NNCI: Cornell Nanoscale Science and Technology Facility (CNF)

康奈尔纳米科学和技术设施(CNF)将为美国的研究人员提供快速、负担得起的、可动手的共享访问先进的纳米制造工具和相关的工作人员专业知识，这些工具对于个别大学或小公司来说过于昂贵，无法运营和维护。根据国家纳米技术协调基础设施(NNCI)网站奖，来自全国学术界、工业界和政府的数百名工程师和科学家将利用CNF独特的工具包和技术人员。CNF带来的新的研究和技术开发将改变工程和科学的许多领域，包括用于探测大脑如何工作的传感器和执行器阵列；用于经济适用的可再生能源的改进的光伏、电池和燃料电池；超过硅限制的新型电子设备；制造活的组织和器官；用于地球科学的分布式测量网络；微生物组的特性和操纵；芯片上的信号处理；使用新型传感器的精确农业；低成本医疗诊断；以及用于利用纠缠的改进的量子设备等等，不一而足。CNF还将组织针对广泛的研究人员、本科生和K-12学生及其家庭的教育和推广计划，更广泛的目标是为新一代不同的工程和科学学生提供实践研究教育，促进纳米技术的商业化以造福社会，将纳米制造的好处扩展到非传统研究领域，并使更多年轻学生对技术和科学感兴趣。CNF将向国家的研究人员提供独特的纳米制造能力，包括世界领先的电子束光刻技术、先进的光学光刻技术、专门用于软光刻技术的设施，以及用于快速原型开发的直写工具。此外，通过沉积和蚀刻各种材料的能力，还可以灵活地适应不同的项目。此外，CNF经验丰富的专家技术人员将专门为用户提供支持。来自学术界、工业界和政府的工程师和科学家将利用CNF的资源制造从厘米级到纳米级的结构和系统。CNF实现的新研究将推动许多领域的研究和开发，涵盖电子、光学、磁学、机械设备、热和能源系统、电化学设备、流体学以及生命科学和生物工程。教育和外展计划旨在使几个目标受众受益。CNF将通过最先进的工具、深入的微型课程和主题领域研讨会的实践培训，教会新的纳米技术研究人员在研究前沿快速操作。经验丰富的纳米技术研究人员将从与领先工具供应商合作的先进技术研讨会中受益。本科生将参加与地区大学的混合课程和独特的暑期研究经验。通过CNF高人气的Nanooze科学杂志和与4-H的新合作伙伴关系，将鼓励年轻的K-12学生和他们的家人对技术和科学感到兴奋。

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.