Master of Engineering (MEng)

MEng Mechatronic Engineering

Explore the world of robotics and gain the UK's top engineering undergraduate award, securing the base for chartered status.

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: HHH6 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Scholarships available
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £34,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages and our Department funding pages .

Course unit details:
Electronic Materials

Course unit fact file
Unit code EEEN10021
Credit rating 10
Unit level Level 1
Teaching period(s) Semester 1
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

This course will cover the following topics:

Introduction to nanotechnology and its importance in today’s society

Elementary Materials Science

  • Atomic structure and elementary particles (proton, neutron, electron and photon)
  • Bonding and types of solid (e.g. metals, insulators and semiconductors)
  • Crystal structure

Electrical and thermal conduction

  • Drude model (metals and conduction)
  • Temperature effects on conduction (conductivity and thermal resistance)

Modern Model of Solids

  • Band theory of solids (electrons and holes in periodic potentials)
  • Effective mass and density of states
  • Fermi energy, ionisation potential and work function

Semiconductors

  • Energy diagrams in k-space (direct and indirect bandgaps)
  • Conduction in semiconductors (electron/hole populations)
  • Intrinsic/Extrinsic semiconductors (n-type and p-type doping)
  • Temperature & impurity dependence of conductivity (drift mobility)

Semiconductor Devices

  • p-n, p-i-n junctions (forward/reverse biased, depletion & capacitance)
  • Bi-polar and FET devices
  • Optical devices (LEDs, PV, …) 

Aims

The course unit aims to: Introduce nanotechnology and its importance in today’s society (e.g. applications in healthcare, security, and energy) Introduce basic materials physics and explain how insulating, semiconducting and metallic properties arise in solids. Explain how semiconductors can be engineered (e.g. via doping) to exhibit controlled electrical and optical properties within a device. Describe the fundamental building blocks and operation of key semiconductor devices (e.g. field effect transistors)

Learning outcomes

ILO 1 - Calculate electron/hole concentrations and Fermi energy in doped semiconductors.

ILO 2 - Describe the different types of conduction in solids and explain how temperature affects this conduction.

ILO 3 - Sketch energy band diagrams for different types of solids, including n-type and p-type doped semiconductors.

ILO 4 - Explain how a p-n/p-i-n junction operates in forward and reverse bias and describe its applications in MOSFET and BJT devices

ILO 5 - Calculate the built-in potential, depletion width, diffusion current in a pn junction and emitter/base/collector current in a BJT

ILO 6 - Describe different types of solids (metals, semiconductors, insulators), bonding and crystal structure

Teaching and learning methods

  • Lectures (use of lecture slides to introduce content)
  • Interactive online Kahoot multiple-choice quizzes during lectures
  • Discussion Forum on Blackboard
  • Use of Dashboard during lectures to collect questions and queries (e.g. revision topics to cover)
  • Throwable Microphone
  • Problem Classes (peer-learning on tutorial-style questions).

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 20%
Written exam 80%

Online Multiple-Choice Quiz.

Length: 30 Minutes

How and when feedback is provided: Immediate via marks on Blackboard.

Weighting: 0% * forms part of the unseen exam

Coursework: 2 Laboratory Sessions that are assessed by submission of assessment form with key questions based around on lab session and data collected.

Length: 3 Hours

How and when feedback is provided: 2 weeks after submission via marks and feedback comments on Blackboard.

Weighting: 10%

Tutorial Questions: Activity delivered as part of weekly tutorials:

How and when feedback is provided: 1 week after submission.

Weighting: 10%

Feedback methods

Online Multiple-Choice Quiz: How and when feedback is provided: Immediate via marks on Blackboard.

Coursework: How and when feedback is provided: 2 weeks after submission via marks and feedback comments on Blackboard. 

Tutorial Questions: Activity delivered as part of weekly tutorials: How and when feedback is provided: 1 week after submission.

Recommended reading

Principles of electronic materials and devices by Kasap, Safa. McGraw-Hill Education, 2018. ISBN: 9781260547368

Semiconductor devices: physics and technology by Sze, S. M. Wiley, 2013. ISBN: 9781118507445

Fundamentals of modern VLSI devices by Taur, Yuan. Cambridge University Press, 2009. ISBN: 9780521832946

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 24
Practical classes & workshops 6
Tutorials 12
Independent study hours
Independent study 58

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Huanqing Ye Unit coordinator
Matthew Halsall Unit coordinator

Return to course details