Graduate Courses

This course is intended to teach the basis of safety in pilot plants, laboratory and similar research operations.  It will focus on the practical  concerns faced in industry and highlight those areas not readily available elsewhere.

The principal areas of concentration include a review of the first and second laws of thermodynamics for closed and open systems;  the calculus of thermodynamics; equilibrium criteria and stability criteria; properties of pure materials and unary systems; elementary applications of statistical thermodynamics to determine specific heats; chemical potentials and equilibria in heterogeneous systems, fugacity and activity functions; solution thermodynamics; vapor-liquid, liquid-liquid,  vapor-liquid-liquid and solid-liquid equilibria and phase diagrams; chemical equilibria; surfaces and surface tension.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing is vital to the success of the technical  operations of a pharmaceutical company.  This course is approached from the need to balance company economic considerations with the regulatory compliance requirements of safety, effectiveness, identity, strength, quality, and purity of the products manufactured for distribution and sale by the company.  Overview of chemical and biotech process technology and equipment, dosage  forms and finishing systems, facility engineering, health, safety, &  environment concepts, and regulatory issues.

This course reviews the 12 elements of the Process Safety Management (PSM) model created by the Center for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers. PSM systems were developed as an expectation/demand of the public, customers, in-plant personnel, stockholders and regulatory agencies because reliance on chemical process technologies were not enough to control, reduce and prevent hazardous materials incidents. PSM systems are comprehensive sets of policies, procedures and practices designed to ensure that barriers to major incidents are in place, in use and effective. The objectives of this course are to: define PSM and why it is important, describe each of the 12 elements and their applicability, identify process safety responsibilities, give real examples and practical applications to help better understand each element, share experiences and lessons learned of all participants, and assess the quality and identify enhancements to student's site PSM program.

Current Good Manufacturing Practice compliance issues in design of  pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical facilities.  Issues related to process flow, material flow, and people flow, and A&E mechanical, industrial, HVAC, automation, electrical, and computer.  Bio-safety levels. Developing  effective written procedures, so that proper documentation can be provided,  and then documenting through validation that processes with a high degree of assurance do what they are intended to do.  Levels I, II, and III policies. Clinical phases I, II, III and their effect on plant design.  Defending   products against contamination.  Building quality into products.

This course provides a broad overview of topics related to the design and operations of modern biopharmaceutical facilities. It covers process, utilities and facility design issues, and encompasses all major manufacturing areas, such as fermentation, harvest, primary and final purification, media and buffer preparation, equipment cleaning and sterilization, and critical process utilities. Unit operations include cell culture, centrifugation, conventional and tangential flow filtration, chromatography, solution preparation, and bulk filling. Application of current Good Manufacturing Practices and Bioprocessing Equipment Standards (BPE-2002) will be discussed.

Validation of a pharmaceutical manufacturing process is an essential requirement with respect to compliance with Good manufacturing Practices (GMP) contained within the Code of Federal Regulations (21 CFR). Course covers  validation concepts for plant, process, cleaning, sterilization, filtration, analytical methods, and computer systems; GAMP (Good Automated Manufacturing Practice), IEEE SQAP, and new electronic requirements – 21 CFR Part 11.  Master validation plan, IQ, OQ, and PQ protocols, and relationships to GMP.  National (FDA) and international (EU) regulatory affairs for cGMP (current  Good Manufacturing Practice) and cGLP (current Good Laboratory Practice) requirements in development, manufacturing, and marketing. Handling the FDA inspection.

Computers and computerized systems are ubiquitous in pharmaceutical manufacturing.  Validation of these systems is essential to assure public safety and compliance with appropriate regulatory issues regarding validation:  GMP, GCP, 21CFR Part 11, etc.  This course covers validation concepts for  various classes of computerized systems and applications used in the  pharmaceutical industry; importance of requirements engineering in validation;  test protocols and design; organizational maturity considerations.

Most processes in petroleum and chemical industries utilize catalytic reactions. Moreover, many emerging technologies in the energy sector and in green chemistry for sustainability rely on catalysis. This course provides the fundamentals of synthesis, characterization and testing of catalytic materials with an emphasis on metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, the most widely used class of catalysts. Methodologies for development of molecular-level reaction mechanisms, material structure-activity relations and kinetic models are described. The course is essential for anyone planning a career in the chemical industry. It is recommended for all professionals working with nanoparticles and also with diverse applications where the solid-gas interface is important.

This course will be an introductory level graduate course in polymers. Methods in polymer formation and structural characterization of polymers will be introduced as they determine their applications in bio and nanotechnology. Polymer blends, block copolymers, networks and gelation and scattering techniques will be also covered. Examples on nanotechnology applications of self-assembled polymers and nanocomposites will be emphasized.

