Nano Science Fiction	---------------

Lab Schedule and Manuals:

NOTE: To prepare for many labs there are homework assignments. These are given in the Homework Assignments table.

	Lab Dates	Topic / Activity	Lab manual / Links to supporting animations, readings and lab equipment used
0	Aug 29, 30	Lab orientation meetings: Thornton Hall, Room E114a (basement level, adjacent to loading dock between Thornton and Olsson Halls. Chance to meet undergraduate lab assistants One-on-one opportunity to ask further questions about class and labs, or to discuss personal suggestions or requests about the class's content
1	Sept 5, 6	Waves in Springs Bring to the lab: Spring Lab Manual Quiz: Lab will begin with quiz on this "Review of Waves" webpage. Wear jeans or slacks: You'll be working on the floor	Spring Lab Manual / Report Supporting Materials
2	Sept 12, 13	Waves in Water I Bring to the Lab: Water Wave Lab Manual / Report Quiz: Lab will begin with quiz on the Waves (generic) Lecture Note Set and the Ripple Tank Manual	Water Wave Lab Manual / Report Supporting Materials
3	Sept 19, 20	Waves in Water II Bring to the Lab: Water Wave Lab Manual / Report	Water Wave Lab Manual / Report Supporting Materials
4	Sept 26, 27	IC Fab Lab Tour / Demonstration of Photolithography Quiz: Lab will begin with quiz on these UVA Virtual Lab presentations: How Semiconductors and Transistors Work, How Integrated Circuits are Made, and Optical Photolithography	Supporting Materials
5	Oct 3, 4	Scanning Probe Microscopy / Scanning Electron Microscopy Quiz: Lab will begin with quiz on these UVA Virtual Lab presentations: Scanning Probe Microscope, SPM Piezoelectrics, and Scanning Electron Microscope	Supporting Materials
6	Oct 10, 11	Introduction to the Scanning Tunneling Microscope Quiz: Lab will begin with quiz on this UVA Virtual Lab presentation: easyScan STM (quiz must be passed before using the STM).	Animation of easyScan STM STM Lab Manual Supporting Materials
7	Oct 17, 18	Use the STM to image atoms on the surface of highly ordered pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) Bring to the lab: USB stick to save copies of the STM images you obtain. Paste your best images into the STM lab report and submit in next class.	STM Lab Manual STM Lab Report Supporting Materials
8	Oct 24, 25	Self-Assembly (new lab - under construction!) Quiz: (new lab - under construction!)
9	Oct 31, Nov 1	Introduction to the Atomic Force Microscope Quiz: Lab will begin with a quiz on this UVA Virtual Lab presentation: easyScan AFM (quiz must be passed before using the AFM),	Animation of easyScan AFM AFM Lab Manual Supporting Materials
10	Nov 7, 8	Identify objects of particular personal interest and examine them using the AFM Bring to the lab: USB stick to save copies of the AFM images you obtain. Paste your best images into the AFM lab report and submit in next class. Quiz: On the AFM Extended Sample Kit Manual which describes the possible samples you can select from (this manual is password protected at the copyright holder's request)	AFM Lab Manual AFM Lab Report Supporting Materials
11	Nov 14, 15	Super Hydrophobic Surfaces Bring to the Lab: Hydrophobicity Lab Manual Quiz: Lab will begin with quiz on Part I (hydrophobicity) of lecture 11 + Hydrophobicity Lab Manual	Hydrophobicity Lab Manual Supporting Materials
12	Nov 28, 29	Charlottesville CSI: DNA Fingerprinting Quiz: Lab will begin with quiz on the DNA Fingerprinting Lecture Note Set Do not eat for at least one hour before lab	DNA Fingerprinting Lab Manual / Report Supporting Materials
13	Dec 5,6	Charlottesville CSI: DNA Fingerprinting Bring to Lab: Copy of at least pages 17-21 of the lab manual, and wear blue (members of Lab 4 students will also need to turn in their assembled DNA kits) Wear blue (we'll be making heavy use of blue stains)	DNA Fingerprinting Lab Manual / Report Supporting Materials

Homework Assignments

General Notes on Assignments:

Assignments are to be typed and submitted in paper form on the indicated due date

Late assignments will not be accepted (ONLY exceptions: certified illness or personal emergency)

ANY assigned reading may be the subject of an in-class pop quiz on its date

	Due	Assignment
1	Aug 28	Read: Newspaper Article on Gecko Grip (link) Submit: One page ANALYSIS of the scientific content of the above newspaper article Bring to lab: Yourself
2	Sept 4	-
3	Sept 11	-
4	Sept 18	-
5	Sept 25	-
6	Oct 2	-
7	Oct 9	-
8	Oct 16	-
9	Oct 23	-
10	Oct 30	-
11	Nov 6	-
12	Nov 13	-
13	Nov 20	-
14	Nov 27	-
14	Dec 4	-
		Final Exam due Monday December 10, at noon, in Professor Bean's office (Thornton E-223)