NNCI: Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility (CNF)

Cornell University, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

The Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) will provide the nation's researchers with rapid, affordable, hands-on shared access to advanced nanofabrication tools and associated staff expertise that are too expensive for individual universities or small companies to operate and maintain. Under this National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) site award, hundreds of engineers and scientists nationwide, from throughout academia, industry, and government, will utilize CNF's unique toolset and technical staff. The new research and technology development that the CNF makes possible will transform many fields of engineering and science, spanning sensor and actuator arrays for probing how the brain works; improved photovoltaics, batteries, and fuel cells for economical renewable energy; new types of electronic devices that surmount limitations of silicon; fabrication of living tissues and organs; distributed measurement networks for geosciences; microbiome characterization and manipulation; on-chip signal processing with light; precision agriculture using new sensors; low-cost medical diagnoses; and improved quantum devices for utilizing entanglement, to name just a few. The CNF will also organize education and outreach programs targeting a wide range of researchers, undergraduates, and K-12 students and their families, with the broader goals of providing a hands-on research education to a new generation of diverse engineering and science students, facilitating the commercialization of nanotechnology for societal benefit, extending the benefits of nanofabrication to less-traditional areas of research, and interesting more young students in technology and science. The unique nanofabrication capabilities that the CNF will make available to the nation's researchers include world-leading electron-beam lithography, advanced optical lithography, dedicated facilities for soft lithography, and direct-write tools for rapid prototype development, along with the flexibility to accommodate diverse projects through the ability to deposit and etch a very wide variety of materials. In addition, CNF's experienced, expert technical staff will be solely dedicated to user support. Engineers and scientists from throughout academia, industry, and government will utilize CNF's resources to fabricate structures and systems ranging from the centimeter scale down to the nanometer scale. The new research that the CNF makes possible will advance research and development across many fields, spanning electronics, optics, magnetics, mechanical devices, thermal and energy systems, electrochemical devices, fluidics, and the life sciences and bioengineering. Educational and outreach programs are designed to benefit several target audiences. CNF will teach new nanotechnology researchers to quickly operate at the research frontier through hands-on training on state-of-the-art tools, in-depth minicourses, and subject-area workshops. Experienced nanotechnology researchers will benefit from advanced technical workshops in partnership with leading tool vendors. Undergraduate students will participate in blended courses with regional universities and unique summer research experiences. Young K-12 students and their families will be encouraged to become excited about technology and science through CNF's highly-popular Nanooze science magazine and a new partnership with 4-H.