Research Activities

The key to progress in nanoscience and nanotechnology depends on the ability to design and fabricate samples for the experimental work. In order to understand the fundamentals of science fabrication of nanostructures in a variety of materials with accuracy in the nanometer scale and sometimes in the molecular scale is essential. To this effect the ICN Nanofabrication Division has infrastructure for different lithography methods, including lithography based on electron beams and focus ion beams, thermal and UV light-assisted nanoimprint lithography, self assembly techniques, metal evaporation techniques and etching processes. The ICN Nanofabrication Division supports the institute's research groups in: nanoelectronics, nanophononics, nanophotonics, spintronics, nanobioelectronics and biosensors. Visit the individual research groups for detailed information.

Novel Nanopatterning Methods

One of the main outputs of the Division is the development and implementation of novel nanopatterning methods. In principle we use imprint based methods to pattern polymers but, depending on the targeted application, these could also be tailored to pattern metals. Emphasis is given to develop nanoimprint based lithography techniques as cost, feasibility and throughput are features required for industrial demonstrators. Strong efforts are in place to reach reliably sub 20 nm features sizes as well as to fabricate three dimensional structures.

Flexible processing

A key feature of the ICN Nanofabrication Division is the flexibility allowed in processing. It will continuously develop and establish good practices to allow processing of organic and inorganic materials minimizing contamination risks. Likewise it will support and develop methodologies to work on hard and flexible substrates.