MRI: Aquisition of Nano-Imprint Lithography System

在马萨诸塞大学阿姆赫斯特校区建立的纳米压印光刻（NIL）实验室将允许以经济有效的方式定义从多微米到亚50纳米长度尺度的材料模式。该技术提供的快速复制和原型设计将使研究设备和结构成为可能，否则这些设备和结构很难制造或制造成本过高。NIL涉及1)地形或化学结构的物理模板和2)随后的光或热引发材料合成。该实验室的全面实施需要购买两台仪器，我们正在申请资金：一台来自Molecular imprint公司的Step-and-Flash NIL仪器和一台来自Trion公司的最先进的等离子体蚀刻系统。该实验室对多项研究活动的成功至关重要，这些研究活动涉及联合pi和马萨诸塞大学NSF MRSEC的其他成员，包括用于纳米结构器件的先进材料的开发(例如，用于传感器的纳米尺度图案表面，超低介电常数图案的单步处理，以及用于电动汽车的高功率密度脉冲功率电容器)和基础研究，以解决限制零排放在制造规模上实施的挑战。这些仪器将被安置在开放获取的Keck纳米结构实验室中，并且一个全面的管理计划已经到位，以确保维护和广泛的用户群的可访问性。此外，NIL实验室将被纳入现有的纳米技术课程，其开放访问管理计划将鼓励REU和RET项目的参与者以及当地五所学院社区的教师和学生使用，其中包括两所女子学院：霍利奥克山学院和史密斯学院。马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校是纳米级材料科学领域的领导者，该设施将进一步确保我们在设备级实施我们的发现方面的领导地位，同时为学生提供现实世界纳米级制造的专业知识。马萨诸塞大学阿姆赫斯特分校的这一奖项将使校园内的研究人员以及当地社区和其他地方的研究人员能够推进和扩展他们在小于十亿分之一米的材料研究方面的专业知识。这笔资金将用于购买两种先进的技术仪器，这两种仪器将能够制备比人类头发直径小1000倍的用户定义图案的材料。这种能力将有助于新技术的发展，如化学传感器、更快、更稳定的计算机芯片和电动汽车的电源管理设备。该设施将成为麻省理工学院和当地大学社区的教职员工和学生的开放访问中心，其中包括两所女子学院：霍利奥克山学院和史密斯学院。一个全面的管理计划将确保这些仪器的可访问性、维护和纳入材料研究课程，同时鼓励非传统研究人员参与本科生研究经验和教师研究经验推广项目使用实验室。马萨诸塞大学目前在纳米技术方面有许多令人兴奋的举措，这个实验室的建立将确保我们保持在尖端研究的前沿。

The establishment of a Nano-Imprint Lithography (NIL) Laboratory on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst will permit the definition of material patterns from the multi-micron to sub-50nm length scales in an economical and efficient manner. The rapid replication and prototyping provided by this technique will enable the study of devices and structures that would otherwise be difficult or prohibitively expensive to make. NIL involves 1) the physical templating of topographic or chemical structures and 2) subsequent photo- or thermal-initiated materials synthesis. The full implementation of this laboratory requires the purchase of two instruments for which we are requesting funding: a Step-and-Flash NIL instrument from Molecular Imprints, Inc. and a state-of-the-art plasma etching system from Trion, Inc. This laboratory is critical to the success of multiple research activities involving the co-PIs and other members of the NSF MRSEC at UMass including the development of advanced materials for nanostructured devices (e.g. nanoscale patterned surfaces for sensors, single-step processing of ultra-low dielectric constant patterns, and high power density pulsed power capacitors for electric vehicles) and fundamental research into the challenges that are limiting the implementation of NIL on the manufacturing scale. The instruments will be housed in the open access Keck Nanostructures Laboratory and a comprehensive management plan is in place to ensure maintenance and accessibility to a broad user base. Additionally, the NIL Laboratory will be incorporated into existing courses on nanotechnology, and its open-access management plan will encourage use by participants in our REU and RET programs as well as faculty and students in the local five college community that includes two women's colleges: Mt. Holyoke College and Smith College. UMass Amherst is an established leader in nanoscale materials science, and this facility will further secure our leadership in device-level implementation of our discoveries while preparing students with expertise in real-world nano-scale manufacturing.This award at the University of Massachusetts Amherst will allow researchers on campus, as well as researchers in the local community and beyond, to advance and expand their expertise in materials research at sizes smaller than one-billionth of a meter. This grant will fund the purchase of two advanced technology instruments that together will enable the preparation of materials with user-defined patterns that are 1000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair. This capability will aid in the development of new technologies such as chemical sensors, faster and more stable computer chips, and power management devices for electric vehicles. This facility will be an open-access center for faculty and students at UMass and in the local college community which includes two women's colleges: Mt. Holyoke College and Smith College. A comprehensive management plan will ensure accessibility, maintenance, and the incorporation of these instruments into materials research courses, while encouraging non-traditional researchers involved in the Research Experience for Undergraduates and Research Experience for Teachers outreach programs to use the laboratory. UMass currently has a number of exciting initiatives in nanotechnology, and the establishment of this Laboratory will ensure that we remain at the forefront of cutting edge research.