Micro Sensors & Systems | Master's specialisation

Develop advanced micro sensors and integrated micro systems, such as MEMS, lab-on-a-chip, or 3D printed devices for any industry.

It is impossible to measure the number of micro sensors in today’s world. Anything from your smartphone to life-saving medical equipment like pacemakers and defibrillators is made from sensors. Micro sensors are tiny devices designed to detect and measure an array of parameters including motion, chemical or biological composition of fluids, light, and pressure. What’s more, they are integral components of micro systems, facilitating the collection and real-time monitoring of critical data. Think of point-of-care diagnostics, pollution detection, or safety systems in cars. Are you interested in the workings of these sensors: what precisely do they measure and what signals do they generate? Do you want to design and fabricate micro systems and extract valuable information from them? Then the specialisation in Micro Sensors & Systems is the perfect choice for you.

What is Micro Sensors & Systems?

As the field of micro sensors and systems is very broad, this specialisation offers you the opportunity to delve into a specific area of interest. You can focus on physical sensing, chemical sensing, or 3D printing micro sensors and systems by selecting a range of courses. If you are interested in using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology to design and fabricate sensors that detect and respond to various physical parameters, such as pressure, force, or acceleration, you should choose the physical sensing profile. What about exploring lab-on-a-chip systems and chemical sensing? Within the chemical sensing profile, you will learn the principles of fluidics and how to make microfluidic chips at the micro- and nanoscale. If you prefer working outside the cleanroom, you can focus on 3D printing and investigate the possibilities and constraints of additive manufacturing (AM) processes.

Examples of courses you will follow within this specialisation:

Design, fabricate, and characterise your own MEMS chip, using advanced characterisation equipment in the course Micro Electro Mechanical Systems Design.
How can you manipulate liquids at the microscale? What are suitable sensing strategies in micro fluidic devices? Apply this knowledge in designing your own Lab-on-a-Chip in the course Lab-on-a-Chip.
There is a lot of hype surrounding 3D printing technologies, the materials that can be printed, and their properties. Learn the possibilities and constraints of 3D printing in the course 3D Printing.

Thanks to the first-rate facilities at our campus, you will be able to solve complex problems, analyse materials, and fabricate your own micro systems and micro sensors. For example, at our MESA+ NanoLab, featuring a 1250 m² cleanroom and an additional 1000 m² area with specialised analysis equipment, you will be able to manipulate and control materials and devices at the nanoscale. Moreover, we have numerous 3D printers you can use to fabricate complex structures with embedded sensors, along with facilities for analysing sensor data.

What will you learn?

As a graduate of the Master's in Electrical Engineering with a specialisation in Micro Sensors & Systems, you have acquired specific scientific knowledge, skills, and values that will help you in your future career.

Knowledge
After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:
- have a thorough understanding of micro systems, such as MEMS, lab-on-a-chip, or 3D printed devices;
- are able to conduct finite element simulations to analyse and predict the performance of micro devices;
- understand how to design and execute a fabrication process for micro devices.
Skills
After successfully finishing this Master’s specialisation, you:
- are able to design a micro device, for example, a 3D printed sensor, transducer, MEMS, or microfluidic chip;
- can work with modern characterisation techniques, such as laser Doppler vibrometry, white-light interferometry, electro-mechanical measurement setups, or fluorescence microscopy;
- are able to 3D print devices, using advanced multi-material printers.
Values
After completing this Master’s specialisation, you:
- take into account the ethical context of working with micro system technologies including privacy aspects in IoT devices or chemical and biological safety;
- know how to judge the feasibility and expected possibilities of fabrication technologies;
- maintain a critical attitude towards technological innovation.

WANT MORE INSIGHTS INTO THIS MASTER'S?

In this video, Dennis Alveringh, Teacher, along with Heime Jonkers and Loes Kleinsmit, PhD students, share insights into their experiences, the courses offered in the programme, research initiatives, the chip design process, applications of their work, and different job prospectives.

Other specialisations

Is this specialisation not exactly what you are looking for? Maybe one of the other specialisations suits you better.

Courses & research