This course is designed for both science and engineering students who want to contribute to the development and implementation of processes for production of important renewable energy sources.  In this course, students will learn the fundamental concepts of important biofuels and the current state-of -the-art technology for their production along with economics, environmental impact, and policy issues.  Benefiting from this course, students would be able to evaluate ways for converting feedstocks to biofuels by both biochemical and thermochemical methods and integrate conceptual design of a biofuel process.  As a fundamental cross-discipline course, topics are comprehensive yet introductory and require the minimal prerequisite learning in chemistry and thermodynamics.

The ultimate goal of this course is to prepare students to undertake the analysis of the most difficult problems in equilibrium stage operations. The problems typically, involve one or more columns with components exhibiting highly non-ideal behavior. This class of problems includes azeotropic distillation, extractive distillation, columns with more than one liquid phase, and a variety of other anomalies. Lack of complete equilibrium dat is not uncommon. Extensive use is made of commercialsoftware in the solution of problems. The course concludes with the assignment of an industrial problem, a substantial project, which requires that the students exercise virtually all techniques studied.

 This course supplements the clasical undergraduate   thermodynamics course by focusing on physical and thermodynamic properties, and   phase equilibria.  A variety of equations of state, and their applicability,   are introduced as are all of the important liquid activity coefficient   equations.  Customization of both vapor and liquid equations is introduced by   appropriate methods of applied mathematics.  Vapot-liquid, liquid-liquid,   vapor-liquid-liquid and solid-liquid equilibria are considered with rigor.   Industrial applications are employed.  A variety of methods for estimating   physical and thermodynamic properties are introduced.  Students are encouraged to use   commercial software in applications.  The course concludes with an   introduction to statistical thermodynamics.

The course covers oral solid dosage (OSD) manufacturing and packaging in the pharmaceutical industry. Production unit operations include blending, granulation, size reduction, drying, compressing, and coating for tablets, as well as capsule filling. Packaging aspects reviewed include requirements for primary and secondary containers and labeling, package testing. The course emphasizes design, scale-up, trouble-shooting, validation, and operation of typical OSD manufacturing and packaging facilities, including equipment, material flow, utilities, and quality assurance. Topics related to cGMP, process validation, manufacturing and packaging documentation, QA and QC in OSD manufacturing will be presented. The term project required for this course involves conceptual design of a contract manufacturing and packaging facility for OSD products, including equipment selection, development of the process flow diagrams, room layouts and other design elements, as well as preparation of Standard Operating Procedures for various unit operations.

Generalized approach to differential and macroscopic balances: constitutive material equations; momentum and energy transport in laminar and turbulent flow; interphase and intraphase transport; dimensionless correlations

 Bulk active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturing and   unit operations.
 Process scale-up.  Transport processes, including mass,   heat, and momentum transfer.  Process synthesis, analysis, and design.   Traditional separation processes, including distillation, evaporation,   extraction, crystallization, and absorption.  New separation processes, including   pressure swing adsorption, molecular sieves, ion exchange, reverse   osmosis, microfiltration, nanofiltration, ultrafiltration, diafiltration, gas   permeation, pervaporation, supercritical fluid extraction, and high performance   liquid chromatography (HPLC).  Batch and continuous reactors for homogeneous,   heterogeneous, catalytic, and non-catalytic reactions.

This course will introduce students to the modeling and simulation applications in the pharmaceutical manufacturing. Learn the basics of discreet event simulation and use commercially available software to develop models of various manufacturing and service systems. Approaches to the development of conceptual and computer models, data collection and analysis, model verification and validation, simulation output analysis are discussed. Learn how to model chemical, biochemical and separation processes in pharmaceutical manufacturing using process simulation software. Develop material balances, stream reports, operations and equipment Gantt charts, conduct process debottlenecking and cost analysis.

 Proven techniques and creative tools presented for design,   development, and delivery of biopharmaceutical manufacturing facilities.   Includes skills and knowledge in bioprocessing requirements, equipment and   facility requirements, project management as well as regulatory guidelines and   big-picture drug development.  Also corporate capital management processes   to functionally meet corporate requirements from pre-clinical to commercial   scale of operations, qualifications to pass regulatory inspections, achieving   faster time-to-market, but not breaking the corporate treasury   bank.  Course also explores trends in new equipment technology such as   disposables or single-use product, new design concepts in aseptic manufacturing,   barrier and isolation technologies, new FDA thinking in risk-based compliance   approach, process analytical technology, capital project planning and   management.

 Water & steam systems: (water used as excipient, cleaning   agent, or product diluent) water quality selection criteria; generation,   storage and
 distribution systems; bio-burden control; USP PWS   (purified water systems) and USP WFI (water for injection) systems; engineering   considerations, including specification, design, installation, validation,   operation, testing, and maintenance; common unit operations, including   deionization, reverse osmosis, distillation, ultrafiltration, and ozonation systems;   process considerations, including pretreatment, storage and distribution,   materials of construction, microbial control, pyrogen control, and system   maintenance; FDA requirements; clean-in-place systems; steam generation and distribution systems.

