Nanotechnology engineering is a multidisciplinary engineering field that simultaneously draws from and benefits areas such as materials science and engineering, chemistry, physics, and biology. Indeed, it is all about generating new solutions based upon atomic- and molecular-scale concepts and manipulations.
Nanotechnology commonly refers to the fabrication, study, and manipulation of structures having sizes in the range from one to one hundred nanometers (a nanometer is a billionth of a metre). This length scale bridges the important gap between atoms and molecules (which are typically less than five nanometers in size) and bulk materials, thereby requiring a knowledge of fundamental chemistry and quantum physics. To develop this new cluster of technologies, there is an acute need for highly trained personnel who have a thorough understanding of the natural laws that govern the workings not only of atoms and molecules but also of natural or manufactured nanoscopic and mesoscopic structures and systems (such as, clusters, fullerenes, nanotubes, macromolecules, nanorobots, and nanosystems more generally).
This field is loosely divided into four categories: micro and nano-instrumentation, nano-electronics, nanobiosystems, and nano-engineered materials. Micro and nano-instrumentation addresses some of the most far-reaching, yet practical, applications of miniaturized instrumentation for the study of molecular-scale species in chemical, clinical, or biochemical analysis, in biotechnology for agent detection, and in environmental analysis. Nano-electronics concerns the development of systems and materials required for the electronics industry in order to move beyond current technological limits – producing even finer detail than currently featured in high-performance microprocessor chips. In addition, in this category is a new generation of electronic devices based upon organic and plastic materials, which is expected to create new markets with applications ranging from smart cards to tube-like computers. Nanobiosystems can be described as molecular manipulation of biomaterials and the associated miniaturization of analytical devices in terms of DNA, peptides, proteins, and cell chips. Nano-engineered materials examines several classes of advanced materials, including nanocrystalline materials and nanopowders, which can be utilized in electronics and photonics applications, in the automobile, food, and pharmaceutical industries, as membranes for fuel cells, and as industrial-scale polymers.
The Honours Nanotechnology Engineering plan is designed to provide an education in key areas of nanotechnology, including the fundamental chemistry, physics, and engineering of nanostructures or nanosystems and the theories and techniques employed in the modelling, design, fabrication, and characterization of technological applications. Emphasis is placed on training with the same modern instrumentation techniques employed in research and development in these emerging technologies. The University of Waterloo awards a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) degree in Nanotechnology Engineering to students who successfully meet all plan requirements.
This engineering plan is a collaborative effort among three departments: the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering, and the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science.
Administrative Structure
Leadership for the Nanotechnology Engineering plan is provided by the Nanotechnology Engineering director, normally a faculty member chosen from one of the Departments of Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, or Electrical and Computer Engineering, and holding a joint or cross appointment in the other departments. The director is responsible for academic issues associated with the plan operation, including student liaison and advisement. Two associate directors assist the director in managing the day-to-day operations and in student advisement.
At the faculty level, academic responsibility for Nanotechnology Engineering rests with the Faculty of Engineering and is handled via its normal procedures and committees.
Curriculum for Nanotechnology Engineering
The curriculum in Nanotechnology Engineering is designed to teach those fundamental physical and engineering sciences that form the basis of the work of nanotechnology engineers. The curriculum in Nanotechnology Engineering consists of a set of core courses complemented by eight technical elective courses plus three non-technical elective courses that include a communication elective, in addition to NE 109 and MSCI 261 in order to satisfy the Complementary Studies Requirements for Engineering Students.
Technical Electives
The Nanotechnology Engineering plan may be divided broadly into four areas of concentration, identified herein as micro and nano-instrumentation, nano-electronics, nanobiosystems, and nanomaterials. A set of eight technical elective course choices is provided in the curriculum to enable students to focus upon at least two of these areas of concentration. The eight technical elective courses may be chosen from amongst approximately 20 Nanotechnology-Engineering-specific technical elective courses that are normally offered annually. In addition, students may obtain permission from the Nanotechnology Engineering academic advisor (normally the associate director, internal) to employ up to four courses (one each in the 3B and 4A terms, two in the 4B term), appropriate to their choices of areas of concentration, that are offered under other Faculty of Engineering academic plans.
The normal recommended curriculum shown below typically involves a course load (excluding seminars) of five to six lecture courses per term. Permission from the associate director of nanotechnology engineering internal, will be required for departures from the normal load in any given term. Permission to carry more than the regular load in any given term will normally be approved only for students who have attained an 80% or higher average in the preceding term.
The sequence of co-op work terms for Nanotechnology Engineering students comprises two four-month work terms following the 1B and 2A terms, and two eight-month work terms following the 2B and 3B terms. The rules of the Co-operative Education System apply, as further described in the Engineering Work Terms section. Three credited work reports are required for graduation.
The promotion criteria used to determine progression through the Nanotechnology Engineering plan is described in Examinations and Promotions.
Available Options
Students wishing to enrich their education further may elect to follow a Faculty of Engineering designated option. Students who complete the requirements for an option will have a designation of completion of that option recorded on their transcripts. Students should be aware that an option normally requires additional courses to be completed. A minimum average of 80% is required to enter the Life Sciences Option or Physical Sciences Option. Faculty options of special interest to Nanotechnology Engineering students are described in the Options, Specializations and Electives for Engineering Students of this section of the Calendar.
