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The Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF)

Tuesday, November 8, 2016, 2:40 pm, Room 103A

The Cornell NanoScale Science and Technology Facility (CNF) is a member of NNCI, a network of open-access facilities partially subsidized by the US National Science Foundation to provide researchers with rapid, affordable, shared access to advanced nanofabrication tools and associated staff expertise. Hundreds of researchers worldwide (from academia, industry, and government) utilize CNF to make structures and systems from the nanometer scale to the centimeter scale. CNF offers unique capabilities in electron-beam lithography, advanced stepper photolithography, dedicated facilities for soft lithography, and direct-write tools for rapid prototype development, along with the flexibility to accommodate diverse projects and to deposit, grow, and etch a wide variety of materials. CNF’s technical staff are dedicated full-time to user support, providing one-on-one help with process development, tool training, and troubleshooting. They can offer expertise for a very wide range of fabrication projects, including electronics, nanophotonics, magnetics, MEMS, thermal and energy systems, electrochemical devices, fluidics, and the life sciences and bioengineering (more than 30% of CNF’s users now focus on biology). All users are welcome; no experience in nanofabrication is necessary and a central part of CNF’s mission is to assist users from “non-traditional” fields seeking assistance to implement nanofabrication techniques for the first time. CNF’s user program is designed to provide the most rapid possible access (typically 2 weeks) with the lowest possible barriers to entry (users retain full control of their IP, with no entanglement by CNF or Cornell University). Many of CNF’s external academic users come from institutions with their own local cleanroom facilities, but still utilize CNF for advanced capabilities, staff expertise, or tool availability.

This talk will explore the tools and the types of services and advice available to CNF users, and present examples of ongoing work with the hope of stimulating ideas and possibilities. We will also provide the latest details on the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), a new NSF-sponsored network of shared facilities similar to CNF.

We invite you to explore the CNF and NNCI and discuss ways we can help bring your research visions to fruition. As a first step, CNF’s User Program Managers will at no cost provide detailed processing advice and cost estimates for potential new projects. The CNF technical staff also meets every Wednesday afternoon for conference calls where we welcome questions about any topic related to nanofabrication. Visit cnf.cornell.edu to contact us and get started.