Analysis of batch and continuous chemical reactions for homogeneous, heterogeneous, catalytic, and non-catalytic reactions; influence of temperature, pressure, reactor size and type, mass and heat transport on yield and product distribution; design criteria based on optimal operating conditions and reactor stability will be developed.

 The objective of this course is to provide the student   with the engineering tools and knowledge required to design and deploy Process   Analytical Technology (PAT) solutions in pharmaceutical drug   substance and drug product manufacturing.  This course provides in-depth coverage of   current PAT technologies.  At the conclusion of this course, students   will understand the engineering theory, principles, and mathematics required   to design and deploy these technologies in a pharmaceutical manufacturing   environment in compliance with FDA and international regulations.  Topics covered   include: analyzer types and principals of operation, chemometric techniques   for multivariate analysis, multivariate process models, dynamic process   control, and advanced pattern recognition techniques.  In addition, the course   will cover the technical aspects of real-time data management and 21 CFR   Part 11 compliance.

Mathematical modeling and identification of chemical processes. State-space process representation and analysis: stability, observability, controllability and reach-ability. Analysis and design of advanced control systems: internal model control, dynamic matrix control and model predictive control. Synthesis of multivariable control systems: interaction analysis, singular value decomposition, decoupler design. Continuous and sampled-data systems, on-line process identification. State and parameter estimation techniques: Luenberger observer and Kalman filter. Knowledge of Laplace transforms, material and energy balances, computer programming and matrix algebra is required.

The course comprises a series of workshops, employing an industrial process simulator, Aspen Plus, which explore the primary components required to simulate a chemical process. Most workshops have embedded irregularities designed to heighten the student awareness of the types of errors that could arise when using simulation software. The workshops include facilities to exercise and customize a wide variety of physical and thermodynamic properties as the students develop process models. Heavy concentration is on the equations describing the models used. As the experience level of the students rises, workshops designed to introduce complicated industrial flowsheets are employed.

Stress-strain relationships, theory of linear viscoelasticity and relaxation spectra, temperature dependence of viscoelastic behavior, dielectric properties, dynamic mechanical and electrical testing, molecular theories of flexible chains, statistical mechanics and thermodynamics of rubber-like undiluted systems, morphology of high polymers.

Molecular and continuum mechanical constitutive equations for viscoelastic fluids; analysis of viscometric experiments to evaluate the viscosity and normal stress functions: dependence of these functions on the macromolecular structure of polymer melts: solution of isothermal and nonisothermal flow problems with non-Newtonian fluids which are encountered in polymer processing; development of design equations for extruder dies and molds.

Descriptions of various polymer processing operations and processing requirements of biomedical products, principles of processing of polymers covering melting, pressurization, mixing, devolatilization, shaping using extrusion, spinning, blowing, coating, calendering and molding technologies, surface treatment and sterilization, applications in the areas of prostheses and artificial organs and packaging of various biomedical devices.

 Analysis and design of experimental and industrial   polymerization reactors for various polymerization mechanisms: relationship between   design parameters and polymer structure, yield and average molecular weight:   kinetic and statistical methods; batch and continuous, addition and condensation   polymerization in bulk, solution, suspension and emulsion.

 A treatment of polymer processing machinery with emphasis   on the design of components to implement the various elementary steps   involved, and subsequent assembly of these components into processing machines.   Use is made of computational models.  Principles of control systems are   applied to processing machinery.  The primary objective is to stimulate creative   approaches to the design of processing machinery rather than to familiarize   the student with the details of existing machinery.

Recent advances in polymer blend and composite formation; the role of melt rheology in component selection and the resulting morphology; melt mixing processes and equipment; models for predicting processing and performance characteristics; morphology generation and control in manufacturing processes; sample calculations and case histories for polyblends used in film blowing, blow molding and injection molding.

Principal manufacturing methods utilizing molds and dies; mold and die design characteristics dictated by functional requirements; interaction between molds/dies and processing machinery; mathematical models of forming processes including: flow through dies and into molds, solidification, heat transfer and reaction (in reactive processing); end-product properties (morphology, bulk properties, tolerances, appearance) and operating conditions in alternative manufacturing methods; materials and manufacturing methods for molds and dies; case studies.

Design of polymeric products; design criteria based upon product functions and geometry; material selection by property assessment; selection of molds, dies, and special manufacturing devices (e.g., mold inserts); selection of appropriate forming process (injection, rotational or blow-molding, extrusion, etc.), and determination of optimum operating conditions (such as temperature, pressure, cycle or residence time). Case histories of failure.

Discussion of models for flow and deformation in polymers, and a treatment of measurable rheological properties. Analysis of thermoplastic and thermosetting resins for processability. Use of experimental data to determine parameters of the constitutive equations. Laboratory includes use of state-of-art equipment in elongational, rotational, and capillary viscometry.

