Each summer, the RTNN welcomes middle and high school teachers as well as community college educators to participate in this program, “Atomic Scale Design and Engineering.” Applications are now closed for RTNN’s Summer 2025 RET Program.
Up to ten teachers will be selected to participate in research in nanotechnology labs at NC State, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, or the Joint School of Nanoscience and Nanoengineering (UNC-Greensboro and NC A&T University partnership). Participants will work in small teams to conduct research in atomic scale design and engineering. Teachers will also gain hands-on experience in the cutting edge techniques and tools used in nanoscale science and engineering within RTNN facilities. All participants will conduct a research study; example projects are listed below. Teachers will also spend time designing curricular materials to use in their classroom and will share these teaching materials during the program and after they return to their home institution. Participants will have weekly seminars focused on nanotechnology from RTNN faculty and industry leaders. Join us for an interesting summer learning about advances in research, getting involved in your own study, and thinking about new ways to teach science and engineering. Please visit RTNN’s RET Lesson Plan page to see examples of lesson plans created by previous participants in the program.
The program lasts for 5 weeks (Tentative 2025 Dates: June 18 – July 22, 2025) with follow up during the academic year. Teachers will receive an $8,000 stipend for their work as an RET with additional funding available for curricular materials and travel for lesson plan/curriculum dissemination. The program is for US citizens only and teachers must participate for the entire period of the program. Participants are required to attend all daily and weekly meetings, seminars, field trips, and workshops.
Questions? Please Contact: Dr. Maude Cuchiara (maude_cuchiara@ncsu.edu) or Dr. Gail Jones (mgjones3@ncsu.edu).
2025 RET Projects
Imaging Doping Levels in Random-access Memory Devices (Faculty: Nina Balke): Scanning Microwave Impedance Microscopy (sMIM) is a sensitive electrical measurement technique which can characterize local static and temporal variations of electrical permittivity, conductivity of materials and devices, as well as for failure analysis. It is being used to characterize dielectrics, semiconductors and their doping response, and metals. Leveraging near-field electrical interactions between a probe and the sample, sMIM can measure and image electrical properties and operation at the nanoscale to micron scale by incorporation into an atomic force microscope (AFM). sMIM is being applied to a wide range of industrial and scientific applications to improve fundamental and functional understanding and operational performance of advanced, exploratory and quantum electronic devices and materials and their fabrication. Practically, sMIM is used to gain information about local static and temporal variations of dielectric permittivity, and microwave conductivity with ~10 nm spatial resolution. In the field of microelectronics, sMIM can be used to study the electrical properties of semiconductor devices at the nanoscale. It can map the distribution of dopants, measure carrier concentration and mobility, and evaluate the performance of transistors, diodes, and other electronic components. This information is valuable for optimizing device design and fabrication processes. Teacher Component: Educators will learn about the science behind sMIM and how to apply this technique in praxis. This will also include general training on AFM to image topography of surfaces. Then, they will apply sMIM to a SRAM device and will learn how to explain the image contrast on a high school level. Other samples that vary in capacitance and doping level will also be explored.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanowires for Solar Cells (Faculty: James Cahoon): The Cahoon group is interested in the rational design and synthesis of semiconductor nanomaterials and films to impart precise composition and morphology, enabling a range of functionality to be encoded for microelectronic applications including high-frequency electronics, on-chip photonics, and photovoltaic technology. Nanomaterials are synthesized through vapor-phase chemical vapor deposition synthesis. The materials are characterized at the single-particle level using a range of techniques, including optical microscopy, electron microscopy (EM), and optoelectronic device measurements. One key focus is the design of <10 nanometer morphology in silicon nanowires grown by a vapor-liquid-solid mechanism. As illustrated in Figure 2, morphology is encoded by, first, rapidly varying the dopant concentration in the nanowires as they are grown and, second, wet-chemically etching the nanowires. The Cahoon group has demonstrated this strategy with both n-type and p-type silicon, enabling the design of complex, morphologically-controlled optoelectronic devices such as p-n junctions, avalanche photodiodes, and multi-junction solar cells. A second key focus is the synthesis of hybrid perovskite films through a metal organic chemical vapor deposition process. This synthesis method represents an alternative route to conventional solution-processed thin-film syntheses, and the materials can be used to fabricate solar cells, photodetectors, et al. Teacher Component: These projects are designed to pair teachers with graduate students in the Cahoon group who would guide them through the synthesis of either silicon or perovskite materials using chemical vapor deposition processes. The teachers will synthesize new materials and will learn to operate an SEM to characterize the nanoscale morphology and composition of the synthesized materials. They will also participate in more advanced characterization by AFM and TEM led by the graduate students. Teachers will use dark-field optical microscopy to image the materials for the design of samples for optoelectronic testing and design hypotheses and refine their syntheses based on the characterization results. The experience is designed to provide a well-rounded experience in both the synthesis and characterization of semiconductor nanomaterials during the short time available.
