Nanosystems Engineer

Key Facts & Information

Overview	Imagine creating a new material, medicine, or electrical component that is too small to see. How would you design it? What could the new invention do? These are precisely the types of questions that nanosystems engineers answer every day. Nanosystems engineers design and build new technologies using the smallest building blocks, atoms, and molecules.
Key Requirements	Strong analytical skills, determination, patience, and the ability to make models from a mental picture
Minimum Degree	Bachelor's degree
Subjects to Study in High School	Biology, chemistry, physics, algebra, calculus, geometry; if available, computer science
Median Salary	Nanosystems Engineer   $97,300 U.S. Mean Annual Wage   $49,630 Min Wage   $15,080 $0 $10,000 $20,000 $30,000 $40,000 $50,000 $60,000 $70,000 $80,000 $90,000 $100,000 $110,000
Projected Job Growth (2014-2024)	More Slowly than Average (3% to 6%) In Demand!
Interview	Visit the Lawrence Hall of Science's virtual exhibit, Nanozone, to learn the life stories of four very different nanosystems engineers. Meet Katerina Aifantis, whose research spans a wide array of topics, including nanotechnology, biomedical engineering and improving lithium ion batteries. Watch a video about Rich Robinson, a nanoscientist and professor at Cornell University, who wants to use nanoparticles to help meet the world's energy needs in an environmentally friendly manner.
Related Occupations	Biomedical engineer Chemical engineer Electrical and electronics engineer Materials scientist and engineer Mechanical engineer Microsystems engineer

Training, Other Qualifications

Some entry-level job opportunities are available with a bachelor's degree. These are more likely to be jobs that involve the manufacturing of nanotechnology devices and materials using common techniques. Candidates for these jobs should have either a bachelor's degree in nanosystems engineering, or a degree in a related field, like chemical engineering, materials science, or bioengineering, and laboratory experience with nano production. Hands-on experience can be gained either through college classes, working as an undergraduate research assistant, or corporate internships.

However, most employers prefer candidates with either a master's or a PhD in either nanosciences, nanoengineering, or a related field like physics, chemical engineering, materials sciences, bioengineering, or microprocessing. Hands-on laboratory experience with nanoengineering is critical.

Education and Training

To become a nanosystems engineer, students need a bachelor's degree in either nanoengineering or in a related engineering field like chemical engineering, materials science, or bioengineering. Students should take classes in both general engineering principles and courses that specifically teach the concepts of nanoscience and the laboratory techniques required to create and manipulate nanomaterials.

People interested in careers that emphasize novel applications for nanotechnology will need a higher degree, like a master's or a PhD. Jobs as a professor or permanent researcher at an academic institute require a PhD.

Other Qualifications

Nanosystems engineers are usually members of larger research and development teams. Good communication skills and willingness to function as part of a team are crucial to career progression.

Nature of the Work

Nanosystems engineers design, develop, and characterize materials on the nanoscale. This means that the materials with which they work are only a few nanometers in size. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter, which makes it roughly 100,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair! On the nanoscale, materials behave differently than they do on the macroscale. Nanosystems engineers study the properties of materials on this scale and use that information to engineer new technologies to benefit society. These products can appear in any number of fields, including medicine, cosmetics, the creation of electrical devices and computer parts, clean energy, and imaging. This video from KQED's QUEST Education Network, shows the wide variety of materials and solutions on which nanosystems engineers work.

Work Environment

Nanosystems engineers work in laboratories. They might spend a great deal of time using the computer to design and model nanodevices. When fabricating and testing their devices, they use sophisticated machinery and chemistry.

Nanosystems engineers usually work in teams with other engineers, and as such, need good communication and group problem-solving skills. They are typically employed by either military or corporate research and development laboratories, or run their own research laboratories in academic settings. Most nanosystems engineers have standard 40-hour work weeks.