A survey course covering the chemical, biological and material science aspects of interfacial phenomena. Applications to adhesion, biomembranes, colloidal stability, detergency, lubrication, coating, fibers, and powders - were surface properties play an important role. Prerequisites: Physical Chemistry and Thermodynamics.

This course deals with the principles of light interactions with biological and biomedical-relevant systems. The enabling aspects of nanotechnology for advanced biosensing, medical diagnosis, and therapeutically treatment will be discussed.

Lectures by department faculty, guest speakers, and doctoral students on recent research.

Selected topics of current interest in the field of chemical engineering will be treated from an advanced point of view.

A critical review of current theories and experimental aspects of polymer science and engineering.(Three to Six credits.)

One to six credits. Limit of six credits for the degree of Master of Engineering (Chemical).

One to six credits. Limit of six credits for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

 A participating seminar on topics of current interest and   importance in
 Chemical Engineering

For the degree of Master of Engineering (Chemical). Five to ten credits with departmental approval.

Original research leading to the doctoral dissertation. Hours and credits to be arranged.

An introduction to the structures/properties relationships of materials principally intended for students with a limited background in the field of materials science. Topics include: structure and bonding, thermodynamics of solids, alloys and phase diagrams, mechanical behavior, electrical properties and the kinetics of solid state reactions. The emphasis of this subject is the relationship between structure and composition, processing (and synthesis), properties and performance of materials.

This course deals with aspects of the technology of processing procedures
 involved in the fabrication of semiconductor devices. Topics include crystal
 growth, epitaxy, silicon oxide growth, impurity doping, ion implantation,
 photo and electron beam lithography, etching, sputtering, thin film
 metallization, passivation and packaging.  A description of these fabrication techniques used for discrete devices (e.g., bi-polar transistor, field effect  transistor, light-emitting diode and solar cell), as well
as large-scale  integrated thin film circuits, will be presented.

Description of simple physical models which account for electrical conductivity and thermal properties of solids. Basic crystal lattice structures, X-ray diffraction, and dispersion curves for phonons and electrons in reciprocal space. Energy bands, Fermi surfaces, metals, insulators, semiconductors, superconductivity, and ferromagnetism. Fall semester. Typical text: Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics

Intended as an introduction for the student who is familiar with materials science, this course first reviews the properties of materials that are relevant to their application in the human body. It then introduces proteins, cells, tissues, and their reactions to foreign materials, and the degradation of these materials in the human body. The course then treats the various implants, burn dressings, drug delivery systems, biosensors, artificial organs, and elements of tissue engineering.

Theory and practical means for predicting the behavior of materials under stress. Elastic and plastic deformation, fracture and high-temperature deformation (creep).

An overview of microelectronics and photonics science and technology. It provides the student who wishes to specialize in their application, physics or fabrication with the necessary knowledge of how the different aspects are interrelated. It is taught in three modules: design and applications, taught by EE faculty; operation of electronic and photonic devices, taught by physics faculty; fabrication and reliability, taught by the materials faculty.

This course will cover topics encompassing the fundamental subject matter for the design of optical systems. Topics will include optical system analysis, optical instrument analysis, applications of thin film coatings and opto-mechanical system design in the first term. The second term will cover the subjects of photometry and radiometry, spectrographic and spectrophotometric systems infrared radiation measurement and instrumentation, lasers in optical systems, and photon-electron conversion.

This course will cover topics encompassing the fundamental subject matter for the design of optical systems. Topics will include optical system analysis, optical instrument analysis, applications of thin film coatings and opto-mechanical system design in the first term. The second term will cover the subjects of photometry and radiometry, spectrographic and spectrophotometric systems infrared radiation measurement and instrumentation, lasers in optical systems, and photon-electron conversion.

This course is an in depth treatment of the principles and practice associated with using solar radiation as an alternate energy source.  It examines the science of solar radiation, technologies for its capture and the design principles that are used to apply solar energy in building design.

Composite material characterization; composite mechanics of plates, panels, beams, columns, and rods integrated with design procedures; analysis and design of composite structures; joining methods and procedures; introduction to manufacturing processes of filament winding, braiding, injection, compression and resin transfer molding, machining and drilling; and industrial applications.

The principal areas of concentration include a review of the first and second laws of thermodynamics for closed and open systems;  the calculus of thermodynamics; equilibrium criteria and stability criteria; properties of pure materials and unary systems; elementary applications of statistical thermodynamics to determine specific heats; chemical potentials and equilibria in heterogeneous systems, fugacity and activity functions; solution thermodynamics; vapor-liquid, liquid-liquid,  vapor-liquid-liquid and solid-liquid equilibria and phase diagrams; chemical equilibria; surfaces and surface tension.

Lectures, demonstrations and laboratory experiments, selected from among the following topics, depending on student interest: vacuum technology; thin-film preparation; scanning electron microscopy; LEED; infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry; electron spectroscopies (Auger, photoelectron, field emission); ion spectroscopies (SIMS, IBS; surface properties-area), roughness and surface tension.

