NSEC: Center for Nano-Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems\Nano-CEMMS

该合同为纳米化学-电气-机械-制造系统（纳米- cemms）科学与工程中心提供了延续，该中心是伊利诺伊大学厄巴纳-香槟分校、加州理工学院和北卡罗来纳农业技术州立大学之间的合作。该中心旨在彻底改变国家的纳米制造能力，使国家处于高科技制造的前沿。纳米- cemms中心的研究建立在该中心研究团队成员的两个关键突破之上，即分子门技术和超大规模集成（VLSI）流体电路，直接制造纳米级结构和系统。分子门可以通过数字开关来传递和控制极其微小的一升（0.000,000,000,000,000,001升）材料，比今天的纳升开关小10亿倍。分子门也类似于传递和控制电子的晶体管，但由于可以传递各种不同的材料，并且分子可以进行化学反应，因此功能增加了。通过VLSI流体电路构建可寻址分子门的大型阵列的能力，加上微流体、纳米电子学和光学传感以及纳米定位方面的其他进展，为开发真正新颖、可扩展和强大的制造工艺，构建三维纳米结构多材料器件开辟了一条途径。纳米- cemms研究人员在制造、微到纳米制造、微到纳米流体、纳米电子学、化学、计算、系统、操作计划和控制以及组合优化方面具有专业知识，他们将合作开发新的方法和工具，利用化学、机械和电子现象和纳米级3d制造过程。这些纳米级工艺和设备的计划集成预计将导致可扩展的制造系统和装配线，能够制造从医疗到光子系统等应用的独特设备和产品。纳米- cemms中心组织通过其工业和教育计划产生更广泛的影响。该中心以两种方式构建，以加速其技术和系统创新的转移，以造福工业和社会。首先，一个由制药、生物和电子行业的顶尖领导者以及尖端产业创新者组成的产业顾问委员会，跨越多个应用领域和纳米制造价值链，将为中心提供建议，并参与其研究、教育和推广计划。其次，试验台将针对特定的应用，这些应用可能会被中心的研究所改变。该中心将研究的两个例子包括组合化学和生物分析，以及纳米级有机光电子学；都有能力影响数十亿美元的产业。已经设定了雄心勃勃的目标，以确保该中心包括不同的参与者群体。这些目标通过具体的外展活动得到支持，这些活动旨在接触不同群体的学生和教师，并鼓励学生和教师在三个主要院校之间进行交流。此外，充分认识到纳米技术的成功离不开一支训练有素的劳动力队伍，一项广泛的教育和推广计划已经计划好了，以加强我国的科学研究、教育和工业纳米技术劳动力。该项目涵盖K-12教育和专业培训，将建立在现有成功的K-12推广和教育项目的基础上，并将以一个广泛的基于网络的合作实验室为中心，该实验室将允许在全国范围内传播材料，并允许学生、教师、科学家和行业专业人士参与。一个全面的评估部分将帮助中心跟踪其更广泛的影响，并不断改进其方案以提高效率。

This award provides for the continuation of the Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical-Manufacturing Systems (Nano-CEMMS) Science and Engineering Center, which is a collaboration between the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the California Institute of Technology, and the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. The Center aims to revolutionize the nation's nanomanufacturing capabilities to position the nation at the forefront of high technology manufacturing. The Nano-CEMMS Center's research builds on two key breakthroughs made by members of the Center's research team, molecular gate technology and Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) fluidic circuits, to directly manufacture nanoscale structures and systems. The molecular gate can be digitally switched to deliver and control incredibly tiny attoliter (0.000,000,000,000,000,001 liter) amounts of material, a billion times smaller than the nanoliter switches of today. Molecular gates also are akin to transistors that deliver and control electrons, but with increased functionality since diverse and dissimilar materials can be delivered and molecules can undergo chemical reactions. The capability to build large arrays of addressable molecular gates through VLSI fluidic circuits coupled with other advances in micro-fluidics, nanoelectronics and optical sensing, and nanopositioning carves out a pathway for developing truly novel, scalable and robust manufacturing processes for constructing 3-D nano-structured multi-material devices. Nano-CEMMS researchers, with expertise in manufacturing, micro- to nanofabrication, micro- to nanofluidics, nanoelectronics, chemistry, computation, systems, operational planning and control, and combinatorial optimization will team up to develop new methodologies and tools that exploit chemical, mechanical and electronic phenomena and processes for 3-D manufacturing at the nanoscale. The planned integration of these nanoscale processes and devices is anticipated to result in scalable manufacturing systems and assembly lines capable of manufacturing unique devices and products for applications ranging from medical to photonic systems. The Nano-CEMMS Center is organized to have a broader impact through its industrial and educational programs. The Center has been structured in two ways to accelerate the transfer of its technological and system innovations for the benefit of industry and society. First, an Industrial Advisory Board, including top pharmaceutical, biological, and electronic industry leaders as well as cutting-edge industrial innovators, spanning multiple application areas and the nanomanufacturing value chain, will advise the Center and participate in its research, education and outreach plans. Second, test-beds will be targeted at specific applications that can be potentially transformed by the Center's research. Two examples that the Center will pursue include combinatorial chemistry and biology assays, and nanoscale organic optoelectronics; both capable of impacting multi-billion dollar industries. Ambitious goals have been set to ensure that the Center includes a diverse group of participants. These goals are supported by specific outreach activities designed to reach diverse groups of students and faculty and encourage student and faculty exchanges across the three lead institutions. In addition, fully realizing that nanotechnology cannot be successful without a well-trained workforce, an extensive education and outreach program has been planned to enhance the scientific research, education, and industrial nanotechnology workforce of our nation. The program, spanning K-12 education and professional training, will build on existing successful K-12 outreach and education programs and will be centered on an extensive web-based Collaboratory that will allow for the dissemination of materials across the nation and the participation of its students, teachers, scientists and industry professionals. A comprehensive assessment component will help the Center track its broader impact and continuously improve its programs for increased effectiveness.