Every modern technology begins with materials. From chips and sensors to biomedical implants, hydrogen technologies, photonics, and smart surfaces, materials determine tomorrow's possibilities.
Our research groups focus on developing functional and smart materials, metallic nanostructures, biomaterials, and materials for electronics, optoelectronics, alternative energy, and medicine. We study the relationship between material structure and properties, develop new surface treatments, fabricate nanostructures, and employ state-of-the-art characterisation methods ranging from microscopy to spectroscopy. We conduct our research in collaboration with industrial partners and leading international universities and research centres.
Students can join research teams from their very first days. They learn to operate cutting-edge equipment, design experiments independently, process and interpret results, and present their work. Many final theses are produced within the framework of international research projects or through industry collaborations.
Graduates of the Department of Solid State Engineering find opportunities wherever new technologies are created—in research and development, the high-tech industry, biomedicine, electronics, the energy sector, the pharmaceutical industry, and academia. Thanks to their interdisciplinary education, they can integrate chemistry, physics, and materials engineering to design solutions to today's and future technological challenges. The Department of Solid State Engineering has long been developing its educational and research activities to align with current trends in materials research and the demands of modern technologies. While maintaining the high professional standards characteristic of UCT Prague, we have gradually expanded the range of materials studied and the scope of our research topics. In addition to traditional areas of materials engineering, we now focus on nanomaterials, functional materials, biomaterials, materials for electronics and photonics, advanced surfaces, sensors, and materials for energy and medical applications.
At the same time, we have broadened our range of thesis topics and research projects to appeal to students from various study programs and specialisations. The department thus offers opportunities not only to materials engineering students but also to those in fields such as chemistry, physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, and biology who wish to apply their knowledge to the development and study of modern materials. Because our research is interdisciplinary, students can choose topics that match their interests while contributing to current scientific and industrial projects.
History of the Institute
The Department of Chemical Technology of Materials for Electronics was established in 1984. It was not founded merely as "another materials department," but as a unit dedicated to training specialists for the rapidly developing fields of semiconductors, thin films, and electronic materials. In the 1980s, this was a strategic sector of the industry (involving companies like Tesla, the Research Institute of Communications Technology, semiconductor development, etc.). Instruction in the newly formed department focused primarily on solid-state chemistry and physics, microelectronics materials, thin-film technologies, semiconductor materials, and methods for their preparation and characterisation. From the very beginning, experimental laboratory work and a close link between teaching and research were key components of the curriculum.
After 1989, the institute underwent a fundamental transformation. Changes in the socio-economic landscape led to a significant decline in the demand for specialists dedicated exclusively to the electronics industry. Instead, new fields grew rapidly. The original specialisation in electronic materials evolved into a modern, interdisciplinary centre focused on nanotechnologies, biomaterials, and surface engineering.
Today, the Department of Solid State Engineering is a modern, interdisciplinary facility that integrates chemistry, physics, materials engineering, and biomedical applications. Research focuses on designing, preparing, modifying, and characterising advanced materials for electronics, energy, medicine, and environmental technologies. At the same time, the department provides instruction for students across various study programs at UCT Prague and actively participates in national and international research projects. Nevertheless, the institute has retained what matters most: an emphasis on high-quality experimental work, the integration of basic and applied research, and a close link between teaching and science.