This course provides an in-depth treatment of how to transfer the latest solar thermal technology available to real world applications.  It takes the student through the various phases of development of a solar space heating and photovoltaic integrated building; review occupant’s requirements, site analysis, design concept, solar system design, cost estimates, building design, performance predictions and construction.  The emphasis of the class is on solar system design methods, economic optimization of solar systems and installation.

A lecture and laboratory course that introduces basic concepts in the design and operation of transmission electron microscopes and scanning electron microscopes as well as the fundamental aspects of image interpretation and diffraction analysis. Topics include: electron sources, electron optics, kinematic and dynamic theory of electron diffraction, and spectroscopic analysis.  A typical textbook is Goodhew and Humphreys, Electron Microscopy and Analysis.

Most processes in petroleum and chemical industries utilize catalytic reactions. Moreover, many emerging technologies in the energy sector and in green chemistry for sustainability rely on catalysis. This course provides the fundamentals of synthesis, characterization and testing of catalytic materials with an emphasis on metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, the most widely used class of catalysts. Methodologies for development of molecular-level reaction mechanisms, material structure-activity relations and kinetic models are described. The course is essential for anyone planning a career in the chemical industry. It is recommended for all professionals working with nanoparticles and also with diverse applications where the solid-gas interface is important.

This course introduces fundamentals of semiconductors and basic building blocks of semiconductor devices that are necessary for understanding semiconductor device operations. It is for first-year graduate students and upper-class undergraduate students in electrical engineering, applied physics, engineering physics, optical engineering and materials engineering who have no previous exposure to solid state physics and semiconductor devices. Topics covered will include description of crystal structures and bonding; introduction to statistical description of electron gas; free-electron theory of metals; motion of electrons in periodic lattices-energy bands; Fermi levels; semiconductors and insulators; electrons and holes in semiconductors; impurity effects; generation and recombination; mobility and other electrical properties of semiconductors; thermal and optical properties; p-n junctions; metal-semiconductor contacts.

This course introduces operating principles and develops models of modern semiconductor devices that are useful in the analysis and design of integrated circuits. Topics covered include: charge carrier transport in semiconductors; diffusion and drift, injection and lifetime of carriers; p-n junction devices; bipolar junction transistors; metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors; metal-semiconductor field effect transistors and high electron mobility transistors; microwave devices; light emitting diodes, semiconductor lasers and photodetectors; integrated devices.

Electronic optical and magnetic properties of materials
described in terms of modern physics.  The processing and operation of
semiconductor and optoelecronic devices will be discussed and reliability
issues raised.

Physical design of wireless communication systems, emphasizing present and next generation architectures. Impact of non-linear components on performance; noise sources and effects; interference; optimization of receiver and transmitter architectures; individual components (LNAs, power amplifiers, mixers, filters, VCOs, phase-locked loops, frequency synthesizers, etc.); digital signal processing for adaptable architectures; analog-digital converters; new component technologies (SiGe, MEMS, etc.); specifications of component performance; reconfigurability and the role of digital signal processing in future generation architectures; direct conversion; RF packaging; minimization of power dissipation in receivers.

This course deals with the electrical, chemical, environmental and mechanical driving forces that compromise the integrity and lead to the failure of electronic materials and devices. Both chip and packaging level failures will be modeled physically and quantified statistically in terms of standard reliability mathematics. On the packaging level, thermal stresses, solder creep, fatigue and fracture, contact relaxation, corrosion and environmental degradation will be treated.

Deals with aspects of the technology of processing procedures involved in the fabrication of microelectronic devices and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Students will become familiar with various fabrication techniques used for discrete devices, as well as large-scale integrated thin film circuits. Students will also learn that MEMS are sensors and actuators that are designed using different areas of engineering disciplines, and they are constructed using a microlithographically-based manufacturing process in conjunction with both semiconductor and micro-machining microfabrication technologies.

Crystal structures, point defects, dislocations, slip systems, grain boundaries and microstructures. Scattering of X-rays and electrons; diffraction by single and polycrystalline materials and its application to material identification, crystal orientation, texture determination, strain measurement and crystal structure analysis.

The goal of this course is to learn the basic concepts commonly utilized in the processing of advanced materials with specific compositions and microstructures. Solid state diffusion mechanisms are described with emphasis on the role of point defects, the mobility of diffusing atoms and their interactions. Macroscopic diffusion phenomena are analyzed by formulating partial differential equations and presenting their solutions. The relationships between processing and microstructure are developed on the basis of the rate of nucleation and growth processes that occur during condensation, solidification and precipitation. Diffusionless phase transformations observed in certain metallic and ceramic materials are discussed.

The principal areas of concentration include a review of thermodynamic laws applying to closed systems, chemical potentials and equilibria in heterogeneous systems, fugacity and activity functions, solution thermodynamics, multicomponent metallic solutions, the thermodynamics of phase diagrams and phase transformations.