Biosensors and Micro-Bioelectronics (Faculty: Michael Daniele): Biosensor technology is incredibly exciting and impactful for teachers and students to explore because it bridges the gap between biology, chemistry, and electronics, offering opportunities to develop innovative solutions for pressing real-world problems in healthcare, environmental monitoring, and beyond. This research project aims to empower educators to engage students within the topics of microelectronics by demonstrating applications in the area of biosensors. Biosensor technology heavily relies on microelectronic fabrication techniques and other related technologies to achieve miniaturization, high sensitivity, and rapid response times. Microelectronic fabrication processes such as photolithography, thin-film deposition, and etching enable the precise patterning and manufacturing of microscale features essential for biosensor functionality. Furthermore, advancements in nanotechnology contribute to the development of nanomaterial-based biosensors, enhancing their performance through increased surface area and tailored functional properties. Additionally, microfluidic systems play a crucial role in biosensor applications by facilitating sample handling and integration with sensing elements. Teacher Component: Over the course of six weeks, teachers will be guided through the fabrication and testing of electrochemical biosensors tailored for biomedical applications. The project begins with an introduction to microscale fabrication techniques, including photolithography and thin-film deposition, followed by the assembly of working electrochemical sensor prototypes. Teachers will learn the principles of surface functionalization, and they will directly modify sensor surfaces with biomolecules for specific analyte detection. The teachers will conduct experiments to assess sensor performance. By understanding the symbiotic relationship between biosensors and microelectronic fabrication, teachers and students gain insights into the interdisciplinary nature of modern engineering and its profound impact on society.
Rapid deposition of oxide thin films (Faculty: Michael Dickey): This project will give teachers a chance to learn about oxide thin films. Oxides are an important part of nearly every electronic device and also find roles in sensors, barrier materials, and optics. Usually oxides are deposited using expensive and slow, vacuum-based processing that require elevated temperatures. The Dickey group has discovered an exciting new way to rapidly deposit oxides in ambient conditions, as shown in Figure 3. The approach uses liquid metals, such as gallium, which naturally react with air to form native oxides. The challenge is how to separate those oxides from the metal. The Dickey group has found an approach that resembles slot die coating. A metal meniscus is dragged across a target substrate, leaving behind only the oxide layer. This approach is exciting because of its simplicity, ability to deposit oxide only where needed, and the fact it works at ambient conditions. Teacher Component: The teachers will learn how to handle liquid metals, how to operate this printer, and perform basic characterization of these materials in collaboration with students in the Dickey group. Through this project, teachers will learn about liquid metals, oxides, and material characterization.
Fabrication and Characterization of Optoelectronic/spintronics Devices (Faculty: Dali Sun): The Sun Lab research interests are in spintronics and optoelectronics of organic semiconductors, magnetic thin films, and organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites. This includes the study of organic spin valves, organic light-emitting diodes, hybrid perovskite optoelectronic/spintronics devices, and their device physics. The group focuses on exploring novel routes for spin injection and detection, magnetic field effect, spin Hall effect and their applications in molecules, polymers and newly emerged materials. Teacher Component: Teachers will develop basic nanofabrication skills including optical photolithography, cleanroom operation, spin coating, and metal deposition. The conductivity of fabricated metal thin films under different scales will be studied, compared with their bulk properties. Teachers will also take DC Hall measurements to characterize the carrier concentration in high bandgap semiconductors using commercially compatible Van der Pauw configuration.