THE PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY

MILLENNIUM SCHOLARS PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF ENGINEERING SCIENCE AND MECHANICS

BATCH FABRICATION OF SURFACE-ENHANCED RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY SENSOR

SUBSTRATES

VICTOR PABLO ACERO

SPRING 2017

A thesis
submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements
for a baccalaureate degree
in Engineering Science
with honors in Mechanical Engineering

Reviewed and approved* by the following:

Tak-Sing Wong
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Thesis Supervisor

Akhlesh Lakhtakia
Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics
Honors Adviser

Judith A. Todd
Department Head
P.B. Breneman Chair and Professor of Engineering
Science and Mechanics
 1

ABSTRACT

Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) biosensors have astounding levels of sensitivity

as they amplify the intensity of Raman scattering. Prior research even shows these biosensors

reaching sensitivities capable of detecting a single non-absorbing molecule in solution. However,

these are typically made using expensive and time-consuming techniques, such as electron-beam

lithography. My research aims to greatly reduce the manufacturing costs of SERS biosensors by

introducing a new nano-sphere lithography technique. These new sensors are made by depositing

a Self-Assembled Monolayer (SAM) of Polystyrene spheres on the surface of a silicon wafer and

then heat treating them, so that individual spheres will melt into neighboring spheres. This

melting into neighboring spheres will create an nonuniform density profile, which then allows

for different parts of the substrate to be etched at different rates. With careful control of heating

and plasma-etching parameters it is possible to construct both a nano-triangle and nano-

honeycomb polystyrene template. Finally, chromium/gold would be deposited on this template

and the spheres removed, to create a P6mm pattern of nano-triangles which form the basis for the

biosensor.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

LIST OF FIGURES .....................................................................................................iii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.........................................................................................iv

Chapter 1 Introduction.................................................................................................5

1.1 Raman Spectroscopy .5

1.2 Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy ...6

Chapter 2 Fabrication...................................................................................................9

3.1 Polystyrene Self-Assembled Monolayer.9

3.2 Nano-triangles.9

3.3 Nano-honeycombs .................................................................................................10

Chapter 3 Materials......................................................................................................14

3.1 Chemicals...14

3.2 Tools ..14

Chapter 4 Conclusion...................................................................................................15

BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................17

CURRICULUM VITAE...............................................................................................18
 3

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: The formation of bridges between different polystyrene spheres can be seen. These
areas have survived etching because of their higher densities.........................................10

Figure 2: (A) First the monolayer of polystyrene spheres is formed. (B) Next the spheres are
heated and they deform into eachother. (C) The spheres are etched and a small bridge will
form between the spheres. (D) Gold is deposited and the polystyrene spheres are removed. 11

Figure 3: The honeycomb pattern is formed from the polystyrene spheres. The empty space is
where the spheres originally resided...............................................................................12

Figure 4: This honeycomb template would allow us to create ~200 nm nano-particle s with a ~10
nm spacing......................................................................................................................13

Figure 5 : This shows how the templates that I produced did not have long range order. If I
wanted to create a useful template for SERS sensors, I would need to improve uniformity. 15
 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I acknowledge several individuals whom have supported me academically and professionally

throughout most of my time at Penn State. Assistant Professor Tak-Sing Wong has nurtured my

curiosity for science since I became a sophomore at Penn State. He has allowed me to explore

my own ideas and pursue areas I found interesting, thus helping me become an independent

thinker. My mentor Dr. Shikuan Yang, now a faculty member at Zhejiang University, also

deserves my thanks. My thesis was built upon his previous work, and he also taught me several

techniques that I have used in this thesis and other research projects. Finally, I thank the Director

of the Millennium Scholars Program, Starlette Sharp, for providing me with the emotional

support to succeed during my time at Penn State.