On the Job

• Conduct research related to a range of nanotechnology topics, such as packaging, heat-transfer, fluorescence detection, nanoparticle dispersion, hybrid systems, liquid systems, nanocomposites, nanofabrication, optoelectronics, and nanolithography.
• Create designs or prototypes for nanosystem applications, such as biomedical delivery systems and atomic force microscopes.
• Design or engineer nanomaterials, nanodevices, nano-enabled products, or nanosystems, using three-dimensional computer-aided design (CAD) software.
• Coordinate or supervise the work of suppliers or vendors in the designing, building, or testing of nanosystem devices, such as lenses or probes.
• Design or conduct tests of new nanotechnology products, processes, or systems.
• Engineer production processes for specific nanotechnology applications, such as electroplating, nanofabrication, or epoxy.
• Develop processes or identify equipment needed for pilot or commercial nanoscale scale production.
• Provide scientific or technical guidance and expertise to scientists, engineers, technologists, technicians, or others using knowledge of chemical, analytical, or biological processes as applied to micro and nanoscale systems.
• Prepare nanotechnology-related invention disclosures or patent applications.
• Prepare reports, deliver presentations, or participate in program review activities to communicate engineering results and recommendations.
• Generate high-resolution images or measure force-distance curves, using techniques such as atomic force microscopy.
• Identify new applications for existing nanotechnologies.
• Provide technical guidance and support to customers on topics such as nanosystem start-up, maintenance, or use.
• Synthesize, process, or characterize nanomaterials, using advanced tools and techniques.
• Write proposals to secure external funding or to partner with other companies.
• Supervise technologists or technicians engaged in nanotechnology research or production.

Source: test

Companies That Hire Nanosystems Engineers

• FEI
• Luna nanoWorks
• Nanosys

Explore what you might do on the job with one of these projects...

• Bioinformatics - The Perfect Marriage of Computer Science & Medicine
• BLAST into the Past to Identify T. Rex's Closest Living Relative
• Can Nanotechnology Help Clean Up Ocean Oil Spills? Try It Yourself with Ferrofluid
• Computational Exploration of Protein Function
• Exploring Nanotechnology: Fold, Roll, & Stack Your Way to Super-Strong Materials
• Learning Your A, G, C's (and T, too)
• Neanderthals, Orangutans, Lemurs, & You—It's a Primate Family Reunion!
• Strength in Numbers?
• The Tree of Life — I (basic)
• The Tree of Life – II (advanced)
• Tiny Titans: Can Silver Nanoparticles Neutralize E. coli Bacteria?
• Trace Your Ancient Ancestry Through DNA
• Use DNA Sequencing to Trace the Blue Whale's Evolutionary Tree
• What is the Woolly Mammoth's Closest Living Relative?
• Which Animals Have Genome Projects?
• Who Has the Biggest Genome?

Ask Questions

Do you have a specific question about a career as a Nanosystems Engineer that isn't answered on this page? Post your question on the Science Buddies Ask an Expert Forum.

Additional Information

• NanoEd Resource Portal
• Lawrence Hall of Science Nanozone

Sources

• O*Net Online. (2016). National Center for O*Net Development. Retrieved July 1, 2017.
• Dahl, Hannah. (2017, February 7). Daily Wildcat. Featured Science: Katerina Aifantis ditches the traditional approach to engineering. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
• KQED Education Network. (2007, March 27). Nanotechnology Takes Off. QUEST. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
• Lawrence Hall of Science. (2007). Nanozone: Who Works on Nanotechnology?. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
• National Cancer Institute. (2010). Video Journey Into Nanotechnology. Retrieved June 7, 2010.
• Nova Science NOW. (2010). Rich Robinson: Nanoscientist. The Secret Life of Scientists. Retrieved May 29, 2010.
• ScienceMattersVA. (2013, January 29). Hot Jobs in Nanotechnology. Retrieved January 11, 2018.

Additional Support

We'd like to acknowledge the additional support of:

• Chevron
• Intel
• Medtronic