Components for and design of optical communication systems; propagation of optical signals in single mode and multimode optical fibers; optical sources and photodetectors; optical modulators and multiplexers; optical communication systems: coherent modulators, optical fiber amplifiers and repeaters, transcontinental and transoceanic optical telecommunication system design; optical fiber local area networks.

Selected topics in surface modification and coatings technology, such as chem-ical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, ion implantation or other. Description of the processing techniques, characterization and performance evaluation of the surfaces.

Stress-strain relationships, theory of linear viscoelasticity and relaxation spectra, temperature dependence of viscoelastic behavior, dielectric properties, dynamic mechanical and electrical testing, molecular theories of flexible chains, statistical mechanics and thermodynamics of rubber-like undiluted systems, and morphology of high polymers.

Physical design of wireless communication systems,
emphasizing present and next generation architectures.  Impact of non-linear components on performance; noise sources and effects; interference; optimization of receiver and transmitter architectures; individual components (LNAs, power amplifiers, mixers, filters, VCOs, phase-locked loops, frequency synthesizers, etc.); digital signal processing for adaptable architectures; analog-digital
 converters; new component technologies (SiGe, MEMS, etc.);
specifications of component performance; reconfigurability and the role of digital signal processing in future generation architectures; direct
conversion; RF packaging; minimization of power dissipation in receivers. Physical design of wireless communication systems,
emphasizing present and next generation architectures.  Impact of non-linear components on performance; noise sources and effects; interference; optimization of receiver and transmitter architectures; individual components (LNAs, power amplifiers,
 mixers, filters, VCOs, phase-locked loops, frequency
synthesizers, etc.); digital signal processing for adaptable architectures;
analog-digital converters; new component technologies (SiGe, MEMS, etc.); specifications of component performance; reconfigurability and the role of digital signal processing in future generation architectures; direct
conversion; RF packaging; minimization of power dissipation in receivers.

This course introduces students to the principles and design techniques of very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI). Topics include: MOS transistor characteristics, DC analysis, resistance, capacitance models, transient analysis, propagation delay, power dissipation, CMOS logic design, transistor sizing, layout methodologies, clocking schemes, case studies. Students will use VLSI CAD tools for layout and simulation. Selected class projects may be sent for fabrication.

Lectures by department faculty, guest speakers, and doctoral students on recent research. Enrollment during the entire period of study is required of all full-time students. No credit. Must be taken every semester.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

One to six credits. Limit of six credits for the degree of Master of Engineering.

One to six credits. Limit of six credits for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

A participating seminar on topics of current interest and
importance in  Materials.

Research for the degree of Master of Science or Master of Engineering.

Original research leading to the doctoral dissertation.

Description of simple physical models which account for electrical conductivity and thermal properties of solids. Basic crystal lattice structures, X-ray diffraction and dispersion curves for phonons and electrons in reciprocal space. Energy bands, Fermi surfaces, metals, insulators, semiconductors, superconductivity and ferromagnetism. Fall semester. Typical text: Kittel, Introduction to Solid State Physics.

Lectures, demonstrations and laboratory experiments, selected from among the following topics, depending on student interest: vacuum technology; thin-film preparation; scanning electron microscopy; infrared spectroscopy, ellipsometry: electron spectroscopies-Auger,
photoelectron, LEED; ion spectroscopies SIMS, IBS, field emission; surface
properties-area, roughness, and surface tension.

This course is an introduction to quantum mechanics for students in physics and engineering. Techniques discussed include solutions of the Schrodinger equation in one and three dimensions, and operator and matrix methods. Applications include infinite and finite quantum wells, barrier penetration and scattering in one dimension, the harmonic oscillator, angular momentum, central force problems, including the hydrogen atom, and spin. Fall semester. Typical text: Quantum Physics by Gasiorowicz

This course is meant as the first in a two-course sequence on non-relativistic quantum mechanics for physics graduate students, with an emphasis on applications to atomic, molecular, and solid state physics. Undergraduate students may take this course as a Technical Elective. Topics covered include: review of Schrödinger wave mechanics; operator algebra, theory of representation, and matrix mechanics; symmetries in quantum mechanics; spin and formal theory of angular momentum, including addition of angular momentum; and approximation methods for stationary problems, including time independent perturbation theory, WKB approximation, and variational methods. Typical text: Quantum Mechanics by E. Merzbacher.

Most processes in petroleum and chemical industries utilize catalytic reactions. Moreover, many emerging technologies in the energy sector and in green chemistry for sustainability rely on catalysis. This course provides the fundamentals of synthesis, characterization and testing of catalytic materials with an emphasis on metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, the most widely used class of catalysts. Methodologies for development of molecular-level reaction mechanisms, material structure-activity relations and kinetic models are described. The course is essential for anyone planning a career in the chemical industry. It is recommended for all professionals working with nanoparticles and also with diverse applications where the solid-gas interface is important.