Chapter 1

Introduction

1.1 Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy is one of many spectroscopic techniques used to probe for details on the

properties and characteristics of materials. This spectroscopic technique is based off the

phenomena of inelastic Raman scattering where scattered light is either at a higher (Anti-Stokes)

or lower (Stokes) energy level1,2 than the incident light. The energy of the scattered light is

dependent on the oscillating molecular dipole moment

P of the sample or molecule, which is

induced by the incoming electric field

E . The following equation demonstrates this

relationship
(1)
 5

P= ~
aE cos ( 2 vt ) ,

where ~ a and v represent the polarizability of the material and the frequency of the
incident light

respectively.1,2

a , is composed of the static polarizability, ~

The polarizability, ~ a 0 , and the vibrational

polarizability,
da (2)
Q cos ( 2 v vib t ) ;
dQ

thus the molecular dipole moment

da
P=~
a0
E cos (2 vt )+
E cos ( 2 vt ) Q cos ( 2 v vib t ) (3)
dQ

( 2 ( vv vib)t ) (4)
cos ( 2 (v + v vib )t ) cos
,
1 da
P =~
a0
E cos (2 vt )+ EQ
2 dQ

where Q is the normal coordinate of atoms/molecules away from their equilibrium position. The

Stokes and anti-Stokes scattering are represented by (v + v vib ) and ( vv vib ) , respectively.

Since the scattered electromagnetic radiation produced by the Raman phenomena contains

information about molecular vibrations and rotations, it shines light on the atomic composition of

the molecule, the chemical bonds between them, the crystal structure of the material, and the

environment in which the chemical resides.1,2

Raman spectroscopy has been readily adopted into industry and academia for its versatility and

usefulness, whether it be for analysis of paper pulp or for the detection of a low concentration

solute. The techniques utility and appeal largely come from being non-destructive, usable in-

vitro for biological samples, and being implementable on with solids, liquids, and gases.24
 6

1.2 Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is a phenomenon of resonant oscillations of the surface

electron cloud density which is stimulated by incident light. This induced oscillation allows for

an enhancement in the electric field, and the enhancement is the greatest when the plasmon

frequency, p, is in resonance with the incident light. This enhancement was discovered by

Fleischmann in 1973 when pyridine was adsorbed onto electrochemically roughened silver and

large Raman enhancements achieved. Though it was unknown to Fleischmann at the time, the

Raman enhancement occurred on his chemically roughened silver because the plasmon

oscillations were perpendicular to the surface. The oscillations were occurring between the

microstructures of the chemically roughened surface. With decades of research researchers have

come to understand that nanoscale metallic (noble metals) junctions are best for achieving high

enhancement factors i.e. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS).5,6

1The enhancement factor (EF) for SERS is given by

I SERS ( v ) / N surf
E F SERS ( v )=
I NRS ( v ) / N vol

and was derived from experimental measurements. In this calculation the SERS-enhanced

Raman intensity, I SERS ( v ) , is normalized by the number of molecules binding to the metallic

substrate, N surf , and is then divided by the Raman intensity, I NRS ( v ) , which is normalized

by the number of molecules in the excitation volume, N vol .57 In this context, v is the

angular frequency corresponding to the exciting wavelength. This equation allows us to compare

and characterize different substrates with different electromagnetic properties and geometries. In

the past decade, research has helped us build an understanding of how different substrate
 (5)
7

characteristics affect the enhancement factor.7 The research found that the enhancement factor

has a strong dependence on the dispersion behavior of plasmons, which in turn is dependent on

size, material composition, and shape of the SERS nanostructures. Furthermore, small and sharp

junctions have been shown to engender high enhancement factors. The difference in

enhancements between a 1-nm and 100-nm junctions can be as large as 3-4 orders of magnitude,

while the size of the particle itself has no effect on the actual EF.68 Knowledge in the field has

grown, however it is still impossible to accurately predict the behavior of a new substrate with a

new nano-particle geometry. This leads labs to having to experimentally determine the success or

failure of new nano-particle geometries.

SERS has been achieved using varying strategies, such as chemically synthesized nanostars,

electron-beam fabricated nanorods, and suspended nano-particles in solution.911 It has even been

possible to develop SERS with an ENHANCEMENT FACTOR high enough to detect single

molecules in solution.12,13 However, the enhancement factors in high-quality SERS typically are

achieved by using expensive techniques, such as electron-beam lithography, to create gaps

between nano-particles on the order of several nanometers. 5,9 The high cost associated with

fabricating SERS devices prevents them from becoming standard instruments in hospital labs,

water treatment plants, and pharmaceutical labs.

