The Micro and Nanotechnology Department of ICAT consists of six academic groups that carry out both basic science research and technological development:

• Photophysics and Thin films
• Catalysis and Surface Processes
• Biomaterials and Nanostructured Catalysts
• Nanostructured Substrates
• Hybrid systems and Nanoespectroscopy
• Microtechnology and Neural Networks

These academic groups perform the synthesis of molecular, nanometric and/or micrometric materials, using synthesis methods that involve different chemical or physical processes. In general, their main interests are:

• The study of the processes that generate light-matter interaction.
• The study of the phenomena of adsorption, desorption and the reactions that are carried out on (primarily, nano-) surfaces when their size, shape and composition are modified.
• The study of the interactions and physico-chemical properties of inorganic materials in a polymer matrix.
• The development of new techniques of enhanced spectroscopy with nanometric spatial resolution.
• The study of the interactions in molecule-substrate nanostructured systems and their application development.

On the other hand, the Microtechnology and Neural Network academic group is interested in the development of algorithms which allow applying neural networks for the automation of the manufacturing and assembly processes of devices in the areas of micromechanics and renewable energies. Finally, the Micro and Nanotechnology Department has two University Laboratories: University Laboratory for Environmental Nanotechnology (LUNA) and University Laboratory for Spectroscopy Characterization (LUCE).