Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Nanotechnology R&D at NIST

Robert Celotta, Director

The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology

NIST – TEDCO Showcase

April 8, 2008(For further information see: http://cnst.nist.gov)

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

HD

R A

rchi

tect

ure,

Inc

./S

teve

Hal

l Cop

yrig

ht H

edric

h B

less

ing

2

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Outline

• NIST at a Glance• The New Center for Nanoscale Science and

Technology– The Nanofab– The Research Program

• Quick Tour of Nanotechnology throughout NIST

3

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

The NIST Laboratories

4

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

CNST Mission and Structure

Mission: • To enable the development of nanotechnology

– Provides both research and access to facilities– Works to solve outstanding nanoscale measurement and

fabrication problems

Structure:• The CNST consists of a Research Program and the

CNST Nanofab– The Nanofab

• A national facility offering convenient and economical access to expensive nanoscale measurement and fabrication tools.

– The Research Program• Multidisciplinary research staff operates in a highly collaborative

mode

5

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Advanced Measurement Laboratory

• CNST leverages the facilities of the AML – arguably the world’s most advanced laboratory – for its nanotechnology research.

6

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

The CNST Nanofab is well equipped and expandingSee cnst.nist.gov for details

7

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Research Program

Developing measurement capabilities for:– Future Electronics

• Devices, architectures, interconnects– Nanomanufacturing and Nanofabrication

• Top-down and bottom-up fabrication and assembly– Energy

• Conversion, storage, and transport• Complementary to and interactive with strong, existing NIST

Laboratory programs• Areas of concentration will, of necessity, change with needs

8

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Core Competences• Atomic Scale Characterization and Manipulation

– Fabrication and measure the geometric and electronic structure of materials with atomic resolution using a UHV cryogenic/high magnetic field scanning tunneling microscope system.

• Directed Assembly– Fabrication and study the effects of templating structures on the organization of nanoscale materials and their resultant

properties.

• Laser-Atom Manipulation– Laser control of atomic motion is used to develop new nanofabrication and nanoscale measurement methods.

• Nanomagnetic Imaging (SEMPA)– Use of spin polarized electrons generated in a scanning electron microscope to image magnetic structures over a large

magnification range. Measurements are sensitive to less than a monolayer of magnetic material.

• Nanophotonics– Study of nanofabricated optical structures that confine light to wavelength-scale dimensions and to investigate light-matter

interactions with near-field probing and microphotoluminescence setups.

• Nanoscale Transport – Device fabrication and photo-electrical probing of electronic and ionic transport properties of thin-film materials and nanoscale

objects equipped with probe station, cryostats, air/ liquid /high-vacuum STM/cAFM.

• Nanoplasmonics – Design and nanofabrication of metal-based photonic components and metamaterials which exploit subwavelength confinement of

light, for applications in information processing, metrology, and microscopy.

• Nanomagnet Dynamics – Fabrication and measurement of magnetization dynamics of magnetic nanostructures. Microwave spectroscopy techniques yield

precise information on material and structure properties at the nanoscale

NEMs, MEMs, Nanoscale Process Control (Coming soon) +

9

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Highlights:

• Molecular Spintronics– Used nanoscale pore in Si wafer

– One molecule thick layer of self assembled molecules

– Observed vibrational energies of molecular states

• Laser-based Nanotube Cleanup– Purifies raw nanotube material

– Reduces carbon impurities, e.g., graphite, soot, etc.

– Does not destroy tubes • Nanoscale Pores Provide Analysis

– Detects and sorts different sized polymer chains

– Uses a lipid bilayer membrane

– Pore size ~ 1.5 nm

– Current flow indicates chain size

10

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Highlights:

• Nanotechnology Research Recognized with two Nano 50 Awards– Scanning Electron Microscopy

– Scatterfield Optical Microscopy

• First Results Reported for Helium Ion Microscopy– New instrument has been installed

– Study of imaging process has begun

11

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Highlights:

• Nanowire Device Fabrication Method Demonstrated– Nanowires grown on sapphire wafer in specific locations and

directions

– Gold deposits used as nucleation points

– Zinc Oxide nanowires grown to create 600 nanowire based transistors

• Nanoelectronic Switch Demonstrated– Uses self-assembled layers of organic molecules

– Silver atoms quickly assemble to form conduction path

– Growth provides nanoscale binary switch

• SWNT Interaction with Polarized Light Studied– DNA stretching alignment method used

– First experimental verification of optical response

– Joint with Physics Lab and RIT

12

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Highlights:

• New Hybrid Microscope Developed– Scanning Photoionization Microscopy (SPIM)– High spatial resolution – Electrical sensitivity from low energy electron detection

• Highly Charged Ions Used to Study GMR/TMR– Insulating buffer layer modified by xenon +44 ions– Device incorporates both GMR and TMR effects

• High Speed Nanoscale Vibrations Measured– The 40 MHz NEM vibrations observed– Offers potential of 500-fold increase in STM speed

13

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Highlights:

• “Fossilized Liquid Assembly”– Components self assemble freely in liquid– UV light exposure polymerizes a monomer– Allows the study of the self assembly process

• Carbon Nanotube Tools– Carbon “nanoknife” stretched between two tungsten

needles– Could be applied to slice individual cells

• Rapid Method for Judging Nanotube Purity– Uses simple quartz crystal apparatus– Resonance frequency change on heating– Gauges consistency of samples

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Nanotechnology R&D at NIST

Robert Celotta, Director

The Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology

NIST – TEDCO Showcase

April 8, 2008(For further information see: http://cnst.nist.gov)

Pho

to c

ourt

esy

HD

R A

rchi

tect

ure,

Inc

./S

teve

Hal

l Cop

yrig

ht H

edric

h B

less

ing

15

Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology – NIST

Using the CNST Nanofab

• The Nanofab is a nanofabrication and nanoscale measurement facility– Based on highly successful NNIN Nanocenter model– Fee based, shared use

• Open to all users– NIST site access restrictions apply

• Fees are based on operating costs– Similar to the full cost recovery fees of the NNIN-NSF Nanocenters

• External users may apply to have a portion of their fee waived– For research supportive of CNST goals– Net charges similar to NNIN-NSF “academic” rates

• The Nanofab will train users in tool use– Alternatively, the process can performed by a process engineer at an additional

cost• User can maintain IP rights under certain circumstances• For information about use of the Nanofab

– Contact Dr. Alex Liddle (alex.liddle@nist.gov),