Thus, my thesis is focused on the development of a novel nano-sphere lithography technique for

batch fabricating nano-scale junctions on an order comparable to that producible by e-beam

lithography. It is my hope that my fabrication procedure will help in the development of low-cost

high-sensitivity SERS sensors. This thesis reports the batch fabrication of the common nano-

triangle geometry used in SERS, and it also demonstrates the fabrication of the previously

uncharacterized nano-honeycombs.
8
 9

Chapter 2

Fabrication

3.1 Polystyrene Self-Assembled Monolayer

First, a standard-size glass slide was functionalized via a low-power oxygen-etching procedure,

thus creating a hydrophilic surface. A thin layer of 2-m-diameter Polystyrene (PS) spheres was

pipetted onto the slide from solution. Since the slide was first functionalized, the solution quickly

spread evenly throughout the slide surface. While the solution dried on the surface of the slide, a

glass beaker was filled with pure water and lightly dusted with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate.

After the polystyrene solution dried, the slide was carefully submerged in the beaker of water at

an angle of ~20 with respect to the horizontal. A monolayer of polystyrene spheres peeled off

onto the surface of the water. A silicon wafer, which had also been functionalized with low-

power oxygen was used to pick up the suspended polystyrene monolayer. After the solution has

dried, it will form a Self-Assembled Monolayer (SAM) on a small silicon wafer. A Langmuir-

Blodgett trough machine could have been used to make an SAM with more uniformity14, but my

technique was more cost effective for exploring this idea.

3.2 Nano-triangles

The silicon wafer was then heated for 2 min at 110 C, which caused the spheres to deform

slowly over time. Eventually, the parts of the polystyrene spheres closest to neighboring

polystyrene spheres melted into each other. Upon cooling, they formed a high-density portion of

PS.15
 10

The sample was etched inside a pressure-controlled chamber for 33 s at 100 mTorr. Since the

joined-sphere portions had higher mass densities then the rest of the sample, they etched at a

much slower rate. This difference in the etching rates allowed me to form the pattern seen in

Figure 1.

Figure 1: The formation of bridges between different polystyrene spheres could be seen. These areas survived etching
because of their higher densities.

Figure 1 shows the bridges formed between different polystyrene spheres as the main body of the

spheres was etched away. These bridges were formed because the interfaces between the spheres,

where they melted together, were denser than the main body of the spheres and were more

resistant to etching.
 11

Gold was then deposited onto silicon wafer using a gold evaporator and the polystyrene spheres

were removed using acetone. This lift-off process allowed for the removal of excess gold, thus

revealing the P6mm pattern of gold nano-triangles on a sensing area on average ~20 nm wide

and ~30 nm long. This process can be seen in Figure 2.

Steps for Fabricating Nano-triangle SERS

Figure 2: (A) First, the monolayer of polystyrene spheres was formed. (B) Next, the spheres were heated and they
deformed into each other. (C) The spheres were etched and a small bridge will form between the spheres. (D) Gold was
deposited and the polystyrene spheres were removed.

3.3 Nano-honeycombs

The silicon wafer was heated for 3 min at 110 C, which caused the spheres to deform slowly

over time. Since these polystyrene spheres were heating for a 50% longer duration than the

polystyrene spheres for the nano-triangles, each spheres perimeter would deform into the
 12

surrounding spheres much more dramatically.

The sample was then etched inside a chamber for 39 s at 100 mTorr. The prolonged etching time

Figure 3: The nano-honeycomb pattern was formed from the polystyrene spheres. The empty space was where the
spheres originally resided.
completely etched the sphere away, leaving behind an outline of each sphere. This difference in

the etching rates allowed me to form the honeycomb pattern shown in Figure 3.

This nano-honeycomb pattern allowed us to form metallic nano-honeycomb particles that are

~240-nm-diameter (Figure 3). We could fabricate junctions ranging from 8 to 13 nm in length on

average, as can be seen in Figure 4. Gold was then deposited on to the sample and the

polystyrene spheres were removed using acetone. This lift-off allowed for the removal of excess

gold, thus revealing the P6mm pattern of gold nano-triangles a ring-like sensing area on average
 13

~10 nm. It would be interesting to investigate the functionality the nano-honeycomb substrate for

SERS, because it has not been studied before. I would have to experimentally determine whether

or not this design could generate an enhancement factor similar to that of high-performing SERS.

