Profile Programme Leader

Miko Elwenspoek – Nano- devices and Systems at the Twente Graduate School

Miko Elwenspoek studied physics at the Free University of Berlin (West). His master thesis dealt with Raleigh scattering from liquid glycerol using light coming from a Mössbauer source. From 1977-`979 he worked with Prof. Helfrich on lipid double layers. He conducted experiments on osmotic shrinkage of giant lipid vesicles, and wile preparing light scattering experiments from those giant vesicles worked out the theory of light scattering from large aspheric particles and spherical bubbles.

In 1979 he started his PhD work with Prof. Quitmann. This work dealt with relaxation measurements on liquid metals and alloys, in particular alkali metal alloys. The experimental technique used in these experiments is related to nuclear magnetic resonance, but the alignment of the nuclei is done by a nuclear reaction using high energetic alpha radiation. This work resulted in a thesis (Freie Universität Berlin, 1983).

In 1983 he moved to Nijmegen, The Netherlands, to study crystal growth in the group of Prof. Bennema of the University of Nijmegen. The emphasis lay on growth of organic crystals (in particular naphthalene) from melt and solution.

In 1987 he went to the University of Twente, to take charge of the micromechanics group that was part of the Sensors and Actuators lab, now MESA+ Research Institute. Since then his research focused on Microelectromechanical Systems. In the first years the work was concentrated to coaching design and modeling of micropumps and resonant sensors by PhD students, but since the beginning of the 90ths more and more attendance was given to electrostatic microactuators, including electrostatic motors, and thermal and electromechanical actuators with the aim of building microrobots. Further, research in fabrication technology got much attention, with emphasis on physical chemistry of wet chemical anisotropic etching, materials science of thin films (such as ZnO, TiNi, PZT and fluorocarbon), reactive ion etching of silicon, polymers and metals, wafer bonding and chemical-mechanical polishing.

In 1996 he became full professor in transducers science and technology at the Faculty of Electrical engineering, University of Twente.

He is fellow of the Institute of Physics and of IEEE.

He is enthusiastic on teaching on academic level. In 2001 students elected him as the the best lecturer in the Electrical Engineering program. He was a co-founder of the education “Advanced Technology” at the UT and of the Master Nanotechnology.

M. Elwenspoek enjoys classical music, painting and drawing, and hiking. He is co-author of two books (Silicon Micromachining, by M.Elwenspoek and Henri Jansen, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998; Mechanical Microsensors, by M. Elwenspoek and Remco Wiegerink, Springer, Heidelberg 2001), and (co)author of ca. 300 scientific papers.

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Home News and events Education Organization Graduate Research Programmes Master of Science Prospective Students Other useful information Search	Advanced Optics \| Ethics and Technology \| Nano-devices and systems \| Novel Nanomaterials Profile Programme Leader Miko Elwenspoek – Nano- devices and Systems at the Twente Graduate School Miko Elwenspoek studied physics at the Free University of Berlin (West). His master thesis dealt with Raleigh scattering from liquid glycerol using light coming from a Mössbauer source. From 1977-`979 he worked with Prof. Helfrich on lipid double layers. He conducted experiments on osmotic shrinkage of giant lipid vesicles, and wile preparing light scattering experiments from those giant vesicles worked out the theory of light scattering from large aspheric particles and spherical bubbles. In 1979 he started his PhD work with Prof. Quitmann. This work dealt with relaxation measurements on liquid metals and alloys, in particular alkali metal alloys. The experimental technique used in these experiments is related to nuclear magnetic resonance, but the alignment of the nuclei is done by a nuclear reaction using high energetic alpha radiation. This work resulted in a thesis (Freie Universität Berlin, 1983). In 1983 he moved to Nijmegen, The Netherlands, to study crystal growth in the group of Prof. Bennema of the University of Nijmegen. The emphasis lay on growth of organic crystals (in particular naphthalene) from melt and solution. In 1987 he went to the University of Twente, to take charge of the micromechanics group that was part of the Sensors and Actuators lab, now MESA+ Research Institute. Since then his research focused on Microelectromechanical Systems. In the first years the work was concentrated to coaching design and modeling of micropumps and resonant sensors by PhD students, but since the beginning of the 90ths more and more attendance was given to electrostatic microactuators, including electrostatic motors, and thermal and electromechanical actuators with the aim of building microrobots. Further, research in fabrication technology got much attention, with emphasis on physical chemistry of wet chemical anisotropic etching, materials science of thin films (such as ZnO, TiNi, PZT and fluorocarbon), reactive ion etching of silicon, polymers and metals, wafer bonding and chemical-mechanical polishing. In 1996 he became full professor in transducers science and technology at the Faculty of Electrical engineering, University of Twente. He is fellow of the Institute of Physics and of IEEE. He is enthusiastic on teaching on academic level. In 2001 students elected him as the the best lecturer in the Electrical Engineering program. He was a co-founder of the education “Advanced Technology” at the UT and of the Master Nanotechnology. M. Elwenspoek enjoys classical music, painting and drawing, and hiking. He is co-author of two books (Silicon Micromachining, by M.Elwenspoek and Henri Jansen, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1998; Mechanical Microsensors, by M. Elwenspoek and Remco Wiegerink, Springer, Heidelberg 2001), and (co)author of ca. 300 scientific papers.