Principles of environmental reactions with emphasis on aquatic chemistry; reaction and phase equilibria; acid-base and carbonate systems; oxidation-reduction; colloids; organic contaminants classes, sources, and fates; groundwater chemistry; and atmospheric chemistry.

A study of the chemical and physical operation involved in treatment of potable water, industrial process water, and wastewater effluent; topics include chemical precipitation, coagulation, flocculation, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection, ion exchange, oxidation, adsorption, flotation, and membrane processes. A physical-chemical treatment plant design project is an integral part of the course. The approach of unit operations and unit processes is stressed.

Deals with aspects of the technology of processing procedures involved in the fabrication of microelectronic devices and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Students will become familiar with various fabrication techniques used for discrete devices as well as large-scale integrated thin-film circuits. Students will also learn that MEMS are sensors and actuators that are designed using different areas of engineering disciplines and they are constructed using a microlithographically-based manufacturing process in conjunction with both semiconductor and micromachining microfabrication technologies

This course deals with the fundamentals and applications of nanoscience and nanotechnology. Size-dependent phenomena, ways and means of designing and synthesizing nanostructures, and cutting-edging applications will be presented in an integrated and interdisciplinary manner.

The goal of this course is to learn the basic concepts commonly utilized in the processing of advanced materials with specific compositions and microstructures. Solid state diffusion mechanisms are described with emphasis on the role of point defects, the mobility of diffusing atoms, and their interactions. Macroscopic diffusion phenomena are analyzed by formulating partial differential equations and presenting their solutions. The relationships between processing and microstructure are developed on the basis of the rate of nucleation and growth processes that occur during condensation, solidification, and precipitation. Diffusionless phase transformations observed in certain metallic and ceramic materials are discussed.

This course covers the environmental and health aspects of nanotechnology. It presents an overview of nanotechnology along with characterization and properties of nanomaterials. The course material covers the biotoxicity and ecotoxicity of nanomaterials. A sizable part of the course is devoted to discussions about the application of nanotechnology for environmental remediation along with discussions about fate and transport of nanomaterials. Special emphasis is given to risk assessment and risk management of nanomaterials, ethical and legal aspects of nanotechnology, and nano-industry and nano-entrepreneurship.

This course provides an overview and industrial perspectives regarding downstream separation in drug substance development and manufacturing. Basic principles and practical applications of unit operations most commonly employed in the pharmaceutical industry will be discussed, including extraction, absorption, membrane, distillation, crystallization, filtration, and drying. Examples will be discussed to illustrate the intrinsic relationship between process development, equipment selection, and scale-up success.

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the major classes of engineering materials, their principal properties, and design requirements that serve as both the basis for materials selection, as well as for the ongoing development of new materials. This course is substantially differentiated from introductory materials courses by its very specific focus on materials whose use puts them in direct contact with physiological systems. Thus, the course begins with brief sections on inflammatory response, thrombosis, infection, and device failure. It then concentrates on developing the fundamental materials science and engineering concepts underlying the structure-property relationships in both synthetic and natural polymers, metals and alloys, and ceramics relevant to in vivo medical device technology.

This course follows the introductory course and covers advanced topics in the design, modeling, and fabrication of micro and nano electromechanical systems. The materials will be broad and multidisciplinary including: review of micro and nano electromechanical systems, dimensional analysis and scaling, thermal, transport, fluids, microelectronics, feedback control, noise, and electromagnetism at the micro and nanoscales; the modeling of a variety of new MEMS/NEMS devices; and alternative approaches to the continuum mechanics theory. The goal will be achieved through a combination of lectures, case studies, individual homework assignments, and design projects carried out in teams.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

The course covers recent advances in macromolecular science, including polyelectrolytes and water-soluble polymers, synthetic and biological macromolecules at surfaces, self-assembly of synthetic and biological macromolecules, and polymers for biomedical applications.

Topics at the interface of polymer chemistry and biomedical sciences, focusing on areas where polymers have made a particularly strong contribution, such as in biomedical sciences and pharmaceuticals. Synthesis and properties of biopolymers; biomaterials; nanotechnology smart polymers; functional applications in biotechnology, tissue and cell engineering; and biosensors and drug delivery.

This course will provide a comprehensive introduction to the rapidly developing field of nanomedicine and discuss the application of nanoscience and nanotechnology in medicine such as, in diagnosis, imaging and therapy, surgery, and drug delivery.

 As an introduction to micro/nano fluidics, course topics include basic fluid mechanical theories, experimental techniques, fabrication techniques and applications of micro/nano fluidics. The theory part will cover continuum fluid mechanics at micro/nano scales, molecular approaches, capillary effects, electrokinetic flows, acoustofluidics and optofluidics. The experimental part will cover micro/nano rheology and particle image velocimetry. The fabrication part will cover materials and machining techniques for micro/nano fluidic devices. The application part will cover micro/nano fluidic devices for flow control, life sciences and chemistry. As a term project, individual students are required to perform a case study for their own selected topic in micro/nano fluidics, to conduct a literature survey/summary and to propose/analyze their own new design idea of a micro/nano fluidic devices by utilizing the knowledge obtained throughout the course. 