Figure 4: This nano-honeycomb template allowed the fabricating of ~200-nm-diameter nano-particle s with a ~10 nm
spacing.
 14

Chapter 3

Materials

5.1 Chemicals

A 10% aqueous suspension of Sigma-Aldrich 200 nm Polystyrene Spheres was used for

fabricating the polystyrene self-assembled monolayer. The Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate used was

purchased from Sigma-Aldrich. The silicon wafers were purchased from the Penn State

Nanofabrication Labs.

5.2 Tools

The polystyrene SAM was etched on the silicon wafer using the Penn State Nanofabrication

Labs Plasma-Therm 720. The etcher was set to use pure O2 at 100 mTorr with a 10 V potential

difference inside the chamber. Also, the samples were imaged using the Leo 1530 Field Emission

Scanning Electron Microscope.

 15

Chapter 4

Conclusion

I demonstrated that it is possible, using only an etcher, to fabricate nanojunctions similar to those

created through electron-beam lithography. It would be worthwhile to investigate the

functionality of a SERS sensor made with the conventional nano-triangle substrate16 and the new

nano-honeycomb substrate that I developed. These substrates could lead to developments in

Figure 5 : The templates produced did not have long-range order. Better uniformity is needed for SERS substrates.
creating affordable, high-quality SERS technology. I reliably recreated the desired patterns using

the physical constraints and equipment described; however, there were several short comings of

my investigation.
 16

When developing the SAM, using the technique described in Chapter 2, I found that it is difficult

to fabricate a monolayer with high periodicity. I was not able to fabricate nanostructures with

high periodicity, that is, the substrates had breaks and open spaces like those seen in Figure 5.

Reproducibility of hot spots, where the Raman signal is intensified, is important for SERS-

sensing applications, which means that the substrate itself needs to have high periodicity. The

fabricated substrate failed to meet that standard. I suspect the reason that it was difficult to

construct a uniform, periodic SAM was because I was working with too small of a sphere i.e.

200-nm diameter. When I attempted to create an SAM with the same method, but with 0.5-4-m-

diameter polystyrene spheres, I created a uniform and periodic substrate. Since the batch

fabrication technique can be used to make small junctions capable of supporting hot spots, it

would be ideal to continue investigations with the use of a Langmiur-Blodgett trough capable of

producing uniform SAMs. If uniform substrates can be fabricated, the project to fabricate an

actual SERS sensor could progress towards completion. This sensor would be fabricated by

depositing gold onto the polystyrene substrate, removing the polystyrene with acetone, and

functionalizing it according to the analyte of interest.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Smith, E. & Dent, G. Modern Raman Spectroscopy - A Practical Approach. vol. 36.

Modern Raman Spectroscopy - A Practical Approach (2005). John Wiley and Sons Ltd,

Chichester doi:10.1002/0470011831
 17

2. Hollas, J. M. Modern Spectroscopy, 4th Edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York,

U.S. J., (2005).

3. Workman, J. J. Infrared and Raman Spectroscopy in paper and pulp analysis. Appl.

Spectrosc. Rev. 36, 139168 (2001).

4. Eberhardt, K., Stiebing, C., Matthus, C., Schmitt, M. & Popp, J. Advantages and

limitations of Raman spectroscopy for molecular diagnostics: an update. Expert Rev. Mol.

Diagn. 15, 77387 (2015).

5. Willets, K. A. & Van Duyne, R. P. localized surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy and

sensing. Annu. Rev. Phys. Chem. 58, 267297 (2007).

6. Le Ru, E. C. & Etchegoin, P. G. Princ. Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectrosc. Elsevier

Science Pub, Wellington (2009). doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-52779-0.00007-6

7. Stiles, P. L., Dieringer, J. A., Shah, N. C. & Van Duyne, R. P. Surface-enhanced raman

spectroscopy. Annu. Rev. Anal. Chem. 1, 601626 (2008).

8. Schlcker, S. Surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy: Concepts and chemical applications.

Angew. Chem. - Int. Ed. 53, 47564795 (2014).

