MRI: Acquisition of a Nanoimprint Lithography System for Nanomanufacturing and Nano/Micro Fabrication

“该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。“这个项目的目标是利用创新的纳米压印光刻（NIL）技术，在原型和微/纳米传感器/致动器，纳米器件，纳米结构和纳米级工具的制造在UMass-Lowell（UML）的纳米制造的研究和培训。NIL是一种微米级和纳米级复制工艺，它使用机械压制和加热或紫外线照明的组合，以低成本和高产量在衬底上生成均匀和高分辨率的特征（低于10 nm）。所要求的NIL系统将显着提高纳米制造和纳米/微米制造能力在麻省大学洛厄尔分校。目前直接受益于该系统的研究项目包括：1）用于化学和生物传感系统的三维纳米特征制造; 2）用于注射成型的混合聚合物-金属工具开发; 3）用于基于纳米线的光学检测系统和纳米电子学的纳米级光刻; 4）用于光伏能量转换系统的纳米结构制造;以及5）用于纳米制造的纳米模板制造。NIL系统是纳米纤维工艺链的重要组成部分。这种纳米纤维的能力使研究项目包括许多更广泛的影响应用，如：真实的时间和现场爆炸检测，以防止人类生命的损失和基础设施的破坏，生物分子传感，可持续能源的高效太阳能电池，纳米电子封装的无铅焊接，以及高速率，大批量和环境安全的制造工艺。所要求的仪器将通过纳米技术研究生证书，顶点和高级项目，课程演示和实验室实验，本科生暑期研究经验计划，并将其整合到K-12教师和学生，本科生和研究生以及行业专业人士的教育和推广计划中。纳米技术将旅行？伞式外展计划。这些活动是由NSF高速纳米制造中心（CHN）和UML国家资助的纳米制造卓越中心（NCOE）组织的广泛教育和推广基础设施的一部分。该项目还将通过CHN和NCOE招聘计划，让来自代表性不足群体的学生参与研究项目和课程工作。

"This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5)."The objective of this project is to utilize an innovative nanoimprint lithography (NIL) technique for research and training in prototyping and fabrication of micro/nano sensors/actuators, nano devices, nanostructures and nanoscale tooling for nanomanufacturing at UMass-Lowell (UML). The NIL is a micro- and nanoscale replication process, which uses a combination of mechanical pressing and heating or ultraviolet lighting to generate uniform and high resolution features (below 10 nm) on a substrate at a low cost and high throughput. The requested NIL system will significantly enhance nanomanufacturing and nano/micro fabrication capabilities at UMass-Lowell. Current research projects directly benefiting from the requested system include: 1) three-dimensional nanofeatures fabrication for chemical and biological sensing systems; 2) hybrid polymer-metal tooling development for injection molding; 3) nanoscale lithography for nanowire based optical detection systems and nanoelectronics; 4) nanostructure fabrication for photovoltaic energy conversion systems; and 5) nanotemplate fabrication for nanomanufacturing. The NIL system is an essential component of the nanofabrication process chain. The research projects enabled by this nanofabrication capability include many broader-impact applications such as: real time and in situ explosive detection for prevention of loss of human life and damage to infrastructure, biomolecular sensing, high efficiency solar cells for sustainable energy source, lead-free soldering for nanoelectronics packaging, and high-rate, high-volume, and environmentally-safe manufacturing processes. The requested instrumentation will be integrated into education and outreach programs for K-12 teachers and students, undergraduate and graduate students, and industry professionals through the Graduate Certificate in Nanotechnology, capstone and senior projects, course demonstration and laboratory experiments, summer research experience for undergraduates program and ?Nanotech Will Travel? umbrella outreach program. These activities are part of an extensive education and outreach infrastructure organized by the NSF Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing (CHN) and the state-funded Nanomanufacturing Center of Excellence (NCOE) at UML. This project will also involve students from underrepresented groups in research projects and course work through CHN and NCOE recruiting programs.