Academic Curriculum
Legend for the Next Tables
| Key |
Description |
| Cls |
Class |
| Tut |
Tutorial |
| Lab |
Laboratory |
| 0-10 |
Number of hours per week for Class, Tutorial, or Laboratory |
| ‡ |
NE 102, NE 201, NE 202, and NE 301 provide milestones that must be passed before a student may proceed in the academic plan. Successful completion is required by the end of the academic term following that having the scheduled meets. Specifically, a student will not be allowed to enrol in any academic term beyond 2A without credit for NE 102, beyond 2B without credit for NE 201, beyond 3A without credit for NE 202, beyond 3B without credit for NE 301. |
| ** |
The Communication Elective represents a milestone that must be completed prior to enrolling in the 3A term. The milestone can be completed by passing one course from the following list: ENGL 109, ENGL 129R/EMLS 129R, EMLS 101R, EMLS 102R, SPCOM 100, SPCOM 223. The course cannot be taken online. |
| + |
For some of these courses the number of contact hours for the tutorial or laboratory are unknown; there may be more components than the class (Cls) section. |
The term-by-term academic component of the curriculum is as follows:
| Term |
Course and Title |
Cls |
Tut |
Lab |
| 1A Fall |
MATH 117 Calculus 1 for Engineering |
3 |
2 |
0 |
| NE 100 Introduction to Nanotechnology Engineering |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| NE 101 Nanotechnology Engineering Practice |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 109 Societal and Environmental Impacts of Nanotechnology |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 111 Introduction to Programming for Engineers |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 112 Linear Algebra for Nanotechnology Engineering |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 121 Chemical Principles |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| 1B Winter |
MATH 119 Calculus 2 for Engineering |
3 |
2 |
0 |
| NE 102 Introduction to Nanomaterials Health Risk; Nanotechnology Engineering Practice ‡ |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 113 Introduction to Computational Methods |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| NE 125 Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 131 Physics for Nanotechnology Engineering |
4 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 140 Linear Circuits |
3 |
2 |
1.5 |
| 2A Fall |
NE 201 Nanotoxicology; Nanotechnology Engineering Practice ‡ |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 215 Probability and Statistics |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 216 Advanced Calculus and Numerical Methods 1 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| NE 220L Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 222 Organic Chemistry for Nanotechnology Engineers |
3 |
1 |
1.5 |
| NE 241 Electromagnetism |
3 |
2 |
1.5 |
| Communication Elective** |
3 |
+ |
+ |
| 2B Spring |
NE 202 Nanomaterials and Environmental Impact; Nanotechnology Engineering Practice ‡ |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 217 Advanced Calculus and Numerical Methods 2 |
3 |
1 |
2 |
| NE 224 Biochemistry for Nanotechnology Engineers |
3 |
1 |
1.5 |
| NE 225 Structure and Properties of Nanomaterials |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 226 Characterization of Materials |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 226L Laboratory Characterization Methods |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 242 Semiconductor Physics and Devices |
3 |
2 |
1.5 |
| NE 250 Work-term Report 1 |
| 3A Spring |
MSCI 261 Engineering Economics: Financial Management for Engineers |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 301 Nanomaterials and Human Risks, Benefits; Nanotechnology Engineering Practice ‡ |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 318 Continuum Mechanics for Nanotechnology Engineering |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 320L Characterization of Materials Laboratory |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 332 Quantum Mechanics |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 333 Macromolecular Science |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 343 Microfabrication and Thin-film Technology |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| 3B Fall |
NE 302 Nanotechnology Engineering Practice |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 307 Introduction to Nanosystems Design |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 330L Macromolecular Science Laboratory |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 334 Statistical Thermodynamics |
3 |
1 |
0 |
| NE 336 Micro and Nanosystem Computer-aided Design |
3 |
1 |
1.5 |
| NE 340L Microfabrication and Thin-film Technology Laboratory |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 350 Work-term Report 2 |
| NE 352 Surfaces and Interfaces |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| Two Technical Electives |
| 4A Fall |
NE 408 Nanosystems Design Project |
0 |
0 |
10 |
| CSE Complementary Studies Elective |
| Three Technical Electives |
| Two senior laboratory course electives selected from: |
| NE 454A Nano-electronics Laboratory 1 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 454B Nano-instrumentation Laboratory 1 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 454C Nanobiosystems Laboratory 1 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 454D Nanostructured Materials Laboratory 1 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| 4B Winter |
NE 409 Nanosystems Design Project and Symposium |
0 |
0 |
10 |
| NE 450 Work-term Report 3 |
| CSE Complementary Studies Elective |
| Three Technical Electives |
| Two senior laboratory course electives selected from: |
| NE 455A Nano-electronics Laboratory 2 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 455B Nano-instrumentation Laboratory 2 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 455C Nanobiosystems Laboratory 2 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
| NE 455D Nanostructured Materials Laboratory 2 |
0 |
0 |
1.5 |
Technical Electives
The following courses are normally offered annually. For a list of courses available on a specific term, consult the nanotechnology engineering undergraduate co-ordinator. The program has the right, where the number of students enrolled in a course at the end of the Course Selection Period is 10 or less, to cancel the course.
Note: For NE 453, more than one course may be offered simultaneously under this course number.
| Course and Title |
Cls |
Tut |
Lab |
| NE 335 Soft Nanomaterials |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 344 Electronic Circuits |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 345 Photonic Materials and Devices |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 353 Nanoprobing and Lithography |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 381 Introduction to Nanoscale Biosystems |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 451 Simulation Methods |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 452 Special Topics in Nanoscale Simulations |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 453 Special Topics in Nanotechnology Engineering |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 459 Nanotechnology Engineering Research Project |
9 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 461 Micro and Nano-instrumentation |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 466 Tactile Sensors and Transducers |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 471 Nano-electronics |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 476 Organic Electronics |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 481 Nanomedicine and Nanobiotechnology |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 486 Biosensors |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 487 Microfluidic and Nanobiotechnological Systems |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 488 Biomaterials and Biomedical Design |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 491 Nanostructured Materials |
3 |
0 |
0 |
| NE 496 Nanomaterials for Electrochemical Energy Systems |
3 |
0 |
0 |