9. Lim, D.-K., Jeon, K.-S., Kim, H. M., Nam, J.-M. & Suh, Y. D. Nanogap-engineerable

Raman-active nanodumbbells for single-molecule detection. Nat. Mater. 9, 6067 (2010).

10. Im, H., m, H., Bantz, K. C., Lee, S. H., Johnson, T. W., Haynes, C. L. & Oh, S.-H. Self-

assembled plasmonic nanoring cavity arrays for SERS and LSPR biosensing. Adv. Mater.

25, 26782685 (2013).

11. Kleinman, S. L., Sharma B., Blaber M., Henry A., Valley N., Freeman R., Natan M., &

Duyne R.. Structure enhancement factor relationships in single gold nanoantennas by

surface-enhanced raman excitation spectroscopy. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 301308 (2013).
 18

12. Patra, P. P., Chikkaraddy, R., Tripathi, R. P. N., Dasgupta, A. & Kumar, G. V. P.

Plasmofluidic single-molecule surface-enhanced Raman scattering from dynamic

assembly of plasmonic nano-particle s. Nat. Commun. 5, 4357 (2014).

13. Kneipp, K., Wang, Y., Kneipp, H., Perelman, L. T. & Itzkan, I. Single molecule detection

using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS). Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 16671670

(1997).

14. Lee, J. H., Kang, W. S., Choi, B. S., Choi, S. W. & Kim, J. H. Fabrication of carbon

nanotube AFM probes using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Ultramicroscopy 108,

11631167 (2008).

15. Ho, K., Kale, L. & Montgomery, S. Melt strength of linear low-density polyethylene/low-

density polyethylene blends. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 85, 14081418 (2002).

16. Li, M., Cushing S., Liang H., Suri S., Ma D., & Wu N. Plasmonic nanorice antenna on

triangle nanoarray for surface-enhanced Raman scattering detection of hepatitis B virus

DNA. Anal. Chem. 85, 20722078 (2013).

Victor Acero
730N Atherton Street State College, PA 16803 469-230-4192 victor.acero1@gmail.com

Education
Pennsylvania State University
Graduation: May 2017
B.S. Engineering Science,
GPA: 3.36

Research Experience
STANFORD UNIVERSITY, Palo Alto, CA Professor Bianxiao Cui
Undergraduate Intern 6/2016 08/2016
Project Title: Modulation of Light-Induced Homo Oligomerization of Cryptochrome2
Optogenetic methods seek to develop a platform allows precise control of protein-protein
interactions via light-sensitive proteins. Our method uses the light-activated dimerization of the
Cryptochrome2 (CRY2) protein and its binding partner CIBN and/or the light-activated homo-
oligomerization of CRY2 to induce protein-protein interactions. Because both CRY2 states exist
 19

under light excitation there is poor control over the states, which significantly confounding
results and analysis. This work seeks to determine how fluorescence tags and bulky fusion
proteins may modulate homo-oligomerization.

Selected Accomplishments:
Showed that fluorescence proteins innate multimeric properties and bulky proteins can
impact CRY2 Homo-Oligomerization.
Learned how to do fluorescence microscopy and do image analysis.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY, State College, PA Professor Tak-Sing Wong
Undergraduate Intern 8/2015 Present
Project Title: Novel Batch Fabrication of Surface Plasmon Biosensors
Worked on optimizing the fabrication of surface plasmon biosensors using batch fabrication. After
depositing a monolayer PDMS film it will be heated to encourage binding at interfacial sites
between the spheres. The spheres are then etched to create a nano-triangle mask which can
allow for batch fabrication of nano-triangles usually made with electron beam lithography.

Undergraduate Intern 08/2014 05/2015

Project Title: Oil and Water Separation by Triboelectrically Charged Surfaces
Worked on water/oil separation by using the triboelectric effect to charge polyeurathane
surfaces, which would have a different electromagnetic force on water and oil, thus allowing the
two to separate.

Selected Accomplishments:
Developed proof of concept for a gravity assisted water/oil separation construct that would
allow for a charged surface to force water and oil to separate as they were pumped through a
faucet
Wrote paper for the PSU College of Engineering Research Initiative

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, Minneapolis, MN Professor Tianhong Cui

Summer Intern 5/2015 to 8/2015
Project Title: Enhancement of Graphene Biosensors for Cancer Detection
We exploit the sensitivity of 2D materials to its surrounding environment to produce sensors with
an industry competitive detection limit. I then worked with a novel technique developed by the
TIAN lab to batch produce the biosensors, in order to be more competitive with industry testing
equipment.

