NNCI: Midwest Nano Infrastructure Corrider (MINIC)

技术的最新进展允许制造具有高度期望的能力的非常小的结构。这使得新的物理和化学理解（纳米科学）以及许多行业感兴趣的新结构和设备（纳米技术）成为可能。位于明尼苏达大学的中西部纳米基础设施走廊（MINIC）国家纳米技术协调基础设施（NNCI）将通过为纳米科学和技术的研究和开发提供领先的微米和纳米制造能力来加速这些进步。MINIC核心设施包括超过5000万美元的实验室和设备以及超过400人年的员工专业知识。学术研究人员可以在与明尼苏达大学教师平等的基础上使用这些能力。学生将前往MINIC设施，以获得宝贵的实践经验。企业家将享受低成本的机会来尝试新的想法，而不必做出长期的资本设备承诺。MINIC将支持广泛的纳米研发，但它将针对两个新领域的研究人员：二维材料的应用和纳米在生物学和医学中的应用。通过与北达科他州州立大学合作，MINIC还将实现纳米器件的封装。这使研究人员能够进行可靠性测试，并将这些设备纳入复杂的电子系统。MINIC还将深入到服务不足的社区，以增加他们在这一快速增长领域的参与。它还将支持整个中西部的小型学校的微型和纳米实验室，以使纳米技术在广阔的地理区域内发展。MINIC将为全国的微型和纳米研究人员提供支持。MINIC为研究人员提供多个洁净室，配备全套制造设备，包括最先进的电子束光刻技术，以及广泛的员工支持，使他们能够以及时和具有成本效益的方式进行困难的制造项目。为了更好地招聘和服务外部用户，MINIC将增加三个新的流程重点领域。第一个将支持各种2D薄膜的沉积，从石墨烯和过渡金属二硫属化物开始。用户将能够在自己的基底上构建设备，而不会出现与剥落相关的低产率和可变性。MINIC还将提供新的建模工具来支持这一领域。第二个重点领域将由北达科他州州立大学的包装中心，该中心在该地区拥有长期的专业知识。这将使学术界和工业界的研究人员能够经济地封装纳米级器件，包括RF器件、MEMS、功率器件和3D多芯片等困难的应用。MINIC的第三个重点领域将通过提供形成纳米颗粒悬浮液所需的所有设施和设备来支持在生物纳米技术领域工作的外部用户，进行尺寸和zeta电位测量，使用它们将细胞培养物暴露在BSL 2环境中，并用共聚焦和荧光显微镜表征结果。MINIC还将开发一个新的推广计划，以支持整个上中西部的纳米科学和技术实验室。

Recent advances in technology allow the fabrication of very small structures with highly desirable capabilities. This enables new physical and chemical understanding (nanoscience) as well as new structures and devices that are of interest to many industries (nanotechnology). The Midwest Nano Infrastructure Corridor (MINIC) National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI) site at the University of Minnesota will accelerate these advances by providing access to leading edge micro and nano fabrication capabilities for the research and development of nanoscience and technology. The MINIC core facilities represent more than $50M in labs and equipment as well as more than 400 man-years of staff expertise. Academic researchers can use these capabilities on an equal basis with University of Minnesota faculty. Students will travel to MINIC facilities to gain valuable hands-on experience. Entrepreneurs will enjoy low-cost access to try new ideas without having to make long-term capital equipment commitments. MINIC will support a broad spectrum of nano R&D, however it will target researchers in two new areas: the application of two-dimensional materials and the use of nano in biology and medicine. By partnering with North Dakota State University, MINIC will also enable the packaging of nano devices. This allows researchers to perform reliability testing and to incorporate these devices into complex electronic systems. MINIC will also reach out to underserved communities to increase their participation in this rapidly growing field. It will also support micro and nano laboratories at smaller schools throughout the Midwest to enable the development of nanotechnology over a broad geographic area.MINIC will provide support to micro and nano researchers throughout the country. MINIC offers researchers access to multiple clean rooms with a full suite of fabrication equipment including state-of-the-art electron beam lithography, and extensive staff support to enable them to carry out difficult fabrication projects in a timely and cost-effective manner. To better recruit and serve external users, MINIC will add three new process Focus Areas. The first will support the deposition of a broad variety of 2D thin films, beginning with graphene and the transition metal dichalcogenides. Users will be able to build devices on top of their own substrates without the low yield and variability associated with exfoliation. MINIC will also provide new modeling tools to support this area. The second Focus Area will be led by North Dakota State University's Packaging Center, which has long-standing expertise in the area. This will enable researchers in academia and industry to economically package nanoscale devices, including difficult applications such as RF devices, MEMS, power devices, and 3D multichips. MINIC's third Focus Area will support external users working in bio nanotechnology by providing all the facilities and equipment needed to form nanoparticle suspensions, perform sizing and zeta potential measurements, use them to expose cell cultures in a BSL2 environment, and characterize the result with confocal and fluorescence microscopy. MINIC will also develop a novel outreach program to support nano science and technology labs throughout the upper Midwest.