A survey course covering the chemical, biological and material science aspects of interfacial phenomena. Applications to adhesion, biomembranes, colloidal stability, detergency, lubrication, coatings, fibers and powders - where surface properties play an important role.

This course describes the application of nano- and micro-fabrication methods to build tools for exploring the mysteries of biological systems. It is a graduate-level course that will cover the basics of biology and the principles and practice of nano- and microfabrication techniques, with a focus on applications in biomedical and biological research.

This advanced course covers the mechanism and biological role of signal transduction in mammalian cells. Topics included are extracellular regulatory signals, intracellular signal transduction pathways, role of tissue context in the function of cellular regulation, and examples of biological processes controlled by specific cellular signal transduction pathways.

This course is intended to introduce the concept of electronic energy band engineering for device applications. Topics to be covered are electronic energy bands, optical properties, electrical transport properties of multiple quantum wells, superlattices, quantum wires, and quantum dots; mesoscopic systems, applications of such structures in various solid state devices, such as high electron mobility, resonant tunneling diodes, and other negative differential conductance devices, double-heterojunction injection lasers, superlattice-based infrared detectors, electron-wave devices (wave guides, couplers, switching devices), and other novel concepts and ideas made possible by nano-fabrication technology. Fall semester. Typical text: M. Jaros, Physics and Applications of Semiconductor Microstructures; G. Bastard, Wave Mechanics Applied to Semiconductor Heterostructures.

This course deals with the principles of light interactions with biological and biomedical-relevant systems. The enabling aspects of nanotechnology for advanced biosensing, medical diagnosis, and therapeutic treatment will be discussed.

 Lectures by department faculty, guest speakers and doctoral students on recent research.

This graduate course will introduce the applications of multiscale theory and computational techniques in the fields of materials and mechanics. Students will obtain fundamental knowledge on homogenization and heterogeneous materials, and be exposed to various sequential and concurrent multiscale techniques. The first half of the course will be focused on the homogenization theory and its applications in heterogeneous materials. In the second half multiscale computational techniques will be addressed through multiscale finite element methods and atomistic/continuum computing. Students are expected to develop their own course projects based on their research interests and the relevant topics learned from the course.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

Progress in the technology of nanostructure growth; space and time scales; quantum confined systems; quantum wells, coupled wells, and superlattices; quantum wires and quantum dots; electronic states; magnetic field effects; electron-phonon interaction; and quantum transport in nanostructures: Kubo formalism and Butikker-Landau formalism; spectroscopy of quantum dots; Coulomb blockade, coupled dots, and artificial molecules; weal localization; universal conductance fluctuations; phase-breaking time; theory of open quantum systems: fluctuation-dissipation theorem; and applications to quantum transport in nanostructures.

Please contact the Registrar for more information.
Phone: (201)216-5555
Fax: (201)216-8030
E-mail: registrar@stevens.edu

This course provides an overview and industrial perspectives regarding downstream separation in drug substance development and manufacturing. Basic principles and practical applications of unit operations most commonly employed in the pharmaceutical industry will be discussed, including extraction, absorption, membrane, distillation, crystallization, filtration, and drying. Examples will be discussed to illustrate the intrinsic relationship between process development, equipment selection, and scale up success.

Fundamentals of mixing relevant to pharmaceutical engineering, flow patterns, dead zones, components of mixers, importance of baffling, determination of flow, power, and shear rates, effect of rheology, “shaken, not stirred”, why viscosity affects more than just Reynolds numbers, continuous processing, heat transfer, suspending solids that sink or float, wetting out solids, concepts of crystallization, catalysis, mass transfer, liquid-liquid dispersions, emulsions, and separations, fermenters, hydrogenators, other gas-liquid applications, pit-falls of scale-up, why scale down is the better way to design, process intensification and solids-solids mixing.

This course is aimed at the application of advanced process control techniques in industry with a focus on pharmaceutical, petrochemical and power distribution applications. Topics considered include: reactor and system modeling; data collection for data regression and predictive control modeling for control systems design and operations decision support are discussed and demonstrated. State and parameter estimation techniques, optimization of reactor productivity for batch, fed-batch and continuous operations and expert systems approaches to monitoring and control are taught using standard control system programming languages. Distribution of control application functions is discussed. An overview of a complete automation project - from design to startup - of a pharmaceutical plant will be discussed.

This course will provide a fundamental understanding, and   the application of emerging and current approaches to reaction engineering   and catalysis in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industries.  The course   will focus on promising technologies such as enzymatic catalysis and   bioreactor design, chiral synthesis and kinetics, multiphase reactions, and   microreactor technology with emphasis throughout on industrially   relevant reactions.