Selected Accomplishments:
Developed new sensor design to reduce electrical noise and improve signal to noise ratio of
past sensors.
Developed sensor that outperformed ELISA on time and a theoretically better detection limit.

BOEING: DEFENSE, SPACE, SECURITY, Houston, TX Within: Industrial and Mechanical

Engineering
Summer Intern 5/2014 to 8/2014
Worked on checking Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) procedure for astronaut missions on paper,
worked on the ECL/ABCL (Early Configuration List)/(As Built Configuration List) process
optimization, and worked with the Lunar Planetary Institute on lunar rover technology. Also
optionally helped with developing a CubeSat made by Early Career Boeing employees.

Selected Accomplishments:
 20

Developed first up to date list of the ECL/ABCL process, which is the process that determines
what equipment was approved to be sent to the ISS and which stage of approval it was on.
Created several schematic designs for an optimized process that reduced the number of
review points for a payload and could reduce process time.

PENN STATE UNIVERSITY, University Park, PA Applied Research Laboratory

Undergraduate Researcher, 09/2013 to 02/2014
Project Title: Red Force Exploitable Vulnerabilities of Blue Force Tracking Systems
Work on analyzing the strengths and vulnerabilities of blue force tracking for the Marine
Warfighting Lab. I listed and cataloged all potential weaknesses in the blue force tracking system
that red forces could exploit.

Selected Accomplishments:
Developed blueprints for red force ideas and devices
Presented viability of ideas, assessed risk level, and method of deployment to Marine Corp.
supervisors.
Presentations and Publications
Modulation of Light-Induced Homo-Oligomerization of Cryptochrome2
Stanford Summer Research Program Convocation, Oral Presentation Award, August 2016
University of Pennsylvania: PhD Symposium, September 2016
Nature Chemical Biology (In Review, 2016): Understanding CRY2 interactions for optical
control of intracellular signaling
Enhancement of Graphene Biosensors for Cancer Detection
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students, Best Poster Award,
November 2015
Penn State Science Fall Poster Session, October 2015
University of Minnesota Summer Poster Session, August 2015
National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network: Symposium at Cornell University,
August 2015
Triboelectric Water and Oil Separation
Pennsylvania State University Engineering Spring Poster Session, April 2015

Extracurricular Activity
Millennium Society: President Penn State University, State College, PA 09/15 Present
Organized academic and social events for Millennium Scholars and facilitated mentorship
USA Science and Engineering Festival Washington, D.C. 04/2016
Spoke to +2000 attendants (children) about hydrophobicity, biomimicry, and Wong Lab
research
Guest Speaker for AP Students at Plano West Senior High School Dallas, TX 12/2013
Present
Provide guidance over how to be involved in research and find opportunities.
Tutor and Mentor at Atkins Elementary (Title 1 School) Dallas, TX 05/2013 Present
Helped students master fundamental mathematics and science, while promoting history
and literacy
 21

Fencing PSU Division 1 Team 08/2013 08/2014, PSU Club 08/2014 Present
Fencing competitively throughout my high school and college career

Skills and Classes

Scanning Electron Microscope Proficiency Developmental Neurobiology Class
Optical Lithography NEMS/MEMS Class
Fluorescence Microscopy Nano/Micro Photonics Class
NEMS/MEMS Fabrication Electromagnetic Field and Wave Theory Class

Awards and Scholarships

Amgen Scholar Travel Award Travel Grant to Present at Conferences, 2016

Amgen Scholar (Stanford) Research Network, Summer 2016
Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students Travel Grant Awardee, 2015
College of Engineering Research Initiative Research Grant at Penn State, 2014-2015
National Nanotech Infrastructure Network National Research Network, Summer 2015
David Suarez Scholarship Award for Hispanic Engineering Students , 2014-present
Schreyer Honors College Honors College at Penn State, 2014-present
Millennium Scholars Program Financial Support and PhD Prep